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Climate Action: Highlands and Islands

Across the Highlands and Islands, bold and resourceful communities are taking action to combat the climate emergency.

Meet the inspirational characters leading this movement towards sustainability and take a journey across Scotland from Fort William's upcycling enterprises to Shetland's Polycrub community growing infrastructure.

Together, 10 communities across the Highlands and Islands showcase why their region is such a special place for taking action on climate change.

Joan Lawrie, manager of the Highlands & Islands Climate Hub said: “We really feel that this is a very special film to be showing, the response from showings to our members and in smaller locations has been overwhelmingly positive.

"The film really shows the communities and the people involved at grassroots level in this type of work and while it might be thought of by some as lower level it really is transformative community-led climate action that is going on across the region and we really invite audiences to scratch below the surface of the stunning landscapes featured to see the story of people making a difference.”

The film features many themes of the sea and coastal issues. Particular mentions of “the sea” are at 01:30 and 13:00 but the theme of the sea and implications of sea change to coastal communities is present throughout.

  • Cameron Mackay
    Director
  • Joan Lawrie
    Producer
  • Marion Reid
    Producer
  • Cameron Mackay
    Camera and Drone Operators
  • Cameron Mackay
    Editor
  • Cameron Mackay
    Soundtrack Composer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Environmental, Cultural, Scottish, Highlands and Islands
  • Runtime:
    28 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Cameron Mackay

Scottish environmental filmmaker and Celtic music producer Cameron Mackay (He/Him) aims to use his media storytelling work to spark new connections between audiences and nature, showcase inclusive solutions to the climate crisis and celebrate contemporary traditional cultural heritage. He currently runs an environmental impact-focused film production company based in Glasgow.

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Director Statement

For the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub, it was really important to represent each community we visited on their own terms. This meant spending time in each location and working with all the characters to co-create the film's storyboard.

In order to further represent the unique landscape of each location, an original soundtrack was produced for the film featuring traditional fiddle tunes from the communities featured.