A series of nine short videos about Dumfries and Galloway, created by local filmmakers, are being streamed to the world as part of this week’s Royal Highland Showcase.
The CT Productions team – Colin Tennant, Saskia Coulson (from near Thornhill) and Ruari Barber-Fleming (from Castle Douglas) – were commissioned by Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) Honorary President Fiona Armstrong as a way to highlight south-west Scotland.
The entire collection is being made available via the Royal Highland Showcase website on a special section devoted to Dumfries and Galloway (https://www.royalhighlandshowcase.org).
The videos are intended to introduce viewers from all across the world to the region as a centre of excellence agriculture, food, arts, culture, outdoor leisure and many other areas of life.
The Royal Highland Showcase in partnership with Royal Bank of Scotland, runs from 14-20 June, and replaces the annual Royal Highland Show which cannot take place due to COVID-19 restrictions. While many of the classes are still the same, and feature the best of Scottish agriculture and rural life, it is all taking place behind closed doors, but is being livestreamed for free worldwide.
Each year RHASS invites a different region to act as “host”, allowing it to highlight the best of its rural economy and this year it’s the turn of Dumfries and Galloway.
Fiona Armstrong, who is also a broadcaster and writer, said: “This wonderful set of short films will give people all across the world a glimpse of Dumfries and Galloway Life – its welcoming people and communities and its wonderful farming, culture, countryside, coastlines.
“Our hope is that the films will help raise the region’s profile in this country and overseas as an ideal place to visit, do business or even to live.”
The three-month project has seen the CT Productions team work with a multitude of local people including artists, Young Farmers, military veterans, mountain bike enthusiasts and others to help capture the spirit of the south west.
Colin Tennant said: “Dumfries and Galloway is a region of amazing variety and beauty – it’s a fantastic place to live, work or visit. But people often know less about it than other areas of Scotland.
“We hope that these films will help make more people aware of its very special character and of everything it has to offer, and maybe give it a try when they are looking for somewhere to take a holiday or short break.”
For full information follow the Showcase on social media @ScotlandRHShow.
