Sona

In June and July of this year, I was fortunate to be asked by Beezr Studios to direct and shoot a terrific three-part Gaelic series called Sona, following Vicky Kilgour and Duncan MacDonald as they explore Scotland’s west coast in search of mindfulness, wellbeing and a good time. 

throwing the camera into the sea in protest

Presenters vicky and duncan en route to our digs

As it typical of Scottish high summer, many of the days on location were spent trying to keep torrential rain out of cameras while engulfed in a could of midges. Luckily, the robust and charismatic team assembled by Beezr were sufficiently professional to keep the vibes high in the face of poor conditions. 

We shot the programme in Argyll, Knoydart and Skye, which served as a good reminder of how much the landscape in Scotland can change region to region. The temperate rainforests of Argyll filled the frame with saturated deep greens, while the rugged outcrops of the rough bounds presented high drama in spades. Along with Ewen and Magnus, I shot the material on Sony cameras and logged a lot of flying time capturing drone footage as well. 

DECKHAND GRAHAM

HARRY AND MARTHA, PRODUCTION DREAM TEAM

REBECCA SEEING US OVER TO DOUNE FOR THE NIGHT

It was a filming block comprised of highlights, though waiting on a chartered boat to shuttle us to our accommodation while enjoying a pint in Scotland’s most remote pub was uniquely satisfying. In a year which has been heavily occupied with international filming trips, for which I’m grateful, it was a treat to be embedded in the highlands for the programme, sampling everything we could of what home has to offer. 

ENJOYING A well-earned PINT, TWELVE HOURS INTO A DAY NOt yet over

filming on the boat over to doune

The programme is available to watch on iPlayer, and I would recommend you binge it enthusiastically at the earliest opportunity.