The West Highland Way
The West Highland Way is one of Scotland’s most iconic long-distance trails, stretching 96 miles from Milngavie to Fort William through some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes. In summer 2020, I won a competitive tender to lead a major project marking the 40th anniversary of the route. The aim was to create a virtual exhibition, bringing together the voices and experiences of those who had walked, cycled, or run the trail since its official opening in 1980.
To gather material, I launched a wide-reaching social media and PR campaign through the official West Highland Way website and accounts. The campaign drew strong public engagement and national media coverage, encouraging people to share their memories, photos, video clips, and artworks. Alongside the public submissions, I conducted video interviews with individuals who have a special connection to the route, adding personal storytelling to the mix. I also captured a new collection of photography and aerial footage along the full length of the Way.
The final exhibition was hosted on a mini-site integrated within the main West Highland Way website. To launch the exhibition, I produced a short film which featured an exclusive interview with 90-year-old musician and broadcaster Jimmie Macgregor (pictured above), whose work in the 1980s helped bring national attention to the trail.
The film showcased the changing landscapes along the trail, meeting walkers and locals along the route. You can watch that and other West Highland Way films I have produced below.
This project was particularly rewarding for me on a personal level, as the West Highland Way runs close to my business base in Drymen. I regularly walk and cycle sections of the trail and was proud to contribute to such a meaningful milestone. I’m grateful to the Business Manager of the West Highland Way and the team at Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, whose support helped us deliver this large-scale project in a tight timeframe.
Following the anniversary celebrations, I was invited to capture a fresh suite of photography for a new range of official West Highland Way merchandise (see those at the bottom of this article). My work with the Way has continued, including a music video for The West Highland Way Song by The Laurettes, a bilingual Gaelic and English storytelling series, and promotional films for the trail’s partnership with Macs Adventure I also produced a feature video about the significant investment in the Conic Hill path, supported by the National Park Authority.
All of those films can be viewed on this page.
This project is a great example of destination storytelling in action—combining digital content, public engagement, and strong visuals to celebrate a place and its people. If you’re looking to mark a milestone or bring a destination to life through creative marketing, I’d be delighted to chat.
