Scotland from the Sky

In the first episode of this landmark BBC Scotland series, presenter James Crawford discovers how the magical combination of powered flight and photography sparked a revolution that changed how we understood our world. Beginning with the story of aerial photography itself, James takes to the air to discover forgotten factories, abandoned villages and secret military installations. From the first pictures taken from World War One biplanes, to modern-day drones and helicopters, this is the story of how Scotland's countryside, communities and cities dramatically transformed in just 100 years.

Presenter James Crawford reveals how planners and architects took to Scotland's skies after World War II and used the god's-eye view in their mission to redesign towns and cities across the Central Belt. From one of Scotland's first tower blocks, through New Town living to the building of a motorway that ripped through the heart of Glasgow, James reveals how these utopian and controversial visions have transformed our lives and how we're living with the legacy to this day.

The last episode of the landmark series, Scotland from the Sky, explores how aerial photography has revealed Scotland's hidden ancient past and uncovered secrets buried right beneath our feet. From an Aberdeenshire field where the very concept of time emerged, through the ghostly outline of a lost ornamental garden to the discovery of hundreds of pizza ovens that once fed Rome's mighty legions, presenter James Crawford reveals how our ancestors have written their story on Scotland's landscape.