Episode 18: The Beachcomber- Martin Gray
Martin Gray on the Isle of Lewis.
When you’re out walking, how much time do you spend looking down?
I think I do it a lot.
It’s amazing how much you can find out about how we all live, just by watching where you’re going.
Martin Gray is a lifelong beachcomber on the wild islands of Orkney, off Scotland’s northern coast. Orkney men have been beachcombers for generations; making use of whatever washes ashore.
Most of what washes up these days comes from Canada, and to be blunt, it makes an ugly mess.
But the sea also brings mystery.
A trained Marine biologist and guide, Martin is a keen observer of the environment he calls home.
I met him on board the expedition ship Ocean Endeavour, on a recent remarkable voyage with the Canadian-owned tour company Adventure Canada.
They run small-ship expedition cruises to some of most beautiful and seldom-visited corners of the planet.
Photo credit: Liz Carlson
We went for a walk while visiting the near-mythical island of St Kilda. It’s there I learned Martin’s lifetime spent among Scotland’s remote islands has lead him to both find and lose far more than he ever could have expected.
Click below to join us for a dander through a sheep pasture, just above the rocky shoreline of St Kilda.