*Photos in this article were captured as a part of our Fort Augustus travel campaign*

One of the most rewarding aspects of our work is the opportunity to travel the world, bringing unique human stories and experiences to the screen. And we were thrilled when we were commissioned for a tourism campaign by Scottish Canals, taking us back around the globe to the place we first began.

There's a calming, magical feeling walking around the village of Fort Augustus, home to the famous Loch Ness and its monster. The overcast skies, misty mountains, and scent of the Caledonian pine hanging in the highland air. The land itself hiding a story for those who choose to look deeper.

A few weeks away from production, the team began scouting locations along the canal. We knew we had to capture the spirit of the highlands, and with so many things we could feature in a short-form video, we would have to make each second count.

“The overcast skies, misty mountains, and scent of the Caledonian pine hanging in the highland air. The land itself hiding a story for those who choose to look deeper. ”

We wandered the streets til dark, photographing everything in our path - boats sailing the canal, friends breaking bread, framed by the warm glow in the restaurant window, the light casting out on the damp pavement as we passed. We stopped to admire an old world pub, the music from the band faintly echoing through the village, when an old man swung open the door, grabbed our hands, and pulled us inside to join in on a lively ceilidh dance.

We spent the night dancing with the locals, and left inspired the next day as we traveled back home. We had a few short months ahead of us to create a plan, cast actors, and decide on a visual style for the campaign that could work for both film and photography.

In September, after months of prepping and storyboarding, we finally loaded all of our gear onto a flight from New York to Edinburgh. After a rocky flight, we set off to the highlands. The morning was dreary and wet in the fog, but with the van packed we drove off into the hills, the sky still a dark blue and the sun just now peaking through. With the crew in the back seats, we reviewed the schedule on the drive.

When we arrived mid-morning to Loch Ness, the crew was captivated - an aura of mystery, and deep, earthly beauty surrounded us. Everyone knows the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster, fondly referred to as ‘Nessie’ by the Scots. The enchanting story still doesn’t compare to the magic of the place itself. Stepping out of the van door that morning was to be transformed, and we were overwhelmed by the sheer impending beauty of the loch in the morning haze.

A principal concern on everyone's mind was the unpredictable Scottish weather. We had hoped and planned for sunny weather, but as we set up at our first location, the haze was only getting thicker. Together with our cinematographer, we made the most of the weather, creating a sense of mood and mystery the sunshine would never have captured.

In production, you can only plan for so much. There are endless unanticipated real world circumstances for a film crew to contend with, but never could we have imagined some of the magical moments we would capture over the course of the next few days.

The shoot, all around, was one of the most special and memorable. Our crew gave their all at all times, and the energy on set was magnetic. In tandem with Chris McDonald and Nicola Sturgeon at Scottish Canals, we were able to capture the essence of Fort Augustus.

Like every step of this process so far, the post production was a special and unique journey all its own. Just as Scottish Canals had trusted us with the creative vision, we knew we could trust our editor, Chris Sneddon’s, artistic eye. We deliberately gave him very limited information about how to translate our footage in the edit, and gave him free rein creatively.

Sitting down with our team a few weeks later to watch the first cut was special. Rather than try, and probably inadequately describe, the way the piece showcases the beauty of Fort Augustus, we invite you to watch, and to fall in love with this little town at the tip of Loch Ness.