Skye is set to experience a project inspired by a shared Nordic/Celtic past and present over the next few days from the 1st   to the 4th of June.

An international collaboration, which includes artists from Iceland, Scotland, England and Germany, is bringing together fashion, music, art, photography and videography to tell a tale of a Nordic noir love story between the Vikings and the Celts – one that did not always have a fairy-tale ending.

“The Cries of the Heart – Vikings versus Celts”,  aims to fuse history with present day, telling an age-old love story in a modern setting by incorporating modern clothing by fashion designer, Sigrun Bjork Olafsdottir along with folk music and the latest digital technology.

Photo taken in Iceland credit Gaui H Pic

The Icelandic designer, who hails from Reykjavik but is based in UK, said:

“The heart of the story is the blueprint of female DNA in Iceland. Iceland was not just built by Norse Vikings but equally by Celtic women whose spirit is still very much alive in Icelandic women.”

For Sigrun, fashion isn´t just about clothes but about so much more. Each garment she makes is carefully thought out and is always intended to tell a story in itself – detail is king. Fast fashion is not an option and sustainable, natural materials are always at the forefront. Materials used for this project are mostly Wool, Cotton and Hessian where Sigrun aims to mix Icelandic and Scottish fabrics – with a little twist.

Joining Sigrun for this project is a group of highly accomplished individuals from Scotland, Iceland, England and Germany.

The team aims to take storytelling to another level where each is an author in their own right but combined, their chapters form the full picture. It includes:

• battle trained stuntmen and actors
• an award winning Scottish hair and makeup team
• Internationally published photographers
• a platinum selling songwriter
• Iceland´s no1 videographer

Gaui H, who is the man behind The Breath of Iceland, Iceland´s no 1 landscape drone-and videographer said:

” Isle of Skye has been my dream destination since I started shooting landscapes and landscape videos! The dramatic and moody landscape there fits my style perfectly. What I find most exciting about this project is working with all these amazing people! We are all from different paths in life but for those few days we are joining our forces for an epic journey!”

Photo taken in Iceland credit Gaui H Pic

Actor David Macey (Last Kingdom (2015), Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) and The Limehouse Golem (2016).) said:

“Einstein’s general theory of relativity allows for the possibility of time travel. So does acting. I chose the latter. Working with great people, creating a great project and placing yourself in a time outside of your own, is for me, the ultimate exhilaration. Also, it’s safer and cheaper than real time travel”.

Platinum selling singer/songwriter, Icelandic Alda who had two worldwide hits in the late 90s, joined forces with film composer Tom Morrison from Big Sky Song (Viking Destiny (2018)) and together they wrote a music piece to accompany the story.

Sigrun has worked closely with Veterans in the past and this project is no exception.

Army veteran and internationally published fashion photographer, Frank MacDonald started taking photos throughout his army career.  After leaving the services in 2001, he did 10years as a wedding and portrait photographer but now Frank has been concentrating on Fashion and grittier projects that push barriers.

Skye was chosen as the backdrop for this story because of its natural beauty and its recent finds of a Viking shipyard on the island. This discovery creates the canvas to bring together old sagas, the culture of both the highlands and the Norse and to bind them together in a story of love, death and hope.

We’re just goin up tae the Isle o Skye