Adventure is imprinted in Calum Maclean’s DNA.
As the son of parents who met and fell in love while bush-walking in Australia, Calum was simply born to explore.
With such strong intrepid genes, it’s no surprise that the 32-year-old is now fronting his own BBC Alba show Dealbh is Slighe (Picture Trail).
From diving into the depths of a flooded quarry and kayaking through stormy seas to scaling mountains and exploring caves, Calum takes viewers with him on an exciting adventure to some of Scotland’s hidden gems.
“I feel inspired when I get to these places,” said Calum.
“It leaves me feeling so satisfied afterwards and much happier as a person. I read a report recently about the benefits of nature to mental health and for me it’s totally true. I just love being outdoors, no matter where I am.”
Born to adventure
Calum’s adventures began at an early age when he loved nothing more than running around and chasing chickens at his family’s home in Skye.
“Growing up as a family we were always encouraged to do stuff outdoors,” said Calum.
“We often went on camping holidays and walking holidays, so being outdoors was second nature.”
Family trips to Australia also broadened Calum’s horizons and inspired his love of travelling to far-flung places.
“I was actually born in Australia so we would go back every five years to visit my mum’s family,” said Calum.
“So me and my sister Ciorstaidh would be taken out of school for a couple of months at a time and taken back to Australia to see the place and meet family. We also did home schooling and homework there so it wasn’t just a holiday.”
Passion turned into career
Describing himself as an adventure broadcaster, Calum has spent the past nine years combining his love of the great outdoors with his passion for TV, radio, film and photography.
His big break came when he filmed a series of short films about outdoor swimming for BBC’s The Social.
“Outdoor swimming is something I’ve been really into for the past 10 years so it was great when the films I made went viral as it opened up a lot of opportunities.
“After that, I ended up doing a series for BBC Alba about outdoor swimming which led me to this programme.”
Discovering hidden gems
In his latest series Dealbh is Slighe, Calum combines his love of exploring far-flung places with that of photography.
Featuring stunning locations across Scotland – from the northern Highlands to the Borders, the Aberdeenshire coast to the islands of Argyll – each episode sees Calum embark on a unique journey that culminates in opportunities to capture special photos.
His mode of travel is as varied as the locations, all the while keeping his keen photographer’s eye peeled for evocative shots employing different photographic techniques.
“Some of the journeys we filmed were straightforward but some were physically very difficult,” said Calum.
“I wanted to visit places that are hidden gems or capture places at a different angle that you’ve never seen before.
“For example, we went into the Corrieshalloch Gorge which is a huge gorge by Ullapool. Because it’s on the North Coast 500 route, loads of folk visit it but not many people get to the bottom of the waterfall, so we decided to explore it.
“It was hard work trying to get through the waterfall but I managed it. It was awe-inspiring and really exciting because you could look up and see people as little specs so high up on the bridge which overlooks it and behind the waterfall there’s a wee seat, it was brilliant.”
Taking the plunge
Diving into the depths of Belnahua, one of the Slate Islands near Oban, is also bound to leave viewers mesmerised.
“I kayaked out to the island but I was paddling to a standstill as the current was so strong. I explored a flooded quarry that was once used as a mine for slates. They call them the islands that roofed the world because they sent the slates all over the world.
“I was keen to find an old cart that was submerged somewhere underneath the water so after half an hour of snorkeling, I found it. So I dived down and we managed to get a photo of it. That was a lot of fun, especially as I wasn’t sure if I would find the cart.”
Other episodes see Calum visit Sculptor’s Cave in Moray, Sgùrr an Fhìdhlier, a mountain in the south-west of Sutherland, Glen Affric and Rattray Head lighthouse, one of the north-east’s most recognisable and photographed structures.
“Once you take a journey off the beaten track, you get a real sense of satisfaction, calm and you feel better as a person,” said Calum.
The next episode of Dealbh is Slighe is on Saturday May 29 on BBC Alba at 10.50pm. It’s subtitled in English so non-Gaelic speakers can watch it too.
