The Climate - Culbin Forest & Sands

Take a walk though any landscape in Scotland, and there's a story to be uncovered - of human lives, and the impact we've had on the land around us. Join Iain Stewart as he walks through some of Scotland's most intriguing landscapes, guided by people who live and work in them, to uncover tales of how we have exploited, celebrated and enjoyed Scotland's forests, hills, lochs, glens and shores.

In this programme, Iain visits Culbin Forest in Moray. The area famous is for its history - it was once a prosperous faming estate, buried by a great sandstorm in the 17th century. For 200 years after, Culbin was Scotland's Saraha - miles of sand that moved across the land. The sand was stabilised by the Forestry Commission in the mid 20th century. From the 1930s onwards, they planted Culbin Forest, which today is a vast area of green, and a unique habitat: because it's man made, there are plants and animals there in combinations you don't find anywhere else. Between the forest and sea is an area of saltmarsh, winter home to thousands of birds; constantly changing and being shaped by coastal processes. And the impact of climate and storms is not over - every year, the Culbin sandbar is washed westwards, and as sea levels rise and storms increase, the fragile habitats of Culbin could be damaged again.