Neil Oliver: The Story of the British Isles in 100 places
‘The Story of Britain in a Hundred Places’
‘I love Britain. I used to take the place for granted. Over the years I’ve learned how big a mistake that was. More recently I’ve wondered how many of us realise what a special place this is, how lucky we are. I’ve been round and round the edge, all over the interior. I’ve seen it all from land, sea and sky. Sometimes I think I’ve seen more of Britain than anyone else. A land shaped by ice, weather and us. A million years of human lives. Now I have my favourite places and together they have a story to tell – my own, unique story of Britain.’
Neil qualified as an archaeologist in 1988 and has also trained and worked as a journalist on publications such as The Scotsman, The Herald, The Guardian, The Edinburgh Evening News and The Daily Record, providing invaluable experience for when, in 2002 his career as a television broadcaster began. BBC 2’s Two Men in a Trench saw Neil and his friend Tony Pollard visit historic British battlefields and recreate the battle situation using state-of-the-art technology. Following this, in 2005 Neil joined the team on the highly acclaimed BBC2 series Coast and in 2006 he stepped into the role of lead presenter. This has shaped his career to date and Neil’s TV credits have been steadily building, and he continues to present both Coast Australia and Coast New Zealand. Neil lives in Scotland with his wife and three children.