How Scotland Works

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.