WORLD TOUR OF SCOTLAND
World Tour of Scotland is a six-part television series - the first of Billy Connolly's "world tours" - originally broadcast by the BBC in late 1994. It involves his touring around his homeland of Scotland for 54 nights during early 1994, beginning in Greenock and visiting cities and towns and performing live on stage to audiences. However, this, like all his other tours, involve more than just shows: he visits numerous places of historic and scenic value, as well as some places that resonate with his own upbringing.
“Episode 1”
The series begins with Connolly aboard a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry sailing down the west coast.
Isle of Arran. As Connolly drives off the ferry, his best friend, Danny Kyle, is shown to be in the passenger seat
»Brodick Village Hall (concert venue)
»Connolly is shown playing the banjo with his Isle of Arran-based friends
Glasgow
»Dover Street, the street on which Connolly was born
»Provand's Lordship
»The tenement building where Connolly lived between the ages of fourteen and twenty
»Glasgow Cross
»Necropolis
»King's Theatre (concert venue)
»Auchengillan scout camp (which Connolly, in the 141 Pack, visited as a cub scout)
»Loch Lomond
Isle of Arran. As Connolly drives off the ferry, his best friend, Danny Kyle, is shown to be in the passenger seat
»Brodick Village Hall (concert venue)
»Connolly is shown playing the banjo with his Isle of Arran-based friends
Glasgow
»Dover Street, the street on which Connolly was born
»Provand's Lordship
»The tenement building where Connolly lived between the ages of fourteen and twenty
»Glasgow Cross
»Necropolis
»King's Theatre (concert venue)
»Auchengillan scout camp (which Connolly, in the 141 Pack, visited as a cub scout)
»Loch Lomond
“Episode 2”
Partick and Govan
Stirling (including the MacRobert Centre concert venue) and Bannockburn
Kirkcaldy and Forfar (concert venue)
Scone Palace ("Never to be pronounced Scone.")
Forth Bridge, Forth Road Bridge, and South Queensferry
Stirling (including the MacRobert Centre concert venue) and Bannockburn
Kirkcaldy and Forfar (concert venue)
Scone Palace ("Never to be pronounced Scone.")
Forth Bridge, Forth Road Bridge, and South Queensferry
“Episode 3”
Blair Atholl
Highlands (Loch Garry, near Drumochter, where he skites stones on the ice; also passes Dalwhinnie, Laggan and Findhorn Bridge in Tomatin)
Inverness (Concert Venue at Eden Court, Fishing on River Ness and view Loch Ness)
Culloden Moor
Highlands (Loch Garry, near Drumochter, where he skites stones on the ice; also passes Dalwhinnie, Laggan and Findhorn Bridge in Tomatin)
Inverness (Concert Venue at Eden Court, Fishing on River Ness and view Loch Ness)
Culloden Moor
“Episode 4”
Ulbster, Caithness
Wick
Ackergill Tower, Caithness
»Ring of Brogar (referred to by Connolly as the Standing Stones of Brogar)
»Kirkwall
»Scapa Flow (to which he travels on the fishing boat Triton)
Lerwick, Shetland (including two performances in the same night at the Garrison Theatre; the latter takes him into the next day)
Wick
Ackergill Tower, Caithness
»Ring of Brogar (referred to by Connolly as the Standing Stones of Brogar)
»Kirkwall
»Scapa Flow (to which he travels on the fishing boat Triton)
Lerwick, Shetland (including two performances in the same night at the Garrison Theatre; the latter takes him into the next day)
“Episode 5”
Arbroath (where he samples a smokie and revisits the location at which he lost his virginity)
Dundee (including footage from his performance at Caird Hall)
»Dundee Law (Connolly gives a straight reading of William McGonagall's poem The Tay Bridge Disaster within sight of the Tay Rail Bridge. During the course of filming, a blizzard happens, and about two inches of snow falls)
Scottish Borders, Kelso (including footage from his performance at Tait Hall)
Connolly almost ventures into English territory at the end of the episode when he cycles past the "Scotland" sign in Roxburgh. "I've come a bit far here, I believe," he says, after screeching his bike to a halt. "And me out without my passport. It is a Scottish tour, after all."
"One thing confuses me, however," he continued, as he prepares to retrace his route. "If this is the border with England, and that is the border with Scotland, what happens in here? Maybe it is owned by the Manx government, or something. I don't know. Perhaps you can build a house here and never pay tax again."
Dundee (including footage from his performance at Caird Hall)
»Dundee Law (Connolly gives a straight reading of William McGonagall's poem The Tay Bridge Disaster within sight of the Tay Rail Bridge. During the course of filming, a blizzard happens, and about two inches of snow falls)
Scottish Borders, Kelso (including footage from his performance at Tait Hall)
Connolly almost ventures into English territory at the end of the episode when he cycles past the "Scotland" sign in Roxburgh. "I've come a bit far here, I believe," he says, after screeching his bike to a halt. "And me out without my passport. It is a Scottish tour, after all."
"One thing confuses me, however," he continued, as he prepares to retrace his route. "If this is the border with England, and that is the border with Scotland, what happens in here? Maybe it is owned by the Manx government, or something. I don't know. Perhaps you can build a house here and never pay tax again."
“Episode 6”
Edinburgh
»Edinburgh Castle (including the firing of the one o'clock gun)
»Court of Session
»St. Giles' Cathedral
»Mary King's Close (Annie's room)
»Usher Hall (concert venue, from where Connolly gives a pre-show piece to camera)
»Edinburgh Castle (including the firing of the one o'clock gun)
»Court of Session
»St. Giles' Cathedral
»Mary King's Close (Annie's room)
»Usher Hall (concert venue, from where Connolly gives a pre-show piece to camera)