A HIGHLAND photographer is embarking on a 10-day canoe trip to create a documentary about one of Scotland’s longest rivers.
Ed Smith’s documentary aims to capture the environment, culture and economy in communities built around the River Spey, Scotland’s second-longest river.
Smith, from Kingussie, will set off from Spey Dam on Sunday in an open canoe and is set to travel the full length of the waterway in the first leg of a year-long, multi-stage filming process.
He said: “This is more than just a photography trip – the River Spey is a vital artery through the Highlands, rich with history, industry and community.
“While it’s renowned for fishing and watersports, its deeper value lies in the way it has influenced local economies and shaped generations of communities.”
Formed of a combination of pictures, videos and interviews, the documentary will cover the lives and local culture shaped by the Spey.
Smith’s journey will continue later in the year with an autumnal bike ride down the length of the river, with a winter canoe trip scheduled for January 2026. He’ll round off the journey next April with another bike ride, this time from the Moray Firth to Loch Spey.
The photographer plans to interview a range of people, from whisky distillers and conservationists to school pupils, to create a “snapshot” of how communities are adapting to modern pressures.
He said: “There are major conversations happening right now around the future of the Spey, from the recent reintroduction of beavers to a proposed hydrogen plant, environmental debates and rural development.
“I want to tap into those, not just to document them, but to encourage wider engagement with the combination of both understanding and questions they raise.”
Smith’s self-funded project also has connections to his childhood, with the canoe he’ll travel in being the same one he and his father used to complete the journey when he was a child.
Upon completion, Smith plans to present the project’s photography and film through an exhibition and book, celebrating the River Spey and inspiring new conversations about its role in the future of the Highlands.
