In the end the series was filmed a ginormous bit in the Outer Hebrides in Lewis and a wee bit in the Inner Hebrides, on Coll. Study the map of the Isle of Struay (The Big Katie Morag Storybook) and you will find that the indent of Village Bay is the only geographic similarity to Coll. Scattered about are a few local place names but further study will show that the majority are stolen from neighbouring islands and mainland locations personal to me. There are several references to Powell and Pressburger’s I Know Where I’m Going, filmed on Mull in ’45. The mountain range called the Five Sisters of Struay have their mainland counterpart in Kintail. In fact their illustration is inspired by Rum. This book is brilliant to read to children as it contains humour which both adults and children will enjoy(such as Katie and Grandma Island using Grandma Mainland's hair tint and rollers on the sheep!) It also has beautiful large illustrations with a lot going on to discuss. Nominations Announced: British Academy Children's Awards". BAFTA. 21 October 2014 . Retrieved 21 October 2014.

The series has been dubbed into Scottish Gaelic, for broadcast on BBC Alba. Known as Ceitidh Mòrag, the series began on 7 January 2014. [15] Cast and characters [ edit ] Main cast [ edit ] We had a great time. What could be more fun than sitting in a room full of bright, funny, creative people, scones a-plenty, reading Katie Morag stories to each other and then working out how we could adapt them? In the end we brought eight of Mairi’s original tales to life in Series One. But we had a commission for 26 episodes, so we also had to write more Katie Morag stories for both of the series. Which was equally fun! We brainstormed potential themes, stories and issues. We made a timeline for events - again it was great to have Mairi there, in the books she could move time along and introduce people and things without explanation, but for a weekly TV show, we had to have a chronology. The Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands, the Inner Hebrides, and the Outer Hebrides are all part of what we refer to as Scottish islands. This PowerPoint presentation explores the different ways that things like school, working, and getting around work on an island, compared to the mainland.

Casting for the series included a casting call in Stornoway, Lewis in March 2013. [7] [8] The casting team also held extensive auditions in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The part was eventually won by seven-year-old Cherry Campbell from Glasgow (whose grandmother was born, and still lives, on Lewis). Campbell took part in the Stornoway auditions. Director Don Coutts said, "We were looking for someone with energy, humour and courage to play the feisty wee character of Katie Morag and we think that Cherry has all three of these attributes in spades!" [9] Locations [ edit ] Struay Shop and Post Office from the TV series Katie Morag Move On Up is based in Cromarty, North East of Inverness. From the outset we were determined to keep as much of the production in the Highlands as we could, beginning with the writing.

Grannie Mainland’ is a much more proper personality – though far less fun – and, in the day we’re in, the unconventional Grannie Island has naturally been hailed as "a positive image, a celebration of the strength of women, and a challenge to gender stereotyping…" – which hasn’t done sales of the books any harm. All we ask is that you respect the people and the way of life there, protect the wildlife, and that you don't leave anything behind you that could pollute the enviroment. For many years there was talk of adapting the tales for television – the character was first optioned by Scots filmmaker Don Coutts in 1997 – and, by 2005, there was the first talk of filming such a series on Lewis. Are you studying Katie Morag as a topic in your First Level class? This beautifully illustrated poster of the Isle of Struay Map is the perfect addition to your classroom topic display. Our Isle of Struay Map features various settings in the Katie Morag book series, including:In June 2014, it was announced that Katie Morag would be returning for a second series. Cheryl Taylor, Controller of CBBC, said: "This is the first time that CBBC and CBeebies have co-commissioned a series and I am really pleased to be working so closely with CBeebies. The exclusive episodes to be shown on CBBC will allow us to develop more multifaceted storylines for the older CBBC audience." [5] While you’re teaching this topic, you can use these colourful display posters to decorate your classroom. They feature key characters and settings such as Liam, Grannie, the Redburn Bridge, and the Post Office.

Casting for the series included a casting call in Stornoway in March 2013, [21] for filming on Lewis in May 2013, [22] some of which took place in the remote village of Tolsta Chaolais.Before disillusionment sets in, and you decide to take the boat to Mull or Rum instead of Coll, I can assure Katie Morag aficionados that the first clutch of Struay characters in the first books did have Collach forbears, old friends. Granma Mainland, however, is my mother visiting Coll in the ’60s, handbag and all. I really liked going to hair, make-up and costume every morning. My favourite costume was my wedding dress costume. That was really nice. I wore my wellies with it though! I have seen this book used with a key stage 2 class over a variety of subjects. The class were weeks away from a summer fair, and taking the character Mrs Bayview and her garden as a starting point they planned a flower sale. You can also encourage learners to act out the events of the Katie Morag books using these lovely role-play masks. Perfect for supporting reading comprehension skills in a fun group activity! What is the Isle of Struay?