People of Scotland!
Tonight, on BBC 2 Scotland (Sky Channel 907) there is a documentary ‘The Scots at Waterloo’ which I had the pleasure of cutting recently in the fine city of Glasgow. This is the first of 3 versions of the Waterloo documentary that I cut for Caledonia/Tile Films to air. This version deals exclusively with some of the scots who fought at the battle 200 years ago.
I really enjoyed my couple of weeks in Glasgow cutting this with Les, Seona, Sajid and the gang at Caledonia Tv on Bath Street and I think the work is something special. So if you get the chance make sure to tune in.
https://vimeo.com/129202997
(This is the trailer for the international version but it gives you a good idea of the series)
Heres an interview with producer Seona Robertson about the show
On the BBC Website they go into more detail on the Five Scottish Heroes featured in the show
CREW
Director – Ruán Magan
Producer – Stephen Rooke, Seona Robertson
Writer – Les Wilson
Narrator – David Hayman
DoP – Ronan Fox
Editor – John Murphy
Music – Ronan Coleman
ABOUT THE SHOW
On the 200th anniversary of Waterloo, one of history’s bloodiest and most decisive battles, this docudrama reveals the front line action through the eyes of four Scottish soldiers – and one Extraordinary army wife.
In Wellington’s army of 1815, a quarter of British officers, and many crack regiments were Scottish – far out of proportion to the size of their nation. Highland regiments, kilted, and played into action by the pipes, were the most distinctive sight to friend and foe alike.
At Quatre Bras, the siege of Hougoumont, the Royal Scots Greys cavalry charge, the capture of the French Eagle of the 45th and the British squares, Scottish regiments and men were in the thick of the action.
These Scots at Waterloo were not only fighters – many of them also became writers. Scotland was the most literate nation in Europe, and the ordinary ‘Jocks’ left terrifying vivid accounts of being directly in the line of fire. Our Waterloo Scots represent officers and enlisted men, Highlanders and Lowlanders, veterans and rookies – and even a remarkable woman who was on the
battlefield with a six-month-old baby.
These Scottish stories unfold, through gritty and realistic dramatic re-enactments, over the course of the campaign and the extraordinary day of 18th June 1815 when 50,000 died and Wellington nearly lost, and Napoleon nearly won, the colossal struggle that was Waterloo.
John Murphy 