Martin Compston is on a Scottish fling to discover our modern nation – but don’t expect the usual suspects to be put in the spotlight in his new BBC series.
“All that stuff, like whisky tastings, shortbread, it has all been done before,” said the Line Of Duty star who travelled the length and breadth of the land with his co-host and friend Phil MacHugh for Martin Compston’s Scottish Fling.
“We’re not as young as we were but I feel like we’ve still got young energy and so we wanted to focus on these different aspects.”
Which is why the duo’s trip to Aberdeen doesn’t hone in on granite, oil or golden sands… but on the city’s burgeoning rap scene and an extensive interview with local rap star Ransom FA, a leading light in the Scottish music scene.
Gaelic TV presenter and media personality Phil said: “We wanted to celebrate the arts that are different from what Aberdeen is known for.
Martin Compston ‘blown away’ by skill of Aberdeen rap artists
“This new rap scene is fresh and exciting, so why wouldn’t you celebrate it? You have got all this young talent coming through that are really pushing boundaries across Scotland and not just in Aberdeen.”
The rap segment, which also featured Dundee songstress India Rose, saw Martin and Phil joining local artist Chef in his Aberdeen studio to lay down a track with other artists.
Martin said: “The thing is they were so good. And the studio was literally on the harbour so you had the juxtaposition of what Aberdeen has always been known for with the boats going out right beside these lads grafting.
“In terms of the music I respect it, the skill, what blew me away was the speed – the amount of lyrics they have to come up is so much more, the intelligence that has to go into it to make it a story is phenomenal, something I could never do.”
Phil added: “What I love about it is if you compare it to music of my past – mouth music – this is the new version of what Scotland did.”
Martin’s contribution to the track was to rap in the lyrics “Stand Free” – a wee nod to Dons fans and a call back to when the actor was part of Aberdeen FC’s youth squad in the 1990s?
“Yes, I mean it is very Aberdeen, which I like – I like the fact that Aberdeen has a really strong identity,” said Martin.
Aberdeen filming brought back Dons’ memories for Martin Compston
During the episode, Martin and Phil are seen chatting to Ransom FA on top of Broad Hill, with Pittodrie clearly in the backdrop. Did that bring back memories of Martin’s playing days when he was in the squad alongside the likes of Michael Hart, Darren Young and Derek Young in the Roy Aitken era?
“It really did. We spoke about that when we were off camera. I spent my summer holidays and my October holidays up there training and playing. The other side of that was the swimming baths with the flumes and we’d go there after training.
“I loved it up there. It was a fantastic club – they had a great youth system. They gave you every opportunity to go through. Always tough when you are wee and your friends are going away their holidays and you are going away to train, but I loved it up there.”
Also off camera was one of the actor’s highlights from filming in Aberdeen for Martin Compston’s Scottish Fling – the first episode of which airs on BBC Scotland on Thursday September 8 at 10pm.
“We went to Duthie Park and we had this amazing moment with the singer India Rose from Dundee and there was a guy with a guitar and they knew each other somehow,” said Martin.
“She said will you come and play and they just came together and played. It was amazing to watch.”
You can see a trailer for Martin Compston’s Highland Fling here
Phil and Martin meet the strongman Stoltman brothers on Highland leg
The series also saw the duo venture into the Highlands, including a memorable visit to Golspie and the Stoltman brothers. Tom is the World’s Strongest Man for two years in a row and brother Luke is an ex-European champion.
Phil and Martin joined them for a strongman workout, including a bracing dip in the North Sea.
Martin said: “Meeting the Stoltman brothers was something very special. I got set up a wee bit that day for a challenge to do something that I wasn’t expecting, but working out with them was really something.”
Other highlights of the Highlands leg of the lads’ tour included a clash of the ash with the Under 17 Inverness Shinty team, plus a visit to the Alleycat Restaurant to try out vegan versions of Scottish scran.
Martin and Phil – who started his career in Gaelic TV in Aberdeen – looked like they thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the six-part series, traversing Scotland from the Lowlands to the Western Isles, East Coast to West Coast and all points between.
Phil said: “It was a blast. We both had great fun making it.”
Martin added: “Yes very much so. One of the most exciting things is that I can’t wait for audiences to meet Phil, he is a force of nature.”
The two – who have been firm friends since their late teens in the wake of Martin’s breakthrough role in Sweet Sixteen and Phil starting his TV presenting career – both hope viewers enjoy watching the series as much as they enjoyed making it.
So, is another one in the offing?
Martin Compston on whether there will be another Line Of Duty series
Martin said: “We’d definitely like to do another series but we have to see. You could do another one in Scotland and as Phil reiterates there are many Scots around the world.”
Phil said: “Who knows where the fling might take us?”
While we are on the subject of new series, we can’t let Martin go without asking the big question on everyone’s lips. Will there be another series of Line Of Duty?
“We’ve not done anything different than after we have done any other one. We always take a long break after a series, we’ve never committed to one immediately after,” he said.
“I love working with the guys and if Jed thinks there is a story to tell…”
Martin Compston’s Scottish Fling airs on BBC Scotland on Thursday September 8 at 10pm then BBC Two on September 9 at 9.30pm and on BBC iPlayer.
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