ARRIVING ON THE ISLAND
The team from Aether Film Productions have just returned from our stay at Eilean Sionnach Lighthouse Cottage, and what an unforgettable experience it proved to be. It is truly one of the rare places that demands your attention the moment you arrive, from the deep quiet of the island to the sweep of the surrounding mountains, it offered a sense of calm that stayed with us throughout our time there.
A PRODUCTION THAT FELT LIKE A HOLIDAY
We had come for work, or at least that’s what the calendar claimed. Eight cast and crew settled into the cottage, preparing for a fortnight of filming our latest feature film ‘Eminent’. The cottage’s beautiful decor, the way the light moved through each room, and the view from every window created the feeling of a retreat rather than a production base, and our days took on the air of a holiday masquerading as a production. What ought to have been a strenuous schedule drifted past with surprising grace. The island had a way of softening every edge and smoothing every worry, and I can say without hesitation that the success of the production was due, in no small part, to the cottage being the perfect setting.
FILMING AT THE LIGHTHOUSE COTTAGE
Filming often consumes whole days (early mornings, late nights, and the busy rhythm of eight people sharing a home) yet the island’s quiet charm made even the longest days feel effortless. Additional cast would arrive for their single daily scenes, before returning to the mainland, adding to the ebb and flow of the schedule. But in the quieter moments, watching the sun rise behind the lighthouse or sink into the mountains, it felt as though we were living inside a world designed for cinema, only it was entirely real, and all the more magical for it.
COOKING FOR A CREW
Our designated chef, Natasha Eldemire, worked miracles in the kitchen, built as though for a novelist’s imagined house party with expansive counters, a pantry fit for midnight snacks, a generous fridge-freezer, and that magnificent cooker with its six burners and three ovens. Feeding eight people (or nine, whenever another cast member was ferried across for the day) became almost effortless.
BOAT TRIPS WITH GUS
Speaking of ferrying, I cannot write this without praising the star behind the scenes, Gus. A true gentleman, with a character fit for the screen, he guided us safely across the water each time with an expert eye on tides and weather. We arrived with what can only be described as a van-load of equipment and luggage, expecting complications, but none came. Gus made sure every bag, case, and piece of kit was transported swiftly, seamlessly, and carefully. He will, without question, receive his thank-you credit.
DOLPHINS, AURORAS AND MOVIE MOMENTS
Even the boat journeys became cinematic moments in themselves. On clear days, the Highlands stretched out in all their vast beauty, and on misty or rain-washed mornings, the landscape transformed into something ethereal, as if we had drifted into a dream where the rules of distance and direction were politely suspended, becoming another world entirely. The island even gifted us with moments of pure magic too. While filming on the boat one afternoon, wild dolphins appeared from nowhere, rose from the water and drifted alongside us, close enough to feel unreal. Later that same week, the northern lights shimmered across the sky in a quiet, luminous curtain that none of us will ever forget.
BEDROOMS DESIGNED FOR REST
Inside the cottage, each bedroom felt like a character in its own right, entirely distinct, entirely charming, and everyone found a quiet corner that felt made for them. The rooms’ individuality was so striking that we even used them to inform our characters, calming blue tones for the introverted ‘Mara’, bold teal for the extroverted ‘Bella’. With each room having its own bathroom, plus an additional WC, the space worked beautifully for a busy team preparing for long days. And the freestanding roll-top bath became something of a cherished ritual after carrying kit across the island each day. The cottage became less a place to stay and more a retreat that answered every need before we knew we had it.
THE ISLAND AS OUR INSPIRATION
Remarkably, the island served as our muse long before we had even settled on a story, or knew such a place existed. After the success of our previous film, (*ahem* The Reflected Self) we attended the American Film Market, where it became clear that the thriller and horror genres were thriving. Having worked together for almost a decade, we knew our cast, we knew our crew, we even knew that the remarkable real-life sister duo Daisie and Poppie Boyes would anchor the film with level of authenticity rarely found in portrayals of on-screen siblings. What we didn’t have yet was a story or a world for them to inhabit.
Then one day my wife, and our producer, Holly Jarrett, happened upon the lighthouse cottage on Facebook. And that was it, one look was all it took. After a wonderful meeting with Andrew, we secured the cottage for November 2025, and the film took shape from a simple premise dictated as much by necessity as inspiration: two sisters, an isolated island, and the foundations of a thriller woven from the resources we had.
BRINGING THE FILM TO LIFE
After eight months of pre-production, team meetings, table reads, and meticulous scheduling (special acknowledgement to our 1st AD, Oliver How) everything finally aligned. What began as a simple idea shaped by necessity suddenly felt real, and we found ourselves standing on the island we had spent months imagining.
OUR FILM FAMILY RETREAT
The property is so exceptional that each time I attempt to return to writing about the practicalities of production, I find myself caught again in the memory of the island – its beauty is that compelling. But the filming did indeed happen, and it happened perfectly. What remains most vivid, however, is not the schedule or the scenes, but the experience of being there with our ‘film family’. It was a privilege, and a time I will never forget, and even now I can still hear the echoes of our laughter drifting through those rooms.
With filming behind us, the journey continues into post-production, and the film is set to debut in December 2026. Some places leave their mark long before the credits roll, and the Eilean Sionnach Lighthouse Cottage reminds us that the real stories often begin long before the cameras roll.
Written by Kelvin Richards, Founder, Writer, Director at Aether Film Productions
UNTIL THE CREDITS ROLL
Cast
Mara – played by Daisie Boyes
Bella – played by Poppie Boyes
Mannon – played by Barney Jones
Nemain – played by Josie Ayers
Brehon – played by Simon Weir
Dag – played by Stephen Corrall
Crew
Written & Directed by Kelvin Richards
Produced by Holly Jarrett & Kelvin Richards
Music by Luca Fagagnini
Colour Grading by Anthony Wood
Makeup by Nikita Fuller
1st AD – Oliver How
Private Chef – Natasha Eldemire
Find out more…