Filming got underway for another season of Jules and Greg’s Wild Swimming, and this time we headed for the Scottish Borders. A part of the country I’ve not spent nearly enough time in, which was reason enough to be quietly excited about it. Plenty of water, plenty of space, and a fair bit of scenery I’d somehow managed to miss over the years.

We were filming in October, which added an extra edge to things. The water was definitely starting to turn by then, especially in the lochs and rivers. You could feel it straight away. The sea, thankfully, hadn’t quite caught up yet and was still hanging on to a bit of warmth, relatively speaking anyway.

The plan over the course of a few weeks was fairly straightforward, at least on paper. Start off swimming in the sea on the east coast of the Borders, then work our way right across the region, stopping off at lochs, rivers and anything else that looked inviting, before finishing on the west coast and wrapping things up at a lighthouse in the far south-west of Scotland. A proper journey, with a lot of cold water involved.

As well as the swimming, Jules and Greg also got stuck into a few other water-based activities along the way, which kept things interesting and, in some cases, slightly colder than planned.

One of the nice things about coming back to this job is how quickly everyone settles back into their roles. Within minutes it felt like we’d never been away. Tony was directing as ever from Solus Productions, Jim producing, with Rowan also producing on the ground. Sean was on main camera as director of photography, Colin on sound, Raonaid as Production assistant, runner and helping Jules and Greg throughout, and I was on second camera and drone, trying to get some nice shots while also keeping the drone dry. Jules and Greg did what they do best, talking to camera with the sort of enthusiasm that somehow survives repeated cold water immersion.

We were also joined by a cracking bunch of swimmers from all over the Borders, all with different backgrounds and different reasons for getting into wild swimming. Proper sound folk, and a big part of what makes the series what it is.

The Borders themselves are absolutely spectacular. Big skies, quiet places, and landscapes that just seem to roll on forever. It’s also just a really good job to be on. Everyone knows each other, everyone gets on, and there’s always a few laughs along the way. One night round the campfire, with a couple of small drinks, was particularly memorable. Nothing daft. Just good company and a fire.

Rowan Green is from this neck of the woods originally, from Traquair, and we filmed at Traquair Castle and in the maze there. The maze turned out to be memorable for another reason as well. That was the day Bonnie the dog had what can only be described as a bit of a situation. She ended up needing a wash in the river before she was allowed back into the van. We’d all been wondering why she was so grumpy that day, with half-serious threats of never taking her on a shoot again. Turned out she’d been having a far worse day than the rest of us. These things happen.

Jules and Greg also stayed at Traquair Castle, which was all very impressive until night fell. At one point we all agreed their living room looked particularly spooky, which didn’t do much for Jules’ nerves for the rest of the evening.

Accommodation on this shoot was a proper mix, in the best possible way. Old gypsy carts, yurts, castles, camper vans, and everything in between. Swimming-wise, we covered sea, lochs and rivers, including one loch that looked for all the world like it belonged in the Cairngorms, complete with Caledonian pines, despite being firmly in the Borders.

All in all, a brilliant job in a beautiful part of Scotland, with a great crew, great people, and just enough unpredictability to keep things interesting. Looking forward to seeing it on BBC Scotland, BBC, and iPlayer when it comes out later this year.