AUGUST 2024 - Drone operating in Orkney and Shetland for 'Jules and Greg's Wild Swimming' BBC Scotland

A superb few weeks up on these islands with wonderful locals, well worth a visit up here if you have not been yet. Season 2 of Jules and Greg’s Wild Swimming and this year it was Islands. I missed the first 2 weeks on the Western isles as I was is Norway on the Dana shoot for the same company the great Solus Productions.

We had the same team as last year with obviously Jules and Greg doing a super job of presenting and generally being lovely guys to hang out with for the few weeks. Then we have a brilliant and great fun team to work with. As last year Tony was at the helm directing again, Jim producing, Sean as DOP (main camera and gyros in water), also water safety, Colin on sound, Raonaid doing a bit of everything and myself filming the aerials and a little bit of second camera too:)

We swam in lots of different spots for the TV program with beautiful beaches, saunas, rum, vikings, shipwrecks, cliffs, waves, town swims etc and many swims on time off too:) So good being the only people on a lot of these beaches and we met some super characters along the way. A few pictures below to give you a flavour and it will be on BBC Scotland in January coming:)

MARCH 2024 - Drone operator for a train spotting travel show for BBC

A wild and fun day out filming Francis Bourgeois for a BBC travel show going from south off England right to the north. I was aerial filming for my local patch from Dunkeld up to Inverness and being the nice guy I am handing over some stock footage for their day to Thurso:)

The first thing Francis said to me was how well does it fly in these winds. I said its managing fine just now but as it got windier it was struggling a bit but it was getting very winding as the day went on.

Great crew and always fun filming trains as they do tend to get the adrenaline going as they only pass once and you have to catch it on film and make it look lovely at the same time!

A successful day though:)

Francis chatting to Tom’s camera near Kingussie.

Dalwhinnie

NOVEMBER 2023 - Aerial filming in the Western Isles, Scotland. Filming Highland Cows for National geographic.

A lovely day out filming Highland cows on north Uist with a great bunch of people. Carriane MacDonald and her mate and Angus MacDonald and his wife.

The plan was to film the cows going over to a tidal island for the winter. They’d walk a few kilometres down the road then head onto the sand and make the 3km crossing over the tidal sand at low tide. This all needed to be done at low tide. I’d got a friend of a friend Archie to drive for me so on the drive I could fly from the car and keep up. As the cows wouldn’t stop for us. Angus would lead the cows while Carriane and her mate would push from behind.

The day went very smoothly once I swapped the inspire 2 drone for the Mavic 3 Pro CINE so I could fly in the winds gusting 40 mph at times. I even had to rush off the island as the wind got worse and worse they cancelled all the ferries for the following days. Great to see these lovely looking cows doing the crossing though.

This will be shown on next years ‘Europe from the Air’ on Nat Geo channel or Disney Channel.

OCTOBER 2023 - Aerial filming in the Lake District for a Light Show

A fun weekend with CC-Lab and a few film buddies. Rupert and Andrew from Scotland and Fred from England along with Amy and Olly from CC-Lab:) We were filming a wolf made of lights plus a bunch of other pieces during the day. Was pretty different and fun.

Rupert (director), Andrew (ground Camera), Me (aerial filming)

SEPTEMBER 2023 - Aerial filming in Scotland a drone showreel

Been a while since I made a drone show reel. A new drone showreel of a selection of work I have been up to over the past while.  The clips were all shot for actual jobs I was working on for several different companies.  'Scotland from the Air' was my title then I realised one shot is not from Scotland but heyho.  I was thinking Holy Island is north of Hadrians wall but on googling Hadrians wall I learnt (seemingly a common misconception, was for me lol) has always been entirely within England:).  But I filmed at Holy Island twice this year on two different jobs so wanted at least one shot in there:)

The showreel has been all filmed by drone using the DJI Inspire 2 with X7 Camera, the DJI Mavic 3 pro CINE and the DJI Mavic 2 pro. Hope you enjoy:)

AUGUST 2023 - Aerial filming in Scotland for Jules and Greg Wild Swimming for BBC

So a large part of my August was taken up as the Drone pilot for this TV show produced by Solus Productions with Tony directing, Jim Producing, Sean as DOP, Colin on sound, Rowen as production, and Kitty and Niamh in trainee positions. It will be released later this year or the start of next year:)

Then Jules (the teacher in Balamorey) and Greg (Victor in Still Game) were our talent who travelled round Scotland filming with different cold water swimmers to find out why they all do it. We were in Fife, Aberfeldy, Kenmore, Aviemore, Loch Ness, Skye, Mull and Iona:)

Was such a brilliant crew and made for a very fun job. Jules and Greg are superb fun too. Plus we all got in swimming in a lot of the places as we went too. A few pictures of some of the BTS.

Aerial Filming the Boat swim day:)

The awesome Solus Productions crew:)

Loch Ness

AUGUST 2023 - Aerial filming for 'Scotlands home of the Year'

Fun day popping round a few houses in the North east of Scotland to get drone shots for Scotlands home of the year. Nice to meet the owners and see these places. One was near my parents house and one was near my house lol.

I had free rain just to be creative with my drone for an hour or so at each location. looking forward to seeing the show:) Unfortunately I can’t show the houses until after.

JULY 2023 - Drone Pilot on Skye and Rona for Ben Fogle Sacred Isles

Great fun working with this team from the central belt with Tern TV. Craig Directing and Seamus MacCrackin as DOP. I was doing the aerial filming as we did several different activities on the Isle of Skye and Rona. the Mavic 3 Pro was put to test as at times it was too windy for my Inspire 2 with X7 Camera. Gusting 45mph on the Quirking and still held a stable image just had to do the landing in the lee of the hill.

I think it comes out in the autumn.

The team on the boat to Rona

MAY 2023 - Filming with drone and camera in Argyll at the Taynish National Nature Reserve

Fun day filming with Ian Dow. Perfect sunny day filming for Tiny Ark a Dublin based film company who I last filmed several years ago for. The weather was lovely and sunny and had no idea these big Oak (plus many other trees) rain forest exists. They have a proper canopy and ferns growing out of the oak branches like you see in botanical gardens lol.

Had a bunch of large Landscape shots to show the position of the forest in relation to the surrounding mountains and Sea. Then got creative with far more fun shots flying under the canopy through the trees in lovely slow cinematic shots through this cool habitat.

Then we did an interview with Ian with our first midges of the year biting us as we stood still for 30mins. Then a bunch of Close up shots and slo-mo with the GH6 ground camera. A good day exploring and being creative with the forest.

Definitely worth a visit: https://www.nature.scot/enjoying-outdoors/visit-our-nature-reserves/taynish-national-nature-reserve

The canopy from above

Screen grab of forest

MAY 2023 - Drone showreel show some of my filming work as a drone operator, drone pilot while aerial filming in Scotland during the winter months:)

Had a few days spare so thought I’d edit up a wee drone showreel of the past few winters for you to see. Summer one coming later:)

Drone showreel of aerial filming in Scotland during the winter months:)

'Winter in the Scottish highlands' is a drone showreel from the past winter seasons around Scotland filming.

This was filmed mainly on the Mavic 2 pro DJI Drone and sometimes the DJI Inspire 2 drone with X7 Camera.  All filmed by myself Kirk Watson.  I am a qualified drone pilot, drone operator or aerial cinematographer living in the Scottish Highlands.

Music is from https://www.belugalagoon.com the track is called 'King of the Cold'

Dana on BBC ALBA is available on iplayer (at times) season 3 out in autumn

Roaming in the Wild BBC Scotland is available on iplayer (at times) or Amazon prime

Ephemeral with Guy Robertson, Greg Boswell and Hamish Frost climbing is available at: https://filmfestivalflix.com/product/brit-rock-iv-purchase/#tab-description

Here's the clips if you are wondering where they are taken:)

1: Caledonian pine forest Cairngorms National Park

2: Caledonian pine forest Cairngorms National Park

3: Glen Tilt and yes a fox appeared in my shot which was beautiful

4: River tilt and Atholl Highlander Sandy Ried's car

5: River tilt and Atholl Highlander Sandy Ried's car

6: River tilt and Atholl Highlander Sandy Ried's car

7: River tilt and Atholl Highlander Sandy Ried stood on bridge

8: Glen tilt

9: Red deer at Blair atoll castle

10: Sgùrr nan Gillean, Skye

11: Looking towards Sgurr a' Bhastier, I think:)

12: Coinneach MacFhraing (Kenny Rankin) and Matt Glenn heading up Sgurr nan Gillean, Skye.

13: Coinneach MacFhraing (Kenny Rankin) and Matt Glenn heading up Sgurr nan Gillean, Skye. For TV show Dana

14: Coinneach MacFhraing (Kenny Rankin) and Matt Glenn heading up Sgurr nan Gillean, Skye. For TV show Dana

15: Coinneach MacFhraing (Kenny Rankin) and Matt Glenn heading up Am Basteir, Skye. For TV show Dana

16: Coinneach MacFhraing (Kenny Rankin) and Matt Glenn heading up Am Basteir, Skye. For TV show Dana

17: Coinneach MacFhraing (Kenny Rankin) and Matt Glenn stood on summit of Am Basteir, Skye. For TV show Dana

18: Coinneach MacFhraing (Kenny Rankin) and Matt Glenn stood on the Basteir tooth, Skye. For TV show Dana

19: The Campsies in December at sunrise. For Roaming in the Wild BBC Scotland.

20: Andrew O'Donnell and Mark Taylor rafting the Glazert river. For Roaming in the Wild BBC Scotland.

21: Andrew O'Donnell and Mark Taylor rafting the River Kelvin. For Roaming in the Wild BBC Scotland.

22: Andrew O'Donnell and Mark Taylor rafting the River Kelvin. For Roaming in the Wild BBC Scotland.

23: Guy Robertson and Hamish Frost walk into An Teallach for a new route. For award wining film Ephemeral by Alastair Lee of Posing productions link above to purchase from Britrock film tours.

24: Guy Robertson and Hamish Frost walk into An Teallach for a new route.

25-27: Guy Robertson climbing on An Teallach.

28: View into Loch Avon in the Cairngorms

29: Coire an Lochain, Cairngorms National Park.

30: Coire an t-Sneachda, Cairngorms National Park.

31: Beinn Eighe with Coinneach MacFhraing (Kenny Rankin) and Rori Hawthorn teaser of Dana season 3 on BBC ALBA out in Autumn.

32: Beinn Eighe with Coinneach MacFhraing (Kenny Rankin) and Rori Hawthorn teaser of Dana season 3 on BBC ALBA out in Autumn.

33: Ben Nevis North Face

34: Guy Robertson soloing an ice route on the Ben.

35-37: Greg Boswell on a first ascent of some hanging ice on Ben Nevis.  Hamish Frost and Guy Robertson are below belaying.  Alastair Lee filming from above.  Full film available on link at top, Brit Rock.

38-42:  Cairngorm Plateau with Andrew O'Donnell and Mark Taylor of Beluga Lagoon ski mountaineering and I am in a few shots flying and skiing.  This was the Cairngorms episode of Roaming in the Wild.  Can see on Amazon Prime.

April 2023 - Aerial filming North West Highlands on the 'The Old Man of Stoer' for Dana.

Second episode of ‘Dana’ for Solus Productions that will be on BBC ALBA in the autumn. Here we head to the Old man of Stoer in the NW highlands. First climbed by Tom Patey and Brian Robertson in 1967. We planned to climb the other popular route on it and a few grades harder than the original which is the E1 that goes up the face to the left of the original and is a very photogenic route. Joining the team was Calum who is from Skye and the first contributor apart from Coineach (Kenny) who presents that speaks Gaelic.

The weather definitely made us work here and Rich and milky headed up a day early on a lovely sunny day to fix the ropes for Hamish to jug up infant of Kenny and film. Hamish Macleod was directing and doing the main camera, while I shot two second cameras from the shore. We then got them to climb it again so we could get my drone shots without the extra ropes etc on the route. with heavy swells and often rain we managed to get the sequences done in the end:) Hopefully make a great episode. Rich Parker and Malcolm Airey did the safety for this. Shetland next I believe but into June for that:)

Kenny and Calumn on top:)

Kenny and Calumn with a weirdly short looking stack lol.

Team on top Hamish with camera.

MARCH 2023 - Drone Operator Orkney for National geographic "WW2 Secrets from Above'

Up in Orkney with Nathan a director I’ve worked with previously but on a nature film. This time we would be filming from a boat. Thankfully on a wonderfully calm and sunny day. Which was sandwiched between two pouring with rain and windy days lol. Very lucky!

We would be on the dive boat mvhuskyan (www.huskyan.com) with Emily and Ben. Emily was our presenter here and she was brilliant on camera and had pretty interesting stories on the ships of Scapa Flow where we were filming.

As far as the drone went I was mainly tracking the boat here and doing a few GV’s (General Views) of the lookouts and machine gun placements and some shots of the blockade ships. Most of the interesting bits are underwater so this would be Emily’s stock footage and some amazing 3D models that she has. Not sure when this will be out but it’ll be on the Nat Geo channel on Disney plus.

We filmed a few bits afterwards pretending I was a German submarine in Kirk’s Bay where the Nazi’s snuck through several defences to then sink the Royal Oak killing many men and obviously surprising the British army in the worst way that Scapa flow was not 100% safe. Really interesting history. Nathan did a fantastic job of launching and catching the drone about 8 times. Thankfully it was smooth. The boat was brilliant and very comfortable too. Probably the best I’ve flown from.

Stromness where we met the MVHuskyan

Me tracking the boat with the Inspire 2 drone with X7 Camera. Video by Emily out her window:)

January 2023 - Camera and drone operator Aberdeen and Ballater for ITV 'This Morning' crime segment.

Did an interview with a murder detective and GV’s for this in December in Aberdeen city but today we were out in Ballater to film some more pieces and interview around the village. Pretty chilly day but nice sunshine and an interesting days but some gruesome facts and scary what humans can be like.

Isla was presenting this piece and Dom directing and using my second camera. With myself on ground camera drone and sound.

Ballater from the Air

My setup for the interview with the detective and Isla.

MARCH 2022 - Drone pilot Ben Nevis as 3 climbers make a new first ascent

Here we spend two days on Ben Nevis in great weather filming one of the last great ice climbs getting done for the first time. Great conditions but still looked terrifying as the icicle does not touch the ground and is free hanging so the team have to decide whether they reckon it is safe to be swinging ice axes at:)

Alastair Lee is hanging on a rope to catch the close ups while I fly from below with the drone and a long lease too:) Greg Boswell, Guy Robertson and Hamish Frost are the climbers. Robin is doing the safety for Alastair.

MARCH 2022 - Aerial filming in the Highlands at Creag Meagaidh

Today we were filming Guy Robertson soloing a few different ice climbs on Creag Meagaidh for an Alastair Lee climbing film. Was a good day out and some good exercise for the day as had to carry all the kit to the top to start:)

FEBRUARY 2022 - Drone operator on An Teallach for a winter climbing film

Today I headed out with a very heavy rucksack to climb a munro then film two Winter climbers with Alastair Lee. Was a pretty challenging day wind wise with a few gust hitting 40mph and freezing temperatures. Had to warm every battery up with hand warmers before flights. Got some lovely dramatic shots. I did learn that when the cloud and snow come it the drone gets confused and thinks the ground is just below it when it is actually 200ft below it but it try to land. Very disconcerting when you trying to fly. I waited fro the cloud to pass through for all the other flights.

Was great to meet Alastair Lee, Guy Robertson and Hamish Frost all great guys:)

FEBRUARY 2022 - Drone operator Stonehaven at Dunnottar Castle for the Murder Mystery

So today I was told to meet the crew at 10am at Dunnottar Castle to film more for the ancient murder mystery TV Show. but I saw the weather the night before so I stayed at my parents nearby for the night and arrived at 6.45am to have time to set up for sunrise as looked liked it would only be clear for a bit then clouds come in then 45mph winds by midday!

I knew the location of the ancient murder so I went about capturing lots of shots before anyone arrived. I certainly was not disappointed. I reckon my shot revealing the castle with a thick red blood sky just as a large murder of crows fly out from the Tower Keep will definitely be in the opening credits. Not often when everything alines for a money shot but so good when it does:)

AUGUST 2021 - DECEMBER 2021 lots of work

So these months just got so busy I just couldn’t fill in my blog or take on anymore work. Which was great. This year became my busiest year yet even though it started slow after covid lockdowns. I think winning a BAFTA for Aerial Cinematography under factual Photography was the reason for this.

As I’ve been busy this year too I’ve decided just to skip the rest of 2021 and try and catch up with 2022 lol.

Heres a few pics from some jobs:)

Glasgow University standing tall:)

AUGUST 2021 - Aerial filming Honey bees in the Scottish Borders

Back on ‘Europe from Above’ for the Nat Geo program. This time filming with Hoods Honey to film the moving of the bees all from the air apart from a couple of go pro shots and interviews. A fun day out that started very early in the pitch dark before the bees waken up. A few screen grabs. All in log so look a bit bleached out:)

The bees being released next to the Honey

Bees covering my camera:)

The bee taxi from the fields to the hills:)

AUGUST 2021 - Aerial filming in Fort William for BBC 2 'Inside the Factory'

A day filming the Aluminium smelter in Fort William. Pretty interesting to see around this place after passing it a few hundred times over the years. Thankfully I was fore warned by management that the main melting plant gives off a huge magnetic field and has in the past shot drones off into the distance which later crashed in the surrounding forest. I thankfully only had the occasional compass warning as I stayed well away from the central plant building lol.

Here we were filming with the presenter for a few pieces to camera to sync and a few walking shots then I was left to get a bunch of shots to help introduce the different parts of the factory and to head up the slopes of Ben Nevis to get shots of the hydro system:) A fun sunny day to be out.

Fort William Smelter

My High Vis and a helmet to be up in the woods on my own lol.