Oh valleys of shifting light and changing skies

The brooding horizons, misty glens and dramatic castles of Scotland make it a mecca for film crews shooting anything from historical dramas to Bond films and sci-fi adventures, finds Daniel Pembrey

- Daniel Pembrey

WE’VE all been at it—watching more television and films during the pandemic, that is. We shouldn’t feel guilty about this, as demand has helped to drive prodigious growth in quality content production, with British studio space set to more than double from some 3.4 million square feet today.

Studio space only tells half the story, however. Britain is blessed with extraordinary natural settings, authentic ‘props’, and sublimely rich storytelling heritage. Nowhere exemplifies these blessings better than Scotland. As well as memorably playing itself in scores of films, it has doubled as everywhere from New York to Jupiter.

Scottish landmarks can provide backdrops for an unusual range of productions. On the Isle of Skye, the Trotternish peninsula, with its otherworldly Old Man of Storr rock outcrop, has featured in both Shakespearean drama set in the 11th century (Macbeth with Michael Fassbender, 2015) and late-21stcentury sci-fi (Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, 2012). The changeability of light and atmosphere can lend endless variety—and the occasional production headache. Clifftop Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire was Elsinore in the 1990 film of Hamlet starring Mel Gibson. ‘Nice and eerie,’ he recalled. ‘The trouble is, the weather wasn’t. We came here for dark and angry weather; instead, we got Miami.’