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Filming in Stirling

Stirling for film buffs

  • Stirling is the place to discover the real story behind Braveheart (1995). Discover how fact differs from fiction at The National Wallace Monument. Although the film was not shot in Stirling Mel Gibson attended the European premiere at the macrobert, declaring: 'It feels great to be Scotland's hero for the day.'
  • Watch a film in Stirling's new multiplex cinema, the Vue. It opened in January 25th 2008 the town had five cinemas and the first cinema in Stirling opened in 1912.
  • A few miles from Stirling's city Doune Castle was the setting for much of 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' (1973), the TV comedy team's most famous excursion into film. Doune Castle also featured in the 1997 TV historical drama 'Ivanhoe' starring Christopher Lee.The film was shot on location in Scotland, particularly around Doune Castle, Glen Coe, and the privately owned Castle Stalker. The many castles seen throughout the film were either Doune Castle shot from different angles or cardboard models held up against the horizon.
  • The Bruce' (1996) starring Oliver Reed and Brian Blessed featured the largest filmed reconstruction of a medieval battle ever staged in the British Isles. Visit the real battlefield at Bannockburn and compare Robert the Bruce to the warrior king of the film.
  • Stirling Castle was planned as the backdrop to the film 'Tunes of Glory' (1960), an acting tour-de-force between John Mills and Alec Guinness. When the Army, who occupied the Castle at the time, discovered that the screenplay included madness and suicide, they refused permission and a cardboard replica of the Castle had to be built in Shepperton Studios.
  • Although 'The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby' (2005) is the story of Edinburgh's most famous dog, much of the location shooting was carried out in Stirling's Old Town Cemetery.
  • Stirling Castle stood in for Germany's most impregnable prisoner-of-war camp during the Second World War in the mid 1970s cult TV series 'Colditz'.
  • Norman McLaren (1914-87), the pioneer of animation and Canada's most honoured film maker attended Stirling High School, now a hotel, in Broad Street. Since 1995 the winner of the Palme d'Or for shorts at the Cannes Film Festival also receives the McLaren Award.
  • John Grierson (1898-1972) was a fellow pupil at Stirling High School. Recognised as 'father of the documentary' he helped to win Scotland an Oscar as producer of 'Seaward the Great Ships' (1961). He founded the National Film Board of Canada. Stirling University Library holds part of the Grierson archive and also the archive of film director Lindsay Anderson whose groundbreaking films included 'This Sporting Life' (1963) and 'If'' (1968).
  • Buy a DVD of the ultimate weepie 'Brief Encounter'.(1945) as a souvenir of your visit. Stirling-born Muir Mathieson conducted the soundtrack. His 600+ scores and arrangements included Laurence Olivier's 'Henry V' (1944) and Noel Coward's 'This Happy Breed', 1944.
  • The macrobert also plays host to all the latest releases and prides itself on its full cinema programme that is designed to suit all ages and tastes.

For information regarding locations and filming in the Stirling area, all enquiries should be made to Stirling Council's Events & Film Liaison Executive on 01786 442535 or email us