Griff Rhys Jones during the run up Britain's highest mountain Ben Nevis with a group training for the annual Ben RaceGriff Rhys Jones returns to Scotland tomorrow for the third programme in the Mountain series.

Fresh from his ascent of two-thirds of Napes Needle and an out-of-Lakes excursion into the Howgills, Griff tries to keep up with members of Lochaber Athletics Club as they train for the annual Ben Nevis race.

Griff Rhys Jones during the run up Britain's highest mountain Ben Nevis with a group training for the annual Ben Race    BBC/IWC Media

We’re also promised a look at the former comedian tackling a more challenging Nevis route and a foray into the Cairn Gorm plateau to sample a night in a snow hole.

The theme of Sunday’s Mountain showing, which airs on BBC1 at 9pm, is the taming of the Highlands and their growing use for pleasure and recreation. 200 years ago, they were viewed as a no-go area, fit only for wild clansmen. General Wade’s military roads opened up the area to new visitors and the wild uplands of Scotland were tempered to fit a Victorian romantic vision.

 Still, 100,000 people slog up Ben Nevis’s zigzags every year and the Highlands are now a vast playground for walkers, climbers, skiers, paddlers and just about any other outdoor lover who savours the drama and space of the best of Scotland.

Griff Rhys Jones digging a snow hole to sleep in on Cairn Gorm plateauAs well as a night in the less-than-five-star Cairngorms accommodation, Griff tackles dog-sledding and looks at traditional Highland sports such as shinty. The magnificent valley of Glencoe is also on the itinerary. If the programme is anything like the first in the series, the scenery will steal the limelight.

Griff Rhys Jones digging a snow hole to sleep in on Cairn Gorm plateau     BBC/IWC Media

As soon as the sun sets on Griff’s adventures in Scotland, you can hop to BBC4 for Julia Bradbury’s Wainwright’s Walks, where she’s off on an excursion up Crinkle Crags and Bowfell, the range which dominates Great Langdale’s western end.

Julia Bradbury during filming on Crinkle Crags and Bowfell Bowfell is infamous as the iron mountain, where a compass is as much use as a chocolate teapot – we can vouch for that here at grough after spending an ‘interesting’ time trying to locate ourselves in 10m visibility on a verglas-covered peak. On a clear day, however, Bowfell affords a fantastic view of the Scafell range and upper Eskdale, with an equally scenic view eastwards into Langdale.

Julia Bradbury during filming on Crinkle Crags and Bowfell

BBC/Skyworks 

 Set the recorders for this week’s visual treats.