TV series aims to escape from forbidden isle

The forbidden island of Rum in Scotland, where visitors were once discouraged at the point of a gun, is to be used as the backdrop for a new version of a Castaway-style television series – but with a twist.

Instead of contestants being encouraged to live and survive on the island, which with a population of fewer than 30 has been trying to attract new residents for the past five years, two teams will be expected to try to escape from it.

The BBC, in conjunction with the Discovery Channel, is to make the new survival show, primarily for the American market as only US citizens will be allowed to take part.

Filming for Escape from Experiment Island! will begin next month and participants will be expected to use their ingenuity to overcome a series of practical and scientific challenges over a week stranded on the diamond-shape island, which is now run by Scottish Natural Heritage as a national nature reserve.

Unlike Castaway, for which the "survivors" were expected to rough it in specially adapted pods, the final eight selected for the show will live in the comparative luxury of historic Kinloch Castle.

"We're looking for contestants with all kinds of skills," said a spokesman for Discovery Channel. "Each group of four contestants will spend a week building a series of adventurous experimental devices that will help them on their way.

"They might have to build a hot air-balloon, send a message with Morse code, create a signal flare out of household chemicals, or power a dead radio to attract a rescue craft. The first team to successfully reach their escape craft will leave the island victorious."

A cautionary note was sounded by a contestant in the BBC Castaway series, who warned television companies to avoid "exploiting people for the sake of good television". Ron Copsey, 45, who was one of 36 volunteers pitted against the elements and each other for a year on the Hebridean island of Taransay, accepted £16,000 in damages last week from the BBC and independent production company Lion TV.

Mr Copsey said the programme had been edited in such a manner that he was portrayed as a violent drama queen who was argumentative, aggressive and a "nasty piece of work", purely to make more exciting television.

The former trainee counsellor, the first person to sue a docu-soap over a portrayal, said he hoped his victory would result in stricter guidelines to protect participants.