Stirling loves the camera, and it seems the camera loves Stirling.
Just last week Alan Cumming and Brian Cox visited the village of Gartmore to film scenes for their upcoming movie, Glenrothan.
And with plans to create one of Scotland’s biggest film studios on the former MoD land at Forthside, it looks like the area’s love affair with the big screen is set to continue for a long time yet.
We’ve rounded up 15 occasions where Stirling and Stirlingshire were in the film and TV spotlight.
Lockerbie (Sky and BBC)
A new five-part Sky series starring Colin Firth and Catherine McCormack used the former MOD Forthside site destined for Stirling Studios.
Based on the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, the series follows Dr Jim Swire seeking justice for his daughter who was a victim of the attack.
Meanwhile a six-part BBC series of the same name used Stirling University’s Pathfoot building as the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
It will be about the Scots-US investigation, as well as the impact on the Dumfries and Galloway town.
Good Omens (Amazon Prime)
Amazon Prime’s Good Omens put Stirling in the spotlight in 2021.
The series stars Michael Sheen as angel Aziraphale and David Tennant as demon Crowley as they try to stop the Antichrist from coming.
Filming took place at Stirling Castle, Broad Street and at the Old Town Cemetery.
Cold Water (ITV)
An ITV thriller took over a Callander pub this summer.
Six-parter Cold Water spent two days filming at The Lade Inn, in Kilmahog.
The series features Walking Dead actor Andrew Lincoln in the role of a stay-at-home-dad who moves to the fictional Scottish village of Coldwater and falls under the influence of somebody dangerous.
Braveheart (1995)
This Oscar-winning blockbuster, directed by and starring Mel Gibson, is something of an outlier in the list.
Telling the story of William Wallace during the Wars of Independence, the film featured plenty of scenes set in Stirling – but none were actually filmed there.
Glen Coe and Loch Leven were used as backdrops instead, as well as parts of Ireland.
However, the premier was held in the then-town – and Gibson told recently how he was “astounded” at how many people turned out for the film’s launch.
Outlaw King (2018)
Depicting Robert the Bruce as he is forced into exile and must reclaim the throne, Outlaw King is one of the many historical films that used Stirlingshire as a setting.
Once again, Doune Castle featured, this time as Douglas Castle and church.
Mugdock Country Park, near Milngavie, and east Loch Lomond were also included in the historical drama.
Mary & George (Sky)
Mary & George, led by Julianne Moore, Tony Curran and Nicholas Galitzine, tells the tale of the Countess of Buckingham who makes her son seduce King James I for power.
Some scenes from episode four of the Sky drama, including the great banquet, were filmed at Stirling Castle, despite being set in Edinburgh.
Doune Castle was also used as the abandoned castle later in the same episode.
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Doune Castle also had a starring role in the Game of Thrones pilot.
Based on the novel series by George R. R. Martin, the series depicts noble families waging war to win the throne and control of Westeros.
It was used as Winterfell, home of the Starks, before being replaced by Castle Ward in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
Elizabeth: The Golden Age stars Cate Blanchett as the monarch late in her reign, dealing with an assassination plot, the Spanish Armada, and more.
While the film was primarily shot in England, two Scottish locations were used – Doune Castle and Eilean Donan Castle in the Highlands.
Outlander (Starz)
Perhaps one of the most well known TV shows to film in Stirlingshire is Outlander.
The historical drama is about a nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously transported back to 1743 and finds herself in the midst of the Jacobite uprising.
Stirling University was used in the filming, with the Pathfoot Building being used as Inverness College and Airthrey Castle also featuring.
Doune Castle was used as Castle Leoch and nearby Deanston Distillery was turned into a wine warehouse for season two.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Classic comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail was famously filmed in Scotland.
The 1975 film parodied the legend of King Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail and shot many films around Doune Castle, used as Guy de Loimbard’s castle.
Locals took on the roles of peasants, knights and soldiers, with many reminiscing in an interview with The Courier earlier this year.
Arnhall Castle, Sheriffmuir and Bracklinn Falls were also used as backdrops.
The Cave of Caerbannog was a cave near Killin, outside the Tomnadashan mine.
What We Did On Our Holiday (2014)
This comedy film, featuring David Tennant and Billy Connolly, is about a family celebrating their grandfather’s birthday in rural Scotland.
Finnich Cottages, near Drymen, is where the “Highland” mansion was located.
They also filmed at Doune, Callander and Loch Katrine.
It was also lights, cameras, action for Blair Drummond Safari Park’s ostriches.
Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
Saoirse Ronan played Mary Queen of Scots, with Margot Robbie as her cousin Elizabeth I, in the 2018 film about the doomed royal’s life.
Stirling Castle was used as a filming location and was also where Mary spent the first five years of her life.
Burke and Hare (2010)
Telling the story of the infamous 19th century murderers – played by Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis – who provide cadavers for an Edinburgh medical school, this 2010 film was set in the Scottish capital.
Although Auld Reekie was used primarily, Stirling Castle was used as a backdrop for the city in many scenes.
The Angel’s Share (2012)
The Angel’s Share, set in Glasgow, follows a group of young offenders doing community service and how they find hope from whisky.
But was Deanston Distillery, on the River Teith, that provided the set for the movie’s fictional distillery.
Susan Hill’s Ghost Story (2019)
Susan Hill is best known for her novel The Woman In Black, which has been successfully adapted into a film twice, as well as becoming one of the longest-running stage plays in history.
But it was another of Hill’s novels, The Small Hand, that got the film treatment in 2019.
Starring Shetland star Douglas Henshall, the story follows a man haunted by the ghost of a young boy.
Bannockburn House and estate were used as the setting for the Channel 5 production.
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