Some shoots feel like work. Others feel like you’ve stepped into a landscape that’s already doing half the job for you.

This project took me up to Royal Dornoch Golf Club on the north coast of Scotland, working as a drone operator on a commercial production with an international crew. From the outset, it was one of those jobs where everything lined up. Strong team, beautiful locations, and conditions that made the most of being out on the coast.

Sunrise at Urquhart Castle

We began at sunrise on the shores of Loch Ness. Early starts are part of the deal, but when you arrive to still water, soft light, and a location like Urquhart Castle, it doesn’t feel like a hardship.

Flying the Inspire 3 in 8K, I focused on capturing clean, cinematic establishing shots as the light built across the loch and the surrounding landscape. The kind of footage that quietly sets the tone for everything that follows.

Once the location began to open to the public, I wrapped there and moved on to gather additional material.

Capturing Highland Textures

After leaving the main unit, I spent time working across the surrounding landscape, filming a range of Highland textures.

Lochs, Caledonian pine forest, and heather moorland all became part of the visual palette. These kinds of shots often don’t shout for attention, but they’re what allow an edit to flow naturally from one moment to the next.

Sunrise at Royal Dornoch

The following morning was another early start, this time at Royal Dornoch itself.

The clubhouse is an impressive structure, built entirely from sandstone, and it catches the first light beautifully. Conditions were calm at sunrise, which made for ideal flying.

I started with a series of aerial shots around the clubhouse before moving out across the course as the day developed. As with most commercial work, some shots were very specific to the brief, while others allowed room to experiment and explore more creative movement with the drone.

On Set

It was a great crew to work with. A mix of experienced operators and creatives, all focused on building something that felt polished without losing a sense of place.

Like many productions, there were also a few less predictable elements involved, which always add an extra layer of challenge. That’s part of the job. Adapting, problem-solving, and keeping things moving while still delivering strong visuals.

Final Thoughts

Overall, a really enjoyable shoot. A combination of strong direction, good people, and locations that are hard to beat.

From sunrise over Loch Ness to the coastal light at Royal Dornoch, it was a reminder of how much the landscape here can bring to a project when everything comes together.