It's February 2020, and the mine is six months behind schedule, with no sign of the processing plant. Despite the efforts of the redeployed miners, winter conditions mean they haven’t been able to finish creating a flat platform on the hillside for building to start.

As February comes to a close the weather starts to improve and there is a chance to claw back lost time. However, the pandemic then hits the UK and on 23 March the country goes into lockdown, meaning the site has to be closed.

Four miles away in the usually bustling village of Tyndrum, everything is quiet, and owner of The Real Food Café, Sarah, is concerned about the large elderly population in the area, which includes her mum. Green Welly Stop owner Fiona continues to provide essential fuel supplies, but she has had to put 60 staff on furlough.

Up at the mine, the small team working on care and maintenance have been able to finally finish preparing the base for the processing plant. There is also the positive news that the price of gold has reached an all-time high and the company is now in a good financial position, despite all the delays.

At the start of July, the Scottish government’s five-mile travel restriction is lifted and local businesses are able to open. However, Andy at the Tyndrum Inn is worried they won’t make it through the winter, while at The Real Food Café, Sarah explains they are approaching a half a million-pound loss due to missing out on four of their most profitable months.

By November 30th 2020, things are at crunch point. This is the day that investors have been told the mining company will pour the first molten gold. Processing plant manager Nigel is taking on the challenge of turning the crushed quartz vein into gold. Despite not being the quantity they had hoped for, it is both a success and a major step in showing they can be a working goldmine. Show less