Plan to return Castaway island to its wild state

The owners of the Scottish island where reality TV show Castaway 2000 was made more than 20 years ago say they hope to return the isle to its wild state.

Taransay off the coast of Harris was bought by Adam and Cathra Kelliher in 2011.

The couple, who also own Harris' Borve Lodge Estate, plan to reintroduce native trees to the uninhabited island.

Land on Taransay was farmed and used for grazing livestock in the past. The last islanders left in 1974.

Mr Kelliher said: "We want to get it to the state of what it was like before intensive agriculture and before intensive grazing, which has taken a toll on the Island.

"It would’ve once been forested. It would’ve been rich in flora and fauna.

"Unfortunately, that’s all gone now and so we would like to recreate it."

There are trees over the sea on the Borve Lodge Estate planted by Mrs Kelliher's father 40 years ago.

She said: "That’s now a beautifully thriving forest with lichen, moss, insects and birds.

"So we know what it can look like in 40 years' time."

The Kellihers have also teamed up with a company offering safari-style adventure holidays to help boost tourism in the area.

Wild swimming and abseiling are among the activities

Taransay is famous as the setting for the BBC programme, which challenged a group of 36 people to build a community.

The show launched the TV career of Ben Fogle, one of its participants.