The Post Runner
Our inspiration…
We are planning to shoot an adventure documentary with a difference, as we recreate the experiences of the heroic men who ran important parcels and documents across the Scottish Highlands in the 1800s. They were known as Post Runners, and were the unsung endurance athletes of their time.
The story of one man in particular, Duncan Mackenzie, really inspired us. He stood out for his athletic abilities and stamina as he routinely carried the post from the West Coast of Scotland to Dingwall near Inverness and back. There were no paved roads, just the uneven ground of the rugged fells and mountains. Quite often he would run 120 miles in just four days, and he continued this schedule week in and week out for many years. It was a truly incredible feat, especially considering he ran in all weathers over rough terrain with no trail running kit, nutritional knowledge or awareness as to how to treat and rest the body as today’s athletes do.
We were also inspired by the fact that the post he carried in his knapsack the only real form of distance communication that existed at the time. In his possession would be important contracts, notifications of a birth, marriage or a death, love letters - vital documents that could change the course of a person’s life. For decades whole communities depended entirely on the Post Runner’s faithful progress back and forth across the hills.
Below you will find some text dating back to 1808, from one of the few known documents describing the Post Runners job;
"Then the mail north of the Highland metropolis (Inverness) went on horseback; and when we squatted on the west coast (Gairloch) our nearest post-office was sixty miles away in our county town (Dingwall), and our only letter-carrier was one of my father's (Sir Hector's) attaches, little Duncan, a bit of kilted india-rubber, who, with a sheepskin knapsack on his back to keep his despatches dry (for Mackintosh waterproof had not been dreamed of then), left the west on Monday, got the sixty miles done on Wednesday, and returning on Thursday delivered up his mail to my father on the Saturday, and was ready to trip off east next Monday; and so all the five months of our western stay, doing his one hundred and twenty miles every week! I never heard of his being a day off work in many a year. And what a lot of news was extracted from him ere he got away to his home on Saturday evening! When we retired to the east the natives left behind us got their postal delivery the best way they could."
Our plans for the Post Runner film…
The intent with the film is to create a stunning cinematic journey, and a trail running film like no other. We want to both see if it’s possible to recreate one of Duncan’s incredible journeys of 120 miles in 4 days , and also to put into historical context just how vital the fascinating role of the post runner was to the life of his local community.
We also want to understand just why his remarkable physical achievements were taken for granted. In modern times this sort of job would be seen as impossible, but at that time it was expected. Is it simply that social expectations have changed – or have our bodies changed too?
All this will be shot in the stunning setting of the Scottish Highlands. Along with plenty of gritty and adrenalin fuelled trail running action and adventure, blended with the fascinating history of the place and its people.
To achieve these aims SkyRise founder, director and head of production Kev Merrey will be attempting to follow the same route as Duncan would have taken, running the 120 miles in 4 days. He’ll be wearing the same traditional clothing, such as a kilt, leather boots and eating the same food and drinking the same amount of fluids.
He’ll carry the equivalent weight of post in a sheepskin knapsack and he’ll also stay in traditional accommodation or sleep rough as Duncan would have done on occasion. We also plan to have Kev deliver traditional parcels and documents to some of the locals along the route, adding to the authenticity of the adventure. By tracking Kev’s experience closely we’ll be able to understand what these men really went through – and find out if today’s endurance athletes can compare to the stoic posties of yesteryear.
We will be working closely with local historians and museums to ground the film in the region and to bring out the social context of the world in which Duncan was living. And the final icing on the cake is that Duncan also happens to be the great-great-great-grandfather of Paul Hollywood of Great British Bake Off fame. We have contacted Paul about the film and asked if he'd be interested in being involved with the project. We are also planning to add in interviews with other endurance athletes, including endurance athlete Sean Conway, who will help to set the Post Runner’s achievements in context.
Release plans
We plan to make a five-minute edited down version for YouTube, Vimeo and social media channels, a fifteen-minute version for entry into film festivals such as Banff and Kendal. We are also anticipating that there will be enough footage for a sixty-minute single documentary for online or TV broadcast that will delve further into the social history of the Post Runners and give more on-screen time to Kev’s experience too. We will also be partnering with adventure journal Sidetracked Magazine on the film.
Sponsorship opportunities
We are actively seeking sponsors and brands to support the film. The Scottish setting of course lends itself well to regional brands and products.
The inspiring story of men of endurance from times gone by, mixed with the achievements of a modern-day endurance athlete carry elements and themes that could appeal to brands of all kinds who have values connected to stoicism, adventure, stability, endurance, selflessness, adventurousness, reliability etc. And the added element of the post and its importance speaks to ideas around communication, connectedness and community.
We welcome partners of all kinds to come on board and join us in exploring and celebrating the world of the incredible Post Runners, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Tel: 07779 153898