Scotland from the Sky

In this programme, James Crawford examines how the Scottish have overcome difficult landscapes to link settlements, remote communities and key places across the country. He traces the methods and routes employed over the centuries to forge connections despite the challenging terrain.

The programme is fronted by James Crawford, who takes the audience on a journey through Scotland’s historic landscape. It’s a factual series that follows Crawford as he looks at the ways in which the nation’s people have dealt with the country’s famously rugged terrain, showing how they have managed to keep communities linked over many generations. In each segment Crawford examines the practical challenges posed by the hills, glens and lochs that dominate the Scottish countryside. He points out the inventive routes and structures that locals have created to bridge the natural obstacles, highlighting how these solutions have enabled settlements to stay connected despite the harshness of the environment. The focus remains on the enduring effort to link places and people across the centuries. The series underscores the continuity of this endeavour, illustrating that the drive to overcome difficult ground has been a constant thread in Scotland’s history. By tracing the evolution of these connections, Crawford demonstrates how the determination to bind communities together has shaped the nation’s social fabric from ancient times right up to the present day.