Remote isle inspired star’s love of nature
TV adventurer Ben Fogle has revealed he didn’t realise the power of nature until he lived on an Outer Hebridean island.
He spent a life-changing year on Taransay for the popular BBC reality series Castaway 2000.
Since Castaway, Fogle, 47, has climbed Mount Everest, rowed across the Atlantic, raced across Antarctica to the South Pole and traversed the deserts of the Empty Quarter in the Middle East.
He said his need to be with nature only started when he went to live on Taransay.
“That was probably the first time when I realised the power of nature, as a healer, the power of nature for mental wellbeing, physical wellbeing – because of that island,” he said.
“I never did physical exercise, in the traditional sense, I never went for runs or did work out. But it was a very physical year there, lots of lugging heavy materials around.
“And I kind of suddenly became really healthy and really fit. And my mental health started to improve. So, I think that was probably ground zero for my realising, and living with, the power of nature to transform mental and physical wellbeing.”
Fogle recently spent a few days on Tanera Mor in the Summer Isles off Scotland’s west coast, helping to design a holiday village.