We all have our favourite contestants. Perhaps it was Caroline, the 20-something dog groomer turned shepherdess, or maybe the globe trotting Yoga instructor Jasmine. Or how about Glenn the IT consultant? If none of these names sounded familiar to you, then you wouldn’t be alone.

Based in and around a 600 acre private estate in the Ardnamurchan peninsula, UK, the Eden project was billed as a ground-breaking social experiment in which 23 volunteers would attempt to create a self-sustaining community from scratch. But a year on from when filming began the contestants emerged eight short of their original number and to a general public who remained largely unaware and indifferent to the trials they endured in the remote landscape of western Scotland.

But with just four hour-long episodes being broadcast that covered only three months of the year-long project the lack of public awareness shouldn’t be particularly shocking. However from what little was seen of the initial few months the star of the show was undoubtedly the picturesque setting.

With rugged mountains, amazing seascapes, sandy beaches, woodlands, marshes, and a deep and fascinating archaeological legacy dating back to the Bronze Age, the 50 square miles of the Ardnamurchan peninsula is stunning. And as one of the least populated areas of the UK the area has become noted for the abundance of wildlife. Most notable are the large variety of birds, deer, wildcats, and eagles.

While public access to some areas was restricted during filming, the end of the Eden project has since opened up the public footpaths and eased the ease of access to the beautiful beaches that line the coast. Of note is the Cul na Croise bay in the north and the Gortenfern “Singing Sands” which sit on the edge of a beautiful turquoise ocean.

However despite the beauty it is important to remember how unforgiving the landscape can be to any would-be permanent settlers. This is a fact that the Eden contestants could attest to as they struggled to build shelter in wet and windy weather while dealing with the impracticalities of planting crops in rocky and infertile ground. But as they discovered, the weather can also be glorious in the Spring and Summer, with it improving enough to warrant beach-weather clothing.

And for any potential sight-seers the nearest populated village is a little over 5 miles away from the filming location, so there won’t be any need to resort to scrambling for food should the need arise. But the remote aspect of the landscape should never be underestimated. In fact taking precautions when you head out hiking across many of the trails is a must. After all you will not have the benefit of an all-seeing camera crew to shuttle in medical help or food supplies.

It is also worth noting that the Ardnamurchan peninsula is also home to a number of cottages that can be rented out as holiday homes. Or if you feel the occasion and budget warrants it then you can book a luxurious stay in the 13th century Mingary Castle on the south coast of Ardnamurchan. However if you feel particularly compelled to relive moments from the Eden television show then you could always spend some time in a teepee.

While it may be considered a failure, the Eden project is scheduled to return to our screens this year. So if you want a good dose of human drama then tune in, or alternatively do one better and visit the Ardnamurchan peninsula for yourselves this summer.

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