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Title: HIGHLAND LADDIE

Reference number: 0274

Date: 1952

Production company: Campbell Harper Films Ltd.

Sound: sound

Original format: 35mm

Colour: bw

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 24 mins

Description: A look at the life, crafts and industries of the Highlands including crofting, fishing, forestry work and tweed-making. Intended to try to dissuade people from the Highlands emigrating south.

Much of the film shot at Plockton. End credits incomplete.

The master film is preserved at the BFI National Archive, National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive holds copy.

Credits: cast Lyon Todd as Donald, Jean Cook as Flora
w. Robert Kemp
narr. Duncan MacIntyre
[cam. Henry Cooper]

Shotlist: Credits (.18) Donald has decided to leave the Highlands for the city because of the lack of opportunity. The narrator tries to change Donald's mind by demonstrating that the Highlands are flourishing. Donald sets off on foot (1.40) street scenes in the city and shots of trams (2.16) general shots to illustrate the hardship and isolation of life in the Highlands (3.30) shots of forestry houses at Glenbranter; shots of nursery and tree felling (5.20) fishing boats and fish being unloaded. Interior of a herring freezing factory (7.18) shots of lobsters. Shot of liner "Queen Elizabeth". Lobster fisherman brings in his catch. The lobster freezing station at Thurso. Lobster ponds in Lewis or Harris for storing live lobsters until orders are received for same (10.05) Crofters gather seaweed which goes to the factory at Lochboisdale where the first process of extraction of algemic acid is carried out (12.06) shots of tweed-making training centre at Morar near Mallaig. The Harris Crofters' Association delivers wool and uplifts finished tweed. Cloth is examined and stamped at a central depot (14.07) shots of eggs being gathered in Orkney. They are collected and taken to a grading station. Shots of examination and grading (15.28) shots of sheep owned by the Keeldale (?) Club, and a co-operative of ex-army men around Durness. Shot of sheep dipping (16.15) a herd of cattle on the Great Glen Cattle Ranch near Forth William (16.57) shots of new roads in the Highlands (18.15) shots of Melness in Sutherland, where the water supply is being improved (19.05) crofter who has constructed his own reservoir. Shots of taps inside his home (20.00) shots of new houses near Inverness and Lochsloy. Shots of crofters building their own house (21.24) shots of Hydro Electric Board development on Skye (21.58) shots of Plockton in Wester Ross where electricity has been installed. Shots inside a house showing "all mod cons" (23.36) Donald changes his mind and turns round back to Flora (24.02) ecs [incomplete] (24.08)