Filmmaker, dramaturge and actor Alasdair Satchel moved to Mull in 2007, and the island has become part of his heart and soul.
Originally from Dunoon, Alasdair studied his art in Edinburgh and Paris.
He wrote, directed and performed his own work with Perhilion Theatre Co, touring One Man Rant and Two Man Rumble internationally for some years.
He’s also worked as an actor and director for other companies in the UK and throughout the world.
But although his work takes him all over the world, having his home on Mull is very important to Alasdair, who says: “I’m constantly inspired by the landscape, wildlife, seasons and community that surround my family here.”
We found out more about his deep love for his Hebridean island home.
What first springs to mind when you think of Mull?
Home is the first thing that springs to mind.
I’ve been lucky enough to live here since 2007, it’s where I met my wife Georgia, where we’ve raised our son Coll, and built our home.
That and space, space and the horizon. Where we live we look out on to Rum, Canna, and the horizon beyond, which is sometimes broken by the snowy tops of South Uist peeking over at us.
What makes Mull so special?
It’s a mix of the people, the physical geography, the wildlife, the history of the place, its culture and night skies.
There are so many interesting people here who have lived such remarkable lives and who have really fascinating perspectives on their experiences that I started a podcast and film project called What We Do in the Winter as a way to amplify their voices.
There’s only 2,800 or so of us here on Mull and the surrounding islands, yet every year we’re visited by 1 million and more holiday makers.
Each of those visitors has a tale to tell of their experience of Mull, which is fantastic, but it drowns out the voices of the people of the islands.
What We Do in the Winter tries to redress this balance by sharing our tales, hopefully allowing people other ways to see our home and the people who populate it.
Most memorable night you’ve had in Mull?
So, so many. Two in particular that stand out are welcoming a new year in with friends playing tunes on the stoop while the Northern Lights danced and Tobermory’s fireworks flashed in the distance.
The other, dancing the night away with family and friends at our wedding in a tatty old marquee on the grass in front of our house.
Favourite restaurant in Mull and why?
Am Birlinn, outside of Dervaig on the way to Calgary, not far from our house.
We live in rather a remote location, so to have a restaurant not too far is really special.
The food there is just superb. They do a wonderful beef dish, Sauerbraten, from Germany. It’s brisket cured in red wine and ginger bread spices for a week.
It falls apart on your fork and melts in your mouth with the most wonderful flavour.
Their seafood is just superb, too. Most everything they serve has its origins on the island and the seas around it, such as Oni Boa’s wonderful pork and then Gordy Turnbull’s oysters, farmed on the shore just a mile from your table.
Angela, Ruedi and Liam who run Am Birlinn make you so welcome, it’s somewhere I just love to spend my time.
It’s also great to go and play tunes on the fiddle with pals after service has finished.
Best place in Mull when you’re looking for inspiration?
The best journey I know on Mull is to go from Ulva Ferry out to Staffa and Lunga with tour company Turus Mara.
The road from ours to Ulva Ferry is always interesting and features all sorts of wildlife including short-eared owls.
Once you leave Ulva Ferry and steam out into Loch Na Keal with Iain, Colin or Fergus at the wheel, you’re heading into another world entirely.
Ben More peels away behind you, the volcanic plug at Gribun stretches out of view, Ulva and Little Colonsay pass on your starboard, as dolphins dance at your bow and the Isle of Staffa comes into view.
Staffa is quite unlike anywhere else, it’s a small island made of columnar basalt, whose principal feature is Fingal’s Cave.
Leaving Staffa you then head over to Lunga, home of thousands of puffins and myriad other seabirds.
Spending time with puffins is such a tonic. They go about their business with such comic intensity you’re drawn into their world and transported from your own.
Iain from Turus Mara calls it ‘puffin therapy’.
The journey back to Ulva Ferry passes Gometra and takes you the length of Loch a Tuath where seals sunbathe on rocks like overcooked sausages.
The journeys between the islands give you lots of time to just muse on things, then when you’re on Staffa and Lunga, they’re just so different to life elsewhere, it always offers inspiration.
What is your first memory in Mull?
My Mum, Dad, Gran and I first visited Mull in the early 90’s when I was about 13.
We stayed in Bunessan in the Ross of Mull and I was immediately taken with it.
The communities in the Ross are so welcoming and have some of the best community events on the island, like the Bunessan show and the Old New Year Dance.
The thing that stands out for me most of that trip though was sharing a room with my Gran, who had very vocal nightmares in Gaelic.
Every night I was terrified by her shouting out and flailing around in a language that I didn’t, at that time, speak. I laugh about it now, but at the time it was really quite something.
I also remember being a teenager and not wanting to go to a ceilidh at the Bunessan Hall, but tagging along eventually and having a wonderful night listening to Jimmy Blue’s ceilidh band.
Best place for a coffee stop in Mull?
If you go to Salen, half way up the north end of the island you’re in for a luxury of choice.
On one side of the road you’ve got The Little Bespoke Bakery and on the other you’ve got The Coffee Pot.
Both have so many delicious offerings for you to choose from, you’re going to have to get your coffee in one, your cake in the other, then swap around the next day.
There’s also the brilliant Old Post Office at Lochbuie. They were the winner of the Sausage Roll Olympics 2024.
How is 2025 going for you?
I feel lucky to say that it’s going well so far.
In October last year I worked with the wonderful film education charity Into Film to deliver their Every Child A Filmmaker project in Golspie.
Hannah Hunter, an emerging film practitioner from Kilchoan and I worked with some of the senior students from Golspie High over the course of a week to make a film of their own choosing.
Last week the film they made, Monster, had its premiere at Scotland’s mobile cinema the Screen Machine, who were also partners in the project, which was just brilliant.
The rest of the year is filling up with teaching commitments and community-based short film work, which I’m looking forward to immensely.
What are you up to with work at the moment?
I’ll be starting a new film podcast soon called 969: A Journey Through Film, where I talk with some of the remarkable people I’ve met through work over the years to find out what matters to them and has inspired in them in their film work.
Yesterday I was out here on the island teaching animation for our company Screen Argyll with one of our core members, Jim Parkyn who’s also a senior model maker at Aardman.
When I got home I spoke with Kenny MacIntyre from BBC Radio Scotland and his brother Colin, aka Mull Historical Society, for What We Do in the Winter.
I’m also going to be doing some work on our Screen Argyll Animation Academy project over the coming days.
We’ll be running sessions online again later in the year, so if you know anyone aged 16 – 25 who lives in Scotland and wants to develop their animation skills studying with Jim, Jack Lockhart, a host of stellar tutors and myself, do check out our website at Screen Argyll.
Describe your perfect day in Mull?
Starting the day with a fried breakfast (a rare treat) at Glengorm Café, then going for a long walk from near Charlotte Mellis’s Tin Shed Gallery, through the abandoned villages and along the coast to the Treshnish headland to with my wife, son and our dog Ripley.
Lunch would be some home-made soup from a flask, eaten whilst sat looking out to Coll and Tiree.
If there was time, I’d nip home for a quick nap, before meeting friends for dinner at Am Birlinn and end the evening laughing at old tales and playing tunes together until the wee small hours.
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