Shaping the Coast

Long ago, the Glens of Antrim were seen as a place apart, isolated from the rest of Ulster, pinned in by the Antrim Plateau. Its people faced Scotland, not the rest of Ireland. It was easier to travel by boat to the Mull of Kintyre than it was to travel overland to Belfast or Ballymena. In this episode, a collection of colourful characters who live and work along the Antrim Coast Road reflect on the heritage and traditions of this historic area.

This episode uncovers the monumental engineering achievement of William Bald, the brave and pioneering Scotsman who blasted the cliff faces of coastal Antrim into the sea and built a road that was once thought impossible to construct. This unsung engineering hero has been largely forgotten by history, but his greatest work - the iconic Antrim Coast Road, lives on and has changed the lives of the people of The Glens forever. Andrea Bald, William's great-great-great-granddaughter - and by coincidence, an engineer herself - travels to Antrim from her home in New Zealand to discover more about her elusive ancestor.

In the final episode we follow Davy Smyth, a third-generation Carnlough fisherman who is diversifying into a new tourism venture. We also meet Adrian Morrow, Glenarm Castle Estate manager, who is under pressure organizing the Dalriada Festival. 25,000 people are expected to travel up the Coast Road to attend - will he cope?