North-east stars in blockbuster film location guide
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Scottish acting legend, James Cosmo, has spoken of the “magical quality of films shot in Scotland” as VisitScotland launches its new-look guide to big screen locations, which features films from across the North-east.
The star of iconic Scottish films, Highlander, Braveheart and Trainspotting, and TV fantasy series, Game of Thrones, pens the foreword to the national tourism organisation’s revamped guidebook,
Set in Scotland.
The 52-page guide features more than 150 films which have been shot entirely or partially in Scotland – 46 more than the previous version first published in 2015 – and details more than 100 film locations.
It is available in VisitScotland iCentres across the country and can be downloaded from www.visitscotland.com/film
At least eight films which feature locations in the north-east, including-
Local Hero, Hamlet, Sunset Song, and Whisky Galore!, appear in the guide.·
Local Hero (1983) – Writer-director Bill Forsyth chose the coastal village of Pennan to stand in for the fictional Scottish village of Ferness.·
Hamlet (1990)– Mel Gibson came to Dunnottar Castle to portray the Prince of Denmark in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
Sunset Song(2015) – The Glen Tanar Estate in Royal Deeside appears in the cinematic adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s classic novel.·
Whisky Galore! (2016) – The 2016 version of the 1947 novel by Compton Mackenzie was directed by Gillies MacKinnon who filmed across Aberdeenshire including Portsoy Harbour and Pennan.
Screen tourism – or set-jetting – is a global trend in which film fans are inspired to visit a location after seeing it on screen.
It comes in the form of visiting the exact film location or providing the general motivation to book a holiday to the destination.
The trend is long-term, with many visitors citing film titles released long before their trip as motivation, and so can provide ongoing financial support the regions and the development of popular locations.
With many castles and stately homes providing the backdrop to film productions over the decades, it is important in the conservation of Scotland’s heritage sites.
VisitScotland hopes the new-look guide will offer further inspiration for visitors to explore across the regions, while providing a resource for the industry to create new experiences as part of Scotland's national strategy to rebuild the visitor economy and ensure sustainable tourism thrives.
Previous research has shown that 17 per cent of visitors from Scotland’s top international markets (USA, France and Germany) visit a film or TV location while on holiday in Scotland, while a recent Screen Scotland report valued screen tourism at £55 million to the national economy, based on those visiting film and TV locations, creating 1220 full-time jobs.
Set in Scotland covers the last 90 years, from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 version of The 39 Steps, in which UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Forth Bridge, appears, to The Road Dance, which was filmed on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides during the pandemic and released in May this year.
Alien, Avengers, Batman, Fast & Furious, and James Bond, are among the global film franchises to have come to Scotland.
As part of the redesign, the guide labels each film by genre, features QR codes with links to film themed content on visitscotland.com, and contains a new section,
Monarchs of the Glens, which focuses on those films linked to Scotland’s kings and queens, from Shakespeare’s Macbeth to the Oscar-winning The Queen.
To date, Scotland has appeared in five of the top 30 highest grossing films of all time, which have brought in a total of $10.6 billion at the box office worldwide.
Actor James Cosmo, whose film career has spanned six decades, writes in the foreword:
“Throughout my career I have been privileged enough to be involved in many [films] that have made a real connection with audiences worldwide. People still come up to me while in Scotland and tell me they are here because they watched Scottish films such as Braveheart or Highlander.
"And what is wonderful, is that the films are only the starting point. They then form a strong connection with the real country – it may be because of their ancestors or the feeling they get while they’re here.
That stays with them.”
David Jackson, VisitScotland Regional Director, said: “The North-east has long been a popular location choice for film scouts looking to capture our amazing landscapes, coastline, scenery, heritage and culture for global audiences.
“The resulting interest when these films hit the big screen not only boosts the local economy in the short-term but can provide an ongoing presence in popular culture – and streaming services – that can continue to reach new audiences and lead to visits long after a film’s release.
Martin Gray, Castle Custodian at Dunnottar Castle, said: “Hosting TV and film crews at Dunnottar is a great opportunity to showcase what Scotland has to offer, from the history to the spectacular scenery, all of which inspires people from all over the world to visit.
“The benefits are not just felt by us, cast and crew need to be accommodated and cared for which benefits the wider area as well.
"There is always a great buzz on site, for our team and visitors when a production crew are here.”
Film director Gillies MacKinnon, whose films Small Faces, Whisky Galore! and The Last Bus, appear in the guide, said: “Offering an amazing range, from the most stunning to the grittiest landscapes, Scotland is my favourite film location. I have directed eight films here over the years and currently have two future Scottish dramas in development, one using the dynamic atmosphere of Glasgow, the other the wilds of the remote Highlands.”
For more on screen tourism and to download
