TRAVEL VIDEOS : Three Looks at the Old West and the Old World

Old West buffs can follow the trail of early gold seekers through the ghost towns of the Western states, while others join a search for the Loch Ness monster in Scotland or else explore the beautiful Portuguese island of Madeira. These are the offerings in this month’s selection of video adventures.

“GHOST TOWN HUNTERS” (Cleval Video Ltd., 50 minutes, 1989.) Mingling clips of old Hollywood Westerns, newsreels and still photos with scenes of today, Will Rogers Jr. takes viewers through some of the many ghost towns of the Western states. Maps and advice are provided to assist the explorer and provide entertainment for the armchair traveler.

Some of the towns are deserted ruins, some just a pile of rubble. Others are semi-ghost towns where a few die-hards hang on, while still others are tourist towns such as Calico, Calif., where the video takes viewers to an old-fashioned hootenanny.

There are some reassuring scenes of one man’s efforts to preserve and restore the town of Gold Point, Colo., and of the progress some determined citizens have made in restoring the town of Goldfield, Nev.

California sights include Gold Discovery Park at Caloma, the frog-jumping contest at Angels Camp and the new historical park at Bodie, which is being preserved in “a state of arrested decay.”

In Nevada the viewer visits revitalized Virginia City (site of the famed Comstock Lode), Austin, Ione, Belmont and Rhyolite, with its house built of 50,000 beer bottles.

The video then heads to Arizona, where it follows horseback riders to Vulture, whose buildings are constructed of gold-bearing rocks. Viewers get to meet some of the old timers who followed the trail of gold.

Other towns include Jerome, where preservationists are struggling to prevent the town from sliding downhill to oblivion; Oatman, which was brought back to life for the filming of “How the West Was Won,” and Gold Road, where the adobe buildings are slowly eroding.

Video highlights are the realistic re-creations of the flood that destroyed Panamint City above Death Valley, and of the fire that wiped out Rawhide, Nev.

The film concludes with a visit to Shasta, Calif. The town was rebuilt of stone after a fire destroyed it, but today it is once again a ghost town.

Film quality is excellent and Rogers’ narration is informative and pleasant. There are no hotel or restaurant recommendations.

Tapes are available from Cleval Video Ltd., 30 25th Ave., Suite C, Venice, Calif. 90291, (213) 821-9233. Price: $29.95.

“BONNY SCOTLAND” (Traveloguer Collection, 60 minutes, 1987.) Sherilyn Mentes’ Scottish heritage and extensive research are evident in her video, which takes the viewer from the southern Borders area of Scotland north to the Orkney and Shetland islands. To the skirl of bagpipes, viewers travel through cities and isolated villages to beautiful heather-covered hills, misty moors and historic ruins.

The film is of fine quality and the narration is filled with history and legend that make it of special interest to both the armchair traveler and the returned traveler.

A visit to Glasgow includes the lush botanical gardens and the colorful Lord Provost parade, a tour of the Museum of Transport and a cruise on the Firth of Clyde aboard the historic paddle steamer Waverly.

South of Glasgow is the rural area of the Borders where the precious crop of barley thrives. Stops include a distillery where “barley juice” (Scotch whisky) is made.

Before heading for Edinburgh, the video takes a circuitous route to Robert Burns’ birthplace at Alloway, then over to Blair Atholl Castle, home of King Duncan, whose death at the hands of Macbeth of Moray served as the basis for Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” Side trips take viewers to the grave of Robert the Bruce at Dunfermline and the birthplace of American industrialist Andrew Carnegie.

In Edinburgh there are the usual scenes of Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood House, Princes Street, a kilt shop and the grave of the faithful terrier, Greyfriars Bobby.

From the herring-fishing center of Ullapool in the Highlands the video heads down to Inverness, the site of the Culloden battlefield, and to the ruins of Urquhart Castle overlooking Loch Ness. A boat takes viewers on a search for Nessie and for a scenic ride down the Caledonian Canal. At the Nevis River, you see hardy souls riding the rapids in inflatable rafts.

The video winds up with a tour of the Hebrides, Isle of Skye and the Isle of Harris, home of Harris tweed; the Orkney Islands, with the Stone Age village of Skara Brae, and the Shetland Islands for a cruise on a replica of an old Viking ship.

Traveloguer films are made by professional film makers for theater presentation and have been edited for home viewing.

Tapes are available from Traveloguer Guide, 3301 W. Hampden Ave., Suite N, Englewood, Colo. 80110, toll-free (800) 521-5104. Price: $29.95, including a small reference guide with a map, history and some travel tips and customs. No hotel or restaurant recommendations are given.

“MADEIRA” (Travelview International, 50 minutes, 1988.) You are introduced to Madeira, “the Pearl of the Atlantic,” through a map showing its location, 600 miles southwest of Lisbon, and through scenic aerial views of the island and its capital, Funchal, with its colorful red-tiled roofs cascading down the steep hillsides to the harbor.

Created by volcanic eruption, the island offers some incredibly beautiful vistas of mist-covered peaks; high, sheer cliffs; waterfalls, and green terraced fields.

In Funchal, viewers visit historic churches and museums housing art and religious artifacts. One is the former home of Joao Goncalves Zarco, who discovered the island in 1420. There also are visits to the botanical gardens and an open-air market.

In nearby Monte a magnificent view of Funchal is shown from the steps of the hilltop Church of Nossa Senhora do Monte. At the foot of the steps is a popular toboggan run, where visitors in wicker sleds mounted on wooden runners take the 20-minute slide down to Funchal. Specially trained guides control the toboggans over the narrow cobblestone path.

At a lookout point a few miles west of Funchal you look down on the little fishing village of Camara de Lobos, with its brightly painted fishing boats. It’s a favorite subject for photographers and painters.

Along the road from Funchal to the north coast, especially between Porto Moniz and Santana--with its brightly colored thatch-roof houses--the video shows some of the island’s most breathtaking scenery. In some places hairpin turns overlook deep valleys on one side and sheer drops to the sea on the other.

Other highlights are stops in the wine country and the village of Camacha, the center of the wicker industry.

The video is aimed at the travel planner, with the travelogue section taking up the first third, followed by a segment on shopping, dining and night life, including scenes of the elegant casino.

The final third is devoted to film (sadly, some of the same film seen in the previous segment) and narration about hotels and resorts, plus tips on climate, transportation, currency, language and tipping, furnished by Berlitz travel guides.

The film quality varies from good to too dark.

Tapes are available from Travelview International, 5630 Beverly Hill, Houston, Tex. 77057, (800) 325-3108. Price: $29.95.