Hiding at the bottom of a hill adjacent to the Northumberland coast is the tiny fishing village of Low Newton by the Sea. Little more than a collection of 18th century cottages and farm buildings, the beach is protected by the National Trust and is popular year round with walkers and wildlife enthusiasts.

For thousands of years, human beings have successfully adapted to their environments and coped with some of the toughest challenges that nature could throw their way. But some places are just so wild that after several millennia, hardy settlers have little choice but to abandon their homes. As such, the lonely islands off the north west coast of Scotland are a swirling mixture of windswept grasslands, craggy sea stacks, shipwrecks and abandoned settlements.