January 2023 - Drone pilot Kishorn for BP job for Chris's company Sky Hook TV

Chris gave me a phone to head along to Kishorn to pilot his Inspire 2 while he camera operated and all flying from a boat. Great to see Chris again as first time since we worked together on a job Filming sheep several years ago. This was his job I was just working for him and his company Sky Hook TV

Was a fun job and after some initial rain we got some stunning weather. Such a cool place at Kishorn where oil rigs are set in a backdrop of amazing mountains and Britains highest road on Being Bhan. The filming will be used in a BP advert.

Two BAFTA winning drone pilots on the same boat:)

November 2022 - Camera Operator and Drone pilot Northumberland with John Torode

So John is back on the road on his bike as we tour a few spots in Northumberland and cook several lovely dishes. John is always great and easy to work with and so are the ITV This Morning crew. Will Thomas, directing, Natalie managing the cooking and Ian on Sound.

Was a fun week and weather amazingly held for us for November:)

Bamburgh Castle, the amazing spot for one of the cooks:)

John on Holy Island for a cook:)

AUGUST 2022 - Drone operator on the Isle of Arran for Dana BBC ALBA Show

Great to return to another Dana TV show this time on the isle of Arran. Again here I am doing the aerial filming while Hamish does the directing and A camera. Kenny presenting and Rich doing the mountain safety. We are now all good friends after several trips together and these are a total pleasure to do. Day one I think spent 14hrs on our feet and half of this carrying all our camping kit, food and drone kit. Fortunately we set up camp in the morning then headed to film the main part of the Arran ridge. I hadn’t climbed here since I was a student and I’d forgotten how amazing the mountains here are.

We were lucky with the weather after a midgy and damp start it cleared to an amazing day as we walked up. Then the ridge itself was spectacular and we got a great sunset. As in almost all Dana episodes we arrived at our pre set camp on the ridge in the dark with head torches. No minutes of the day wasted without filming lol.

The next day we awoke in the clouds and rain after a blustery night. Then we walked on into another clearing day that was very atmospheric:) Rona next

Kenny at his bivvi site on the ridge:)

The Epic Team:)

AUGUST 2022 - Drone pilot Orkney for more light shows and filming round the islands including North Ronaldsay

This was a fun trip getting to fly a drone on Orkney and North Ronaldsay. We had about a week or more up here to create a few light shows and get a bunch of shots of the islands. North Ronaldsay was a new Island for me with 4.5hrs further north from Orkney where myself and Rupert did the filming of the light shows up there. then Richard Elliot and several hundred volunteers joined us in Orkney at the stone circles for a great light show there! Again great editing and directing from Rupert Shanks.

North Ronaldsay Lighthouse

AUGUST 2022 - Drone pilot at St. Andrews for a drone demo with Nat Geo and Journalist

So this was first for me. Here I was doing a drone demo and letting other people fly my drones eeeek!! Several Journalist from round the country came to do a piece on Europe from Above and to find out more about drones. I was losing my voice a bit from a post cold (not covid this time thankfully) but I think I held it together with my speaking lol.

Was great to meet this group and I set up a little kind of assault course with the drone for them to do. All at the Fairmount hotel which was nice. If the photographer on the ground sees the images below please give me a shout I’ll pop a link to your site as pics are superb.

Some of the articles here:

https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/how-aerial-photography-reveals-scotlands-complex-beauty-in-national-geographic-show-europe-from-above-1790354

https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/17-stunning-pictures-that-show-scotland-from-the-air-3799319

https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1652679/Europe-From-Above-series-4-National-Geographic

https://www-tmp.thenational.scot/news/20614505.europe-national-geographic-set-showcase-scotland-new-season/

A few pics below of the day:)

Pics from photographer that day. Who I can't remember eeek! If you see this remind me I'll pop a link to your website:)

The Fairmount Hotel and golf course

AUGUST 2022 - Drone Pilot on the Western Isles, Barra for National Geographic

A trip to Barra for the second time this year. This time for ‘Europe from above’ a National Geographic program you can get on the Disney channel. Can see last years series just now, where I filmed about 70% of the Scottish parts:)

Well this was a challenging shoot travelling all the way there with ferries needing booked well in advance and then first day of shooting the winds are 40mph and raining!! Fortunately we got a couple of moments where it cleared and winds dropped and managed to film two planes landing. A few permissions were needed for this lol.

What an awesome airport where the planes only land at low tide on the beach. Great bunch of crew working there to making for some fun filming. the weather was a bit better day two after a morning of rain. Had to squeeze my 2 day shoot into an afternoon. I was like a headless chicken trying to get it done and ticking off the script as i went.

JUNE 2022 - Drone and Camera Operator and editor for Wolftrax films

Spent a few great days filming with several different people for Wolftrax as put together a few short films for their new website. Below to see:)

JUNE 2022 - Filming with G2 Outdoor for their new webpage

Fun day out today at Falls of Bruar canyon filming Joe, Roy and Jess as they took a group down the gorge 😁. One of many filming to complete.

JUNE 2022 - Filming on Moray coast with camera and drone for Glenmore Lodge.

Great few days with Derek and Vicky plus a few other filming rock climbing movement techniques. These are creating tutorials for their YouTube channel. Now made maybe 150 films for the channel 😁

MAY 2022 - Countryfile episode Camera and drone in Kilmarnock and Aviemore

Always fun filming with BBC Countryfile. Here we filmed a piece about the making of a Children in need hat in a Kilmarnock factory and also interviewed a Ukrainian farmer online. Then we came to Aviemore to film with Fiona’s ponies on a piece about the Queen for the Jubilee. Great to finish on my own patch and meet another local too.

FEBRUARY 2022 - Drone pilot London to St Andrews while aerial filming trains

So this week I have been working for Richard Elliot aerial filming. Richard does a lot of filming of LNER trains and needed a hand from myself and Pete as we had to cover London to St Andrews. A lot of driving for this job but fun. There is always a bit of adrenaline filming trains as they usually come allow pretty fast and and gone quickly. Easier near london as the next one is along 5mins later but in Scotland its a bit more exciting as when you miss it. It might be 2-4 hrs before the next one lol.

This was for creating their new TV advert

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:)

FEBRUARY 2022 - Drone pilot Nigg Bay and Fortress for a Murder Mystery TV show

Today I was doing some aerial filming for a Murder Mystery TV show that follows a retired Detective from the States as he along with some specialist experts tries to solve some ancient murders. Super fun and interesting to be involved with. The detective was brilliant to chat too and a fabulous crew. Definitely had some very challenging flying today as the Inspire 2 drone does not like dampness in the air and sleet and snow wasn’t the best but did make some amazing looking shots:)

This cave at Fortress had ancient burial where a guy had his head bashed in eeeeew. Hundreds of years ago though!

JANUARY 2022 - Drone pilot in the Cairngorms and Glen Africa for an Amazon Prime TV Show

So a few days with the drones for an Amazon Prime TV show called Car and Country. Nice bunch of people and we did a bit in the snow in the Cairngorms then headed up Struy estate (A place I actually made 31 films for a few years back lol) to do some Landrover driving and staying in Eagle Braes lovely Log Cabins.

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 - Camera and Drone filming near Ullapool for BBC Countryfile

Had a great weekend visiting Isle Martin for an episode of Countryfile all about islands. An island I’ve never been to before so always good to visit. Stayed overnight in the house there and was looked after by the Island caretaker. Arose the next day before sunrise to catch the sunrise with Oli helping me with shots. This started a very busy day with interviewing people about the sea and seaweed, and seaweed tasting, interviewing the island guardian, doing some conservation, boat riding, scallop free diving and then a cooking show bit at the end. Not sure if it would be possible to pack more into a day. Fortunately with a good director, sound, assistant camera and all my light mobile kit we got it all done.

The team

JULY 2021 - Filming the Beluga Lagoon Team as Drone pilot and Cameraman and sound on their BBC TV Show. This episode on West Coast of Scotland

I have the pleasure of filming on all 6 episodes of ‘Roaming in the Wild’ Andrew and Marks TV show that is now on prime time 8pm slot on BBC Scotland. Great fun working on these episodes and this one takes us sea kayaking down Loch Sheil from the Harry Potter viaduct down onto the sea and round to Arisaig. We start in the mist and midges and finish in calm 25 degree sunny weather. Was a superb trip and lots of lovely filming. Andrew films all the wildlife in these episodes and often chat between the guys if I am away getting ahead to set up a drone shot or the likes. I look forward to these trips each time.

Sunset on the second night near Eilean Shona

Me and the guys. Carrying all our kit for 5 days in our Sea Kayaks:)

JUNE 2021 - Drone pilot Western Isles, Uist and Mingulay. For Scotland from the Air

A great fun few days in slightly challenging weather for Scotland from the Air. A great team and enjoyed flying the DJI Inspire 2 with X7 camera on this shoot with some shots taking off and landing on the boat to Mingulay too, which is always good for keeping you on your toes.

Mingulay is an amazing place with a great feel about it and the Puffin colony was spectacular too.

Drone on Mingulay

JUNE 2021 - Drone pilot and cameraman in Glencoe for BBC ALBA

A couple of great days in Glencoe on our Dana Tv series with the great team from SOLUS Productions. Myself on Drone and long lens again with Hamish on main camera and directing. Kenny starring and Matt along for the ride. Rowan in production with us and Andy Nelson doing Hamish’s safety on the rock route while I scrambled up curved ridge myself on the first day to get good angles for filming the team on Agags groove a V.Diff climb. The following day we filmed some running on the Devils Staircase.

Agags Groove on the Buichaile Etive Mor

JUNE 2021 - Cameraman and Drone pilot in Edinburgh today for BBC Education

A trip round Edinburgh filming the sites for plates for animations. Bit of Geography/Geology for schools today with volcanic rocks and plugs. Headed a bit further south for other bits of rock formations and Bass Rock. Beautiful sunny day although very windy. The boat I had booked to Bass rock didn’t go, so a return journey needed one day:)

Edinburgh Castle