Edinburgh residents will remember the buzz and excitement back when the cast and crew of the highly anticipated Avengers: Infinity War took over the city when they began filming early last year.
Of course this is not the only major film release to feature the historic city of Edinburgh. In fact, Edinburgh’s landmarks have provided the backdrops for Hollywood’s finest from as early as 1935. It is, therefore, no surprise that there are a number of guided tours on offer for film fans to sink their teeth into throughout the city.
From the peak of Arthurs Seat, all the way out to the Forth Rail Bridge, movie buffs will recognise a number of locations from their favourite movies. Whether its small scenes from Tom Hanks movies, The Da Vinci Code and Cloud Atlas, or Kate Winslet’s Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, or the city in which the story is set, like Anne Hathaway’s romantic drama One Day, film fans will not be disappointed when travelling through the city.
The movie One Day, for example, sees “will they, wont they” couple Dex and Emma, played by Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, meet up in various locations including the Royal Mile, Arthurs Seat and Moray Place. These areas alone can also be seen in Trainspotting 2, Chariots of Fire, The Illusionist and Filth to name but a few. In fact, just by walking through Princes Street or the Grassmarket you are likely to see a number of film spots, be it the Scott Monument, Edinburgh castle or simply the road Ewan McGregor ran down in Trainspotting.
While not filmed in Edinburgh, the Harry Potter franchise owes the capital a great deal in terms of inspiration for its various magical settings. This is no doubt the result of J.K. Rowling’s time spent writing the early editions of the books, on which the films are based, within the city. As a result, there is plenty of hotspots for Potter fans to explore and a number of themed shops for them to peruse memorabilia and merchandise from their favourite franchise.
The trend of filmmakers using Scottish landmarks to tell their stories is far from over. With blockbusters, Mary Queen of Scots and Robert the Bruce, due to release by the end of 2019, it is likely Edinburgh will make yet another appearance on the big screen before long.
If you are interested in learning more about Edinburgh and its Hollywood connections, why not grab some friends and go on a guided tour? Those looking for a something different may be interested in the new Movie Tour by Silent Disco Tours launching in June.
