In 21st-century Scotland, the world of work is changing fast. A new industrial revolution is transforming jobs, businesses - and creating a new generation of entrepreneurs. Service industries like call centres and hospitality are thriving. The Highlands and Islands are being connected to fibre broadband to help boost small businesses and create new jobs. Traditional jobs like fishing and farming are going hi-tech. Scottish digital startups are creating new global businesses. This documentary tells the story of modern Scotland at work through a diverse cast of characters including scallop divers, call centre workers, farmers and fishermen, the staff behind the scenes at Gleneagles Hotel, and software companies that are defining Scotland's economic future.
Scotland has one of the most famous 'brands' on Earth. From tartan and castles to the Loch Ness Monster, Scottish icons attract millions of visitors each year. Exports like whisky, porridge and even seaweed are worth billions of pounds to the economy. This programme tells the story of 'Scotland the brand'. It goes behind the scenes at the Edinburgh Tattoo, a visiting cruise liner, and the New York Whisky Fest. And it meets the tourists who flock here and asks 'How do others see us?' in the 21st century.
Life in modern Scotland is changing. The population has never been higher. Scots are living longer, ethnic diversity has doubled in a decade, and some of Scotland's remotest areas are being repopulated after years of decline. This programme meets 21st-century Scots of all ages, from all across the country, to tell the surprising story of life in modern Scotland from birth to old age.
In 21st-century Scotland, travel and transport is changing. Scotland's trains, planes and ferries are busier than ever. New services like the Borders Railway and a seaplane to Skye are connecting far-flung communities. In Aberdeen, hydrogen-powered buses are revolutionising public transport and cutting carbon emissions. In Dundee, electric taxis are making travel cheaper and cleaner. Meanwhile, older systems like the unique Glasgow subway are being updated for the modern world. This documentary tells the story of Scotland on the move through a diverse cast of characters including a train driver, a ferry captain, the nightshift engineers on the subway, a pioneering pilot, and one of the original architects of Glasgow's groundbreaking urban motorway system.
Today, life in Scotland's remotest communities is changing. New jobs and industries are evolving, and the population is growing. Innovative types of tourism like wreck diving and eagle-spotting are being developed. Land-ownership laws are changing to give communities more of a stake in their crofts. And traditional work like forestry is being transformed by 21st-century technology - which is driving growth and prosperity. Better communications also keep the smallest island communities connected to the outside world, allowing new kinds of businesses and even international charities to be based there. This documentary tells the story of Scotland's wild places through a diverse cast of characters including a dive guide, flying tree doctors a global charity based on Coll - and the world-famous Mull Rally.
In 21st-century Scotland, finding the perfect home - or any home - can be a challenge. The kinds of homes, and where we want them to be, are changing. And house-building projects across the country are following new models. With more people working from home, tenements are being turned into workspaces - one in Glasgow is even a TV studio. With land and houses in short supply, some people are turning to more radical solutions, and making their homes in houseboats or caravans to save money and live an outdoor life. And as Scotland's population gets older, the need to create homes for the elderly is sparking innovative solutions. From a brand new town being developed in Aberdeenshire, to a houseboat on the canal, and even to a 200-year-old castle, this documentary tells the story of Scotland at home through a diverse range of characters - and the homes they live in.
