Scotland is blessed with natural beauty and jaw dropping scenery, as well as timeless architectural buildings and stunning cityscapes. It’s no wonder that many famous movies and TV series have been filmed here over the years. On one of our private guided Scottish film locations tours, we can take you to visit iconic Scottish film locations from scenes in famous Hollywood movies and TV series.
Outlander – Scottish Film Locations Tours
Popular for 2016 are our Outlander Scottish film locations tours. The TV adaption of Diane Gabaldon’s Outlander novels have been a huge a huge hit in recent years. Filming for the series has taken place in and around some of Scotland’s most beautiful villages and historic castles. We have several destinations on our Outlander Scottish film locations tours, such as the quaint market town of Falkland in Fife complete with it’s own palace, where it all started in episode 1.
Mercat Cross – Cranesmuir
Doune Castle in Perthshire is Castle Leoch in the series. Dating from around 1400 it was built by Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albnay, Earl of Mentieth and Fife. Doune Castle also featured in Monty Python’s Holy Grail and as Winterfell in Game of Thrones.
The original inspiration for Castle Leoch came from Castle Leod which is situated near the beautiful Victorian spa village of Strathpeffer. This magnificent castle has been at the centre of Highland politics for hundreds of years, and was at the centre of the Jacobite rising of 1745. In the same family hands for over 500 years it is the seat of Clan Mackenzie and is home to their chief the Earl of Cromartie and his family.
Not far from Doune Castle we have more Outlander locations to visit on our tours. Situated on the north side of the river Forth is the historic village of Culross which featured as Cranesmuir in the series. Here you can wander around the distinctive are at the Mercat cross and also visit Claire’s herb garden at the back of Culross Palace. On the south side of the River Forth our Outlander Scottish Film Locations tours will visit Blackness Castle which provides the setting of Fort William in the programme.
Harry Potter – Scottish Film Locations Tours
One of our most popular Scottish film locations tours of recent years is from the Harry Potter movies. Let us transport you north through the highlands, and take you aboard the Hogwarts Express, as you travel on the original Jacobite Express steam train over the Glenfinnan Viaduct between Fort William and Mallaig. This is widely recognised as one of the greatest rail journeys in the world.
Close to Glenfinnan and at the end of the road to the Isles is Morar, where some of the scenes from the classic 1983 move Local Hero were filmed on the pristine beaches known as the Silver Sands of Morar.
James Bond – Scottish Film Locations Tours
How about one of our James Bond Scottish film locations tours? Ian Fleming’s original James Bond character was a Scotsman and Scotland has featured heavily in several of the Bond franchise movies. Most recently was Skyfall where the menacing scenes featuring Bond and M, and the conic Aston Martin, were filmed in and around Glen Etive and Glencoe, in the shadow of Buachaille Etive Mor. Here you get to experience spectacular Highland scenery.
Further north, situated on the road to Skye where three sea lochs meet, is Eilean Donan castle, which featured in 1999’s The World is Not Enough as the HQ of MI6. Eilean Donan also featured heavily in the 1984 move Highlander starring Sean Connery.
Sticking with the Sean Connery theme, if you are taking one of our Open Road chauffeur tours to the Isle of Mull, then there is more to see than the stunning wild life and scenery. A visit to Duart Castle is a must, which was where was filmed Entrapment in 1999 with Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones. Duart Castle was also the location for When Eight Bells Toll starring Anthony Hopkins and based on the Alistair Maclean spy novel of the same name.
High on the list of chauffeur tour Scotland visits in Scotland is a trip to St Andrews on the east coast. A stroll along West Sands beach gives a unique perspective over this most beautiful and historic town. The beach was where the iconic scenes from 1981 Oscar winner Chariots of Fire were filmed.
South of Edinburgh close to the Pentland Hills is the village of Roslin, which is home to the stunning Rosslyn Chapel. The chapel was built in the 15th Century and belongs to the Earl and Countess of Rosslyn. and has been with the family since 1446. The chapel features heavily in the Dan Brown novel the Da Vinci Code, and also in the film adaption starring Tom Hanks.