The Oban Times

Wildlife legend heads for the Highlands

- By Mark Entwistle mentwistle@obantimes.co.uk

If legendary naturalist and broadcaste­r Sir David Attenborou­gh thinks wildlife cameramen don’t come much more special than Doug Allan, you had better sit up and take note.

For those uncertain of why the presenter of such famous wildlife series as the Blue Planet and Life on Earth holds Fife-born Allan in such high regard, then a trip to Fort William or Oban in October may hold the answer.

Multi-award-winning Allan will embark on a major speaking tour that will take in the Nevis Centre in Fort William (October 13) and the Corran Halls in Oban (October 15).

Audiences at each of the venues will be treated to an evening of behind-the-scenes stories in a show that is both entertaini­ng and informativ­e as well as being suitable for all the family.

With 35 years’ experience of filming wildlife in some of the most remote places on the planet, from the Arctic to some of the deepest of oceans, Allan will highlight the most challengin­g assignment­s of his career.

Find out if snow leopards or leopard seals are the most scary; discover how to get close to the biggest fish in the sea; and hear whether your eyeballs freeze at -50°C.

Following two sell-out tours of Scotland, this new presentati­on traces Allan’s personal journey as he discusses how he has seen pollution and climate change affect the natural world.

Allan spent seven years in Antarctica as a scientist, research diver and photograph­er for the British Antarctic Survey before changing direction to full-time freelance filming in 1983.

Since then he has become one of the world’s best-known and most-respected cameramen, specialisi­ng in natural history, expedition­s and science documentar­ies.

He has worked for the BBC, Discovery, National Geographic and many others, filming for series including The Blue Planet, Planet Earth, Human Planet, Frozen Planet, Ocean Giants, Operation Iceberg, Wild Cameramen at Work, and Forces of Nature with Brian Cox.

His photograph­ic awards include eight Emmys and five BAFTAs. He has four honorary doctorates in recognitio­n of his camerawork, as well as two Polar Medals. He’s an honorary fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographic­al Society and of the Royal Photograph­ic Society.

Copies of Allan’s book Freeze Frame will be on sale, as well as his colour prints of polar bears, penguins and seals.

Full tour details at www.dougallan.com

 ??  ?? Doug Allan filming an emperor penguin colony and, below, in the Arctic.
Doug Allan filming an emperor penguin colony and, below, in the Arctic.
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