In the dying moments of 2011, I squared up to Edinburgh Castle, held my camera aloft and pressed “record”.

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I wanted nothing more than to try and capture the fireworks show that heralds the start of a New Year.

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For once, the weather was pretty good ;)

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For fun, I posted the video to YouTube.  I was not expecting what happened next.

We Are Northern Lights – A Scottish Film project contacted me wishing to use my footage for a feature-length documentary they were making.  The project was aimed at documenting Scotland through the eyes of those that live there.

I also submitted footage of the Olympic Torch Relay as it passed through Bruntsfield, prior to the start of the London Olympic Games.

A week ago, I got confirmation that some of my footage (I have no idea which!) has indeed been included in the final cut and that I, novice “presser-of-the-record-button-and-hope-that-it-turns-out-to-be-reasonably-watchable”movie-maker that I am, have been included as one of 121 Co-Directors, which goes to show that anything is truly possible in this world!  I’ve even got my name in The Scotsman!

The film is being premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival on 16th February, with country-wide release scheduled for March.  I’m a smidgen more than disappointed not to be able to attend any of the screenings, as I am currently sitting in South Africa… Big BOOO HOOO! I’m so totally buying the DVD though, you know – for posterity and all that.

It will be truly interesting to see how we Scots see ourselves, and our country – especially in light of the referendum on independence that is to be held in 2014.

How do I think we see ourselves?

We are not afraid to have a laugh at ourselves.  Apparently, it is a national past-time for white-haired, auld wee wifies to have good moan (so says my mother!). We like to let our hair down, but we’re also hard workers.  We might live and work in the cities but are never too far from the most beautiful scenery in the world.  We appreciate nature, we know what is in our back yard is something to be cherished and protected.  We’ve contributed so much to the world, through inventions and innovations.  We are adventurers; we are explorers.  WE ARE EVERYWHERE: from Canada & USA, Australia & New Zealand, South Africa and beyond.  We put up with crap weather on an almost daily basis!  We are proud of our land and ourselves.

And if we’re not – we should be.