Scotland in Film

At first glance, the relationship between Scotland and the Silver Screen may not seem very rich or historic. But take a closer look, and you might be surprised how much the small nation of Scotland has affected the history of Cinema, and how popular Scottish movies and movie-makers are becoming.

Quoted from Scotland and the Silver Screen - Andrew McDairmid

Memorable images of Scotland can be found in many genres of film. From Hitchcock's Forth Bridge in his film of The 39 Steps through to the idyllic and imaginative musical Brigadoon to the mystical and futuristic Highlander series there exists a whole library of cliches and memorable images which immediately prompt thoughts of Scotland.

Scotland rich landscapes provided a dramatic background for the Highlander Films starring Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery. However it is the historic epic which have grabbed the public's imagination. Rob Roy starring Liam Neeson and Braveheart featuring Mel Gibson have been box office successes on both sides of the Atlantic. Both have helped stimulate interest in Scotland a tourism destination.

Finding the accurate location of many films purporting to be made in Scotland can be difficult and often enlightening. Charlie Gormley, on of Scotland's celebrated film writers and directors explains in his comments entitled "Insider's Guide to Scottish Film"

Scotland's legendary monster of the deep has been immortalised in Loch Ness starring Ted Danson and Joely Richardson. Also legendary but very 'real' was Train Spotting, a tale of low life in darkest Leith with all the energy of the more gritty Hollywood films. Shallow Grave, a fast action thriller set in Glasgow and Edinburgh proved to be a huge hit at Edinburgh Film Festival and went to help launch the careers of Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston and Ewan McGregor.

Other well known films based in Scotland include the award winning Mrs Brown featuring Billy Connolly and Dame Judy Dench - and Bill Forsyth's Local Hero which helped put many previously unknown Scottish placenames on the visitor's 'must-see' map.

One area of film making in which Scotland has always excelled is documentaries pioneered by John Grierson in the 1940s and 50s. Great industrial documentaries like "Seawards the Great Ships" (1960) went on to win Hollywood Oscars and the art films of Murray Grigor featuring legendary Scottish Art Heroes including Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Greek Thomson and Sculptor, Paolozzi - have reaped international awards.

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