Erland Cooper’s Phantom Islands

Erland Cooper takes us on a musical journey to five phantom islands in the Atlantic – connected to his native Orkney – so widely were they believed to exist that these illusory islands appeared on maps for centuries.

We hear tales of these cartographic curiosities from Lighthouse owners, story-tellers, historians of the sea and geographers – these islands range from paradise on earth to demonic hellscapes – spectacularly evoked by music specially composed for the series.

Produced by Victoria Ferran

Broadcast: 1-5th April 2024