01x02 - Scottish Sport

[bunniefuu]

[soft music plays]

♪

[dramatic bagpipe and drum

music plays]

♪

[Graham]

How far are we going?

[Sam] All the way, bro.

Whoo!

Oh, my God.

Surf's up, bro!

It's so cold.

Oh, Jesus. Bugger!

[engine turns over]

[Graham] The big surf scene.

It wasn't my first thought

when I thought

about sports in Scotland.

But apparently it's here.

Surf's up, bro.

Please make that

the last time you say that.

We're gonna be doing

a lot of different sports.

Yeah.

-[Sam] In Scotland.

-Scottish sports.

Who would have known

that Scottish people

were quite so sporty?

You're very sporty,

aren't you?

Oh, thank you.

I like to think

I'm a little sporty.

-Yeah, no, you are.

-Ah, you're sporty too, though.

I am, but I-I think

you've got another layer

of sportiness to you.

[Sam] Ah, I might work out

a bit,

but I seem to remember

you being pretty sporty.

Myself and you played

a little bit of shinty.

Yes, we did. We did.

Featured in a show

called "Outlander."

Shinty's a bit like a cross

between hockey and lacrosse.

Very violent sport.

I believe I won.

[Graham] Yes, you beat me. Yes.

Because it was

in the script, Sam.

That's true.

You mean that doesn't count?

No, no.

You've just got to stop

this confusion

between fiction and real life.

[Sam] Yeah, I-I remember

when we were doing it,

the director told us

it was historically used

for practicing sword play.

I taught you this game, lad.

That you did.

That didn't look very fair.

[Sam] Scotland has

a long sporting tradition

that dates back

to the time of the clans.

[Graham] Early events tested

our strongest

and bravest soldiers,

everything

from lifting rocks

-[Sam] To tossing trees.

-[Graham] Pulling ropes.

[Sam] And running up mountains.

Much of this was formalized

during Victorian times

into the Highland games,

which became celebrated

around the world.

Some say this uniquely

Scottish gathering

inspired the modern Olympics.

[Graham] Scotland's a notorious

underdog in sports.

Although we're small,

we're also mighty

with a variety

of unique traditions.

Lifting, throwing, kicking,

shinty

[Sam] Running.

Stabbing.

Are you just gonna be

relentlessly competitive?

Moi?

You're champing at the bit.

Because you are Mr. Sporty Man.

If you are a-a sporty man

yourself,

we should make a bet

on your sporting prowess.

Okay, but first of all,

what--what sport?

[Sam] All of them.

[Graham] All of them?

Yeah.

What kind of a bet?

Skinny-dip

in the Atlantic Ocean.

Naked swimming?

So the loser

has to skinny-dip

in the North Atlantic.

Okay. I take that bet.

-[Sam] Oh, you take it?

-On what--

Yeah, I take that bet.

Game on, McTavish.

Game on.

[stirring music plays]

♪

Lifting heavy stones was

an ancient rite of passage.

And it's still a key feature

of Scottish strong man

competitions.

But the original stones

remain dotted

all around the countryside.

Anyone who is willing

can test their strength.

I want to lift a stone.

Right.

[Sam] One of the oldest

lifting stones sites

is located outside

Balquhidder.

And we're gonna meet

with Peter Lawrie

who's a fellow

in the Society of Antiquaries.

[Graham] Antiquaries?

[Sam] I believe

it's the study

of old Scottish things.

And Peter, well,

he knows all about them.

♪

Peter.

-How do you do, Sam?

-Hi.

-How do you do?

-Thanks for, uh, meeting us

here.

-That's all right.

-And here we are.

-The-the Pudrac stone.

-This is the Pudrac.

It's probably Neolithic.

Might be four, four and a half

thousand years old.

-[Sam] Wow.

-These days,

it's the plinth, if you like,

for this lifting stone.

And, uh, this particular one,

I understand

they took it out of the river

and a variety of strong men

from around the world

have been sensed

to lift it up there.

Are they always

the same weight?

Roughly the same weight?

-The-the stones around Scotland?

-No, I don't think so.

[Sam] I-I believe this one is

about a hundred kilograms.

-My God.

-But, yeah.

There-there are varying weights,

and it was a test

-of your manhood or

your strength.

-That's right.

You were a man

if you could lift the stone.

[Peter]

Yes, that's the whole idea.

It was the-the introduction

to manhood

to be able to take the stone

and plunk it on there.

As soon as you can lift it,

you're a man.

-Right.

-Wow.

Well, nothing else

remains, really,

but for you to lift it.

I don't want to embarrass you.

-But, you know

-Go on, Sam.

-I'll give it a go.

-[Sam] Go on.

-Don't put your back out.

-Okay.

-There he goes.

-All right, here we go.

[Sam] He means business.

Assume the position.

Oh, God.

-[Graham] I know this isn't

gonna go well.

-[Sam] Go on.

Careful, careful.

-I've moved it!

-He's moving it.

-[Graham straining] I moved it.

-Come on, Graham.

[Graham grunts]

No.

Um, not today.

I think I'm gonna

give it a rest.

-Yeah.

-I was testing it.

And it is heavy.

-All right.

-Okay, your go.

[Sam] Oh, God.

I-I can't do this.

It looks far too heavy,

but okay.

I really want to have a go.

[dramatic music plays]

Okay, hold on.

Hold on.

Good stuff.

Oh God, it's bloody awkward.

♪

-It's off the ground!

-[both laugh]

[Sam] Hang on, one more go.

-I'm gonna do this.

-[Graham] Yeah, that's it.

[Sam] God, it's really hard

to put your arms around.

That's what she said.

♪

[Peter] It's up.

It's off the ground.

[Graham] It's off the ground.

Yes!

[laughing] Yes, you did it!

Watch your feet!

-Well, hey.

-[Sam grunts]

-[Graham] Whoa!

-[Sam grunts]

[Graham] That is impressive.

-Well done, mate.

-Thank you, mate.

Well done.

I'm about choked up about that,

actually.

I didn't know that

was gonna happen, actually.

-That's it. Do you need to lie

down?

-I do.

Maybe in a grave.

[mischievous music playing]

♪

I've always found this

very strange about Scotland.

That they seem

to have an obsession

with just lifting

and throwing heavy things.

They're just like--they see

something heavy,

and it's like,

"I need to pick that up."

Yeah.

"Oh, that suitcase looks

a wee bit heavy."

-Great!

-"I'll be picking it up for you

and turning it into a sport."

-Luggage tossing.

-[Sam] Luggage tossing.

Great, that's heavy.

Pick that up.

-[Graham] Aye, pick that up.

-Chuck it.

See if you can pick that up

and throw it.

Oi, your luggage

is awfully heavy.

-I should be lifting that.

-Aye, aye.

Are luggage handlers in

Scotland particularly tough?

Aye, very strong.

-Aye, aye.

-[Sam] Very strong.

[laughter]

♪

[Sam] Our next stop

is Braemar,

the home of the Highland games

where men and women

from around the world

come to demonstrate

their strength and agility.

This is the famous

Duke of Fife Memorial Park.

-Wow.

-Where annually,

the Braemar Highland Gathering

is held.

[Sam] You can imagine

16,000 fans

cheering on the competitors.

[Charlie] You arrive

at these events

and you're fortunate enough

to be allowed

out in the middle of the field,

and you look around

and you're-you're in awe.

What are the Highland games,

Charlie?

The Highland games is

a-a celebration

of Scottish culture.

They're community events.

It's a athletic competition,

music, Highland dancing.

It's unique to Scotland.

What really prompted

people to start competing?

The origination

of the Highland games

would come from the clans

and they wanted to determine,

to pick their fastest

and their strongest men

to represent the clans

-at different challenges.

-[Graham] Yeah.

-[Sam] Speed, strength.

-[Charlie] Yep.

It all comes together

at the games.

[Sam] Charlie,

I believe this is actually

the seat that you sit in

-during the games.

-Yep.

You're not in any danger

of anything being thrown

or landing on you here, are you?

I mean, it's safer at the back,

surely.

-Yep.

-[laughs]

[Charlie] There's hammers

being thrown.

There's tug of w*r.

You see the jump pit.

-We have a high jump.

-[Graham] Yep.

[Charlie] Kyle Randalls

is coming around

to probably give you

a-a few lessons.

-A small man, I'm imagining.

-Yep.

Maybe like just 5'4",

something like that?

-No, no, no, no.

-[Graham] No?

He's a mountain of a man.

I think his mustache

might be 5'4".

[laughter]

[dramatic music plays]

[Sam] I've heard

he's one of the best

hammer throwers in Scotland.

There's one thing

we're missing though.

[Charlie] You need to be

properly dressed.

You need a-a kilt,

kilt hose,

appropriate footwear.

[Graham] Right.

[Charlie] One thing,

do not go commando.

-Oh, I'm glad to hear that.

-I'm glad to hear it.

Just in case you get upended.

-[laughs]

-Yeah.

♪

[Sam] Oh, my God!

That's barely in the arena.

Kyle, thank you so much

for joining us.

-Pleasure.

-Absolutely.

How's his handshake?

-It's good, yeah.

-[Graham] Yeah, I warned you.

I warned you.

Yeah, we thought we'd come

dressed for the part.

You can tell,

it's pretty cold.

Graham's n*pples are now--

Yes, I'm gonna be hanging

things off them in a minute.

Full salute, but we're here

to throw things.

And you do that, competitively.

I do, yeah.

I spend most of the summer

running about the Highlands

of Scotland throwing sh*t.

[laughs]

-You do, yes.

-Yeah.

Are-are there

a lot of injuries?

Uh, there's been a few.

The worst, I have torn

open my stomach

-throwing the hammer, so

-Oh, good.

-I'm incredibly paranoid.

-Good to know this.

So you've torn your stomach?

-Entire left side, yeah.

-Entire left side.

God, you must be exhausted

at the end of the week.

I mean, you just live

in a constant state of pain

and sadness

throughout the season.

Or jubilation

if you're winning.

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

that-that's it.

[Sam] So what do we have here?

We have a hammer?

These are both, uh,

the Scots hammer.

-So this is the smaller one.

-Oh, that's--

-Mm-hmm.

-So, 16 pounds, 4'2" in length.

And it's actually made out

of quite a flexible shaft.

-Oh, oh.

-So the idea is when you're--

-That's unexpected.

-Yeah, when you throwin' it,

you can get

a sort of whip in it.

-That's the smallest.

-And then this--

This is the Braemar hammer,

I guess?

You've got

the-the Big Mac daddy here.

22 pounds.

And this is actually

a different wooden handle.

You can see this one

has almost no flex.

What's the technique

to getting it further?

Is-is it the faster

you spin or just--the--

You want to work the hammer

and let it work you.

-Mm.

-So

Yes, sensei.

Work the hammer

and let it work you.

Oh sh*t.

There you go. Knees forward,

knees forward. There you go.

[grunting] I can't stop!

Even dragging it along

the ground is a bit of a chore.

Hey, come on now.

[Sam] Work the hammer

and let it work you.

I think we can all go home now.

Are we safe here,

do you think?

[Sam] When do I let go?

Just when it feels right.

I would aim--aim

for the pavilion.

Aim?

[Kyle] There you go.

Come on, lad.

-[Sam] It's not gonna work.

-There we go.

It's been four swings.

Five swings.

-Six swings, seven swings.

-[Graham muttering]

Let go of it, Sam.

I'm exhausted watching that.

[Sam] I'm a bit disappointed

about that one.

[Kyle] It wasn't bad.

[Graham] I feel absolutely

horrified watching that.

Okay, get on and throw it.

Oh, here we go

for the gold medal

at the Braemar games!

Oh, it's a good throw!

[laughing]

Oh, they're so equal.

[Kyle]

First point of impact, okay?

To the center of the divot?

[Kyle] The first--yep,

the very-the very edge.

The closest edge to me

of the divot.

-[Graham] Closest edge.

-That there.

What do you think?

12.9.

[whispering]

Oh, yes.

Oh, yes.

13.18.

Yes!

[laughs]

♪

[Sam] So well done, mate.

Yes, well done.

Well done, yourself.

We'll see what comes next.

[Sam]

Ah, haggis country.

[Graham]

Aye, it's unmistakable.

[Sam] Aye, the tall grass.

They like that.

Concealing themselves.

-Their colorful plumage.

-Yeah.

-And the call of the haggis.

-[Sam] Oh.

[rolls tongue, calls]

We're not gonna do

any haggis sh**ting.

-[Sam] You ever shot a haggis?

-I've never, I never have.

[Sam] It's really difficult.

When cornered,

-they can be really vicious.

-Yes.

-[animal growls]

-[gasps]

-[Sam] Very sharp teeth.

-[Graham] Mm, mm.

-[screams]

-[g*nsh*t]

[Graham] Well, they're not

the cleverest of creatures,

-are they? No.

-[Sam] They're pretty dumb.

200 years ago, like, back

when the clans were around,

there were also--there were

these, um, like, giant haggis.

[chuckling]

You okay?

No, it was--no, they had

to be really careful.

I mean, they're extinct now,

those-those ones, but, um

Thank God.

[Sam] Well, traditionally

people would wear a haggis

-[laughing]

-Um, a live one.

[laughter]

Look at McDougal's haggis.

[Sam] Look at it

tearing around.

-It's gone completely mental.

-[grunting]

Can you control your haggis,

please, sir?

[both snarling]

Dow-down!

Down!

[laughter]

[Graham] Well, it's a shame

we're not gonna be able

to do haggis sh**ting because--

Well that's something

I'd like to try.

[Sam] No sporty road trip

would be complete

without a stop

into St. Andrews

and the oldest golf course

in Scotland.

[Graham] The home of golf.

[Sam] St. Andrews hosted the

world's first open tournament

and invented

the 18-hole course.

Amazing.

[Graham] And this is Fraser,

the caddy master

of St. Andrews.

-Thecaddy master.

-Thecaddy master.

This is hallowed ground.

I can't believe you've

actually let us,

basically imposters, imbeciles,

on this--

Imposters?

Let's not go too far.

This is the greatest thing

about St. Andrews.

Golfers of all standards

get to come and play here.

People travel

from all over the world.

All the greats have been here.

And you guys can

go out there today

and follow in their footsteps,

even as imposters.

I feel like my footsteps

are gonna be

quite a lot shorter

than their footsteps

once I've hit the first drive.

No, the footsteps are the same.

It's the golf ball traveling

will be the difference.

[Sam] But there's

great history here.

I mean, you know, golf

obviously is, you know,

a Scottish sport but it's now,

you know, universal

and it's-it's played

everywhere.

But this, you know,

this is where it originated,

am I right?

Yes, there's always

different theories

about where it originated

but it dates back hundred

and hundreds of years here.

It's been played

from 400, 500 years ago

just on this piece

of land here.

The old times people

and the farmers

used to drive

their cattle across it

and sticks and stones

out into rugged land.

I notice it's very flat

on this side, but on this side

there's-there's a lot of

undulation. Is that natural or--

[Fraser] Yeah, so every bit

of land that's here

is just as it was

hundreds of years ago.

So all the humps and bumps

that are out here,

nothing's been shaped.

No big machinery's come

in here.

It just evolved

into the golf course.

There may be a few more holes

after we've played.

No, no, not at all.

You guys will be

absolutely fine.

You won't take out

any big chunks out of it.

[birds squawking]

[dramatic music plays]

♪

So let's get you teed up here.

The long drive contest,

which means the furthest away

from the tee shot wins.

[Graham] So whoever hits

the ball the furthest

gets a point.

This is 124 yards wide.

-You can't miss it.

-[Graham] Great.

[Sam] Okay, here we go.

Okay.

[Sam mumbles]

[Fraser] Oh, there you go.

Contact.

I'm feeling

very intimidated now.

Here we go.

[Fraser] There's a nice air

of confidence about this.

-Yeah.

-This man has done this before.

Now take your time,

get settled,

just a nice smooth swing.

This is very serious.

[Sam] Good luck. Don't miss it.

-[Sam] Oh.

-[Fraser] Oh hey, there you go.

-Oh.

-Now that's gonna be close.

I couldn't even see

where it went.

[Fraser]

It's straight down the middle.

It's on the same line as Sam.

It's gonna be close.

[Fraser]

One of these golf ba*ls

is a good 15 yards

further than the other.

I'm beginning to question

your sense of direction.

Sam, this is definitely yours.

It's on short grass.

It's in play.

-This is Sam's ball?

-You can't ask for any more than

this.

What can you say, Sam?

Oh, you-you're joking?

A little bit harder

you would have got there.

Yeah, he still hasn't managed

to get it as far as me.

All we can say is, this man

has won the-the long drive

contest.

-[Sam] One point, one point.

-[Fraser] Just point.

Oh, no, no.

I know, I know.

I'm just gonna-- I-I just have

to do this, to this.

Mine.

Sam's.

[Fraser]

His drive in this position here

is about 235 yards

off the tee.

Your one back there

was 220 yards.

Numbers. He's wins.

[Graham] I'm just gonna stand

looking at my ball

just for a few more moments

in a kind of contemplative,

worshipping manner.

Okay, moving on.

[upbeat guitar music plays]

♪

[Sam] I've saved the best

for last.

We're going to the home

of Scotland's national

rugby union team.

The fog is lifting

on fortress Murrayfield.

-[Graham] Fortress Murrayfield.

-[Sam] Fortress Murrayfield.

The national stadium for rugby.

We're here with two of

the greatest Scottish players

there have ever been,

Al Kellock, Chris Paterson.

[Graham] You're barely able

to control yourself

at this point, I think.

It has to be said

that I'm pretty uh, excited.

I've been coming here for

many years, watching Scotland,

um, you know, clutch defeat

in the jaws of victory,

and, uh, it's been, um--

-[Chris] Was that my fault?

-And it has just been

Or was it your fault?

[Sam] But, uh, I remember

coming here as a teenager,

and to be honest,

never been here sober,

so this is also, you know,

a first for me.

You're not many places sober,

are you?

[Sam] Yeah, exactly.

[Chris] But it's quite haunting

when it's empty, isn't it?

[Sam] It is haunting.

[Sam] The echo you get here

is incredible,

but when it's filled with,

what, 60,000, did we say?

-67,000 and some change.

-67,000 people.

And they're all singing

"Flower of Scotland."

Our unofficial national anthem

just whips this place

into a frenzy.

[Al] You come out here

with your country,

it's enough to get you going.

And you never really need

anything extra.

[Sam] Some people

don't know rugby.

There's a ball.

You basically have to get it

to the other end

for a try, right?

-Mm-hmm.

-Then you get to try

and convert it by kicking it

through the-the posts here.

You can only pass backwards.

You can only run forward,

pass backwards.

-You guys don't wear pads.

-No.

You know, it's not like

American football.

There's no pads.

You're playing,

what, 90 minutes or--

-Just a note to the Americans.

-Yeah, exactly.

-No pads.

-These guys are hard.

-No pads.

-So don't mess.

[Chris]

It's a brilliant game.

It's an exciting game to

watch as well.

[Sam] It is.

[Al] There's 15 players

on the park.

[Chris] You don't see the ball

for a lot of the time.

The ball is either

in a scrum or in a maul

or in a pileup.

[Sam] And these words scrum,

maul.

Literally, you have

a group of men

that would put the ball

in the middle

and you have to

sort of fight over it.

[Al] We've chatted enough.

We're at rugby, so time

to get you onto the park

and-and see some skills,

I think.

[Sam] It all comes down

to this.

If I win here, we tie

and the bet's off.

[Graham] But if you lose,

you're going swimming,

my friend.

[stirring orchestral music

plays]

[crowd stomping]

♪

[Graham coughing]

[Chris] There's lots of

different elements in rugby.

One really important element

is passing.

So we're gonna do

some passing here,

and we're gonna test you

head-to-head.

I'll give you three ba*ls.

Let's see how many we get

in the bin.

[Graham]

Isn't there a handicap

for him being

20 years younger than me?

I mean, come on.

-You just moved it!

-Get back.

Get back.

-Right.

-No, just where it was.

-Ready?

-It's like being with a child.

-Go!

-[Chris] There they go.

Down and up the cone.

Go to the line, pick up.

Oh!

-[Chris] Unlucky, back again.

-[Al] Oh, it's close. Here's the

take.

-[Chris] I tell you what.

-[Al] Good.

-[Chris] I tell you what.

-[Al] Have to aim and pass.

-[Sam] Ah!

-[laughing]

-[bell dings]

-Yes!

-Come on, Graham, come on.

-[Al] Fast finish.

Fast finish, make the pass.

-[bell dings]

-both: Yes!

-Yeah! That's my last!

-Ah!

-[exclaiming]

-[Chris laughing]

[Sam] The score is 1-1.

He'll have to try harder

to get me naked.

This is a kicking practice.

One ball from each cone

and you're landing it

in a 10x10 meter square there.

Here we go.

This one is

for the Six Nations.

This is for Scotland.

About there, coach?

That's good.

Keep it in.

♪

[Sam] Go on, go on, go on!

-[Al] Oh, it's no good, man.

-[Sam groans]

[Chris] Comes down to

the last kick of the match.

Good luck, Graham, you need it.

Here you go.

It's for one point.

[laughing] Shut

-Oh, it's good for the height!

-Oh, it's beautiful.

-Oh, yes!

-Beautiful.

Is he breathing hard?

I don't think he is.

I feel great.

Gentlemen sport, gentlemen won.

Well done.

We've done so much.

Um, surfing.

-Yes.

-St. Andrews.

-Incredible.

-That--fantastic.

Absolutely incredible.

I was saying to you earlier,

it's really important to just

take a moment to take in

this sort of experience

-isn't it?

-Yeah.

To be here, to be

in this amazing stadium

Total dream come true.

Here's to losing

at Murrayfield.

[whispering] To victory.

♪

[Graham] Ah, we've just got one

more thing

to take care of.

Let me-let me remember.

Hmm.

Oh, yes, you're going

skinny-dipping

in the North Atlantic.

I actually have huge respect

for you.

-Thanks.

-Honoring your bet

and going

into the North Atlantic

on a-on a windy, wet, rainy day.

Can you see through the window

with all the rain?

You're so petty.

-You are so petty.

-No. No, not petty.

No, jubilant.

I'll have the coast guard

on speed dial.

In fact, I think

I'll just start ringing them

as soon as you start running

towards the sea.

I can't take much more of this.

Winds up, surf's up.

You know, defibrillator's

on standby.

[chuckling]

There he goes. Oh, look.

Look.

Oh, oh, yes.

Here we go.

This is the good stuff.

Just another 15 yards, Sam!

Keep going!

This is possibly one of the

sweetest moments of my life.

[laughing] Oh, dear.

That's it!

Full immersion.

Keep going.

Keep going.

[laughing] Yes!

Oh, boy.

[Sam] Ah!

Oh, God.

[Graham]

The sounds of a man screaming.

Music to my ears.

I think it's worse coming back.

[Sam]

Should we do a caber toss?

[Kyle] We can, yeah.

Yeah.

[Sam] Okay.

[Kyle] Perfect.

Keep going, man.

[Graham] Oh, God.

-Ah!

-Yes!

[grunts]

One, two, three heave!

One, two, three, heave.

Heave.

Heave.

There's a lot of cheating

going on over there.