Fair Isle: Living on the Edge

Over the course of two years, I worked with the factual department at BBC Scotland on Fair Isle: Living on the Edge, an observational documentary series I devised and developed about life on Fair Isle, the most remote inhabited island in Britain.

Filmed over the course of a year, the unique, access-led series followed the small community as it attempted to arrest its plummeting population and safeguard its future. The series was broadcast in November and December 2016, with the first episode attracting an average audience of 423,000 (22% share), and the concluding episode 488,000 viewers (25.3% share).

The series was produced and directed by Louise Lockwood, who won the Best Director and Best Camera awards at the Royal Television Society Scotland awards in 2017 for her work on Fair Isle. The series was also nominated for Best Specialist Factual documentary.

Louise went on to win the Best Director: Factual award at the BAFTA Scotland awards the same year. The series was also nominated for Best Factual Series.

Ahead of transmission, I wrote a column for The Scotsman about my family’s links with the island, and how the series came about.

Fair Isle is the most remote inhabited island in Britain. Picture: Louise Lockwood