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Movies About Scotland to Watch Before You Go
Coming up in this guide: briefcased Americans, an outlaw king, laughing at Limmy, a load of Scottish clichés, some scenic inspiration, and 20+ movies about Scotland to watch before you go.
You’re about to visit Scotland.
… and, presumably (because you’ve clicked on this guide), you want to learn more about the place. But instead of reading a book like a normal intelligent person, you want to stare at a screen instead.
Well, I’m not here to judge you. I’m just here to help you.
So in this guide, I’ve brought you 22 movies, along with a bunch of TV shows and documentaries. Some teach you about Scotland, some are set in Scotland, others are simply shot in Scotland. Some are a combination of all three.
Grab some popcorn and come join the party!
Scottish Movies*
*or as we call them in the UK, ‘Scottish films.’
Braveheart
The old classic.
Nearly 30 years after this film was made, people still think it’s hilarious to come to Scotland and shout the movie’s most iconic line (‘FREEEEDOMMMMM’) when they’re strolling around Edinburgh or whatever.
Directed by Mel Gibson and starring Mel Gibson, this one is about Scottish warrior William Wallace*, who fought against British rule in Scotland (back in the 13th century).
It won five Academy Awards.
William Wallace is a Scottish icon, literally one of the most famous Scots of all time. To learn more, here’s our guide to Stirling’s William Wallace Monument.
Trainspotting
My favorite Scottish film (and just one of my favorite films in general), though it’s probably not the best representation of the place.
Based around the lives of a bunch of heroin addicts (and their friends), it’s an insight into the poverty-stricken northern UK of the 1980s (though it was made in 1996).
Expect loads of swearing, loads of horrid scenes, and being completely unable to understand what anyone is saying. Back in its day, this one was super controversial.
The movie is based on a much-better-than-the-film book of the same name, by Irvine Welsh (my favorite writer in the world). But it’s written in Scottish dialect, so most people can’t decipher it. Be patient though: it’s worth the hassle.
Trainspotting 2
Nowhere near as good as the first film, but still worth a watch.
Trainspotting 2 (also known as ‘T2 Trainspotting’) is also based on an Irvine Welsh book.
It features the same characters, but years later.
Not as dark as the first film, and not as weird. And there’s not so much heroin in it.
Brave
This one doesn’t feature any actual footage of Scotland. Cos it’s a cartoon.
A 2012 Pixar movie, it’s all about a Scottish princess, and its title is inspired by Braveheart (although I probably didn’t need to explain that, did I?).
The scenery looks really similar to lots of *actual* Scottish scenery, and the princess is ginger. Obviously.
Good to watch with kids. Or good to watch alone if you behave like one.
Skyfall
One of the most famous Bond movies, 2012’s Skyfall was partially set and shot in Scotland, and it explores Bond’s childhood (according to this movie, he was brought up in the Scottish Highlands).
The film features Daniel Craig, loads of action, and loads of Scottish landscapes.
Rob Roy
More Scottish history.
Another Scottish movie about another Scottish hero, 1995’s Rob Roy is about the Scottish outlaw of the same name, who was famous for herding cattle and robbing his enemies.
… he was sort of like a Scottish Robin Hood, and he lived from 1671 to 1734.
It stars Liam Neeson and John Hurt, the whole film is shot in Scotland, and it features loads of Highland landscapes. Some of the shooting sites were so remote that the crew had to reach them by helicopter.
For more on Rob Roy, here’s our massive guide to the massive Rob Roy Way (a long-distance hiking trail running between two national parks, it usually takes around a week to complete).
Sunshine on Leith
Shoreside Leith is currently the hippest part of Edinburgh.
This 2013 film is named after a song (also called ‘Sunshine on Leith’) which is in turn named after the area.
A musical film, this one is based on the lives of the Proclaimers, the twin-brother band who wrote the song.
The movie is all about friendship, identity, what it is to be Scottish, and what it is to live in Scotland. A fun film.
Whisky Galore!
A 1949 Scottish comedy, Whisky Galore! is a bit daft and dated now.
… but if you like old movies (it’s an Ealing classic), you might be a fan.
Based on a book that was based on a true story, it’s set on a fictional Scottish island:
A ship carrying whisky runs aground on the island… and because the place has run out of whisky (cos of wartime rationing), the islanders plan how to steal the stuff.
Highlander
Featuring Sean Connery (who is actually Scottish), 1986’s Highlander was the first film in the franchise.*
*No, I’m not gonna list each one of the movies here—that would bore us both.
The film is about an ancient sort-of-immortal Scottish swordsman, who lives in modern-day New York City.
A weird cult action fantasy film, it’s very fun, very 80s, and it has a catchy soundtrack.
Local Hero
Another cult classic, this 1983 movie is a cute little charm-fest of a film.
It’s about an American oil-based businessman, who is sent to a west-coast Scottish town. He’s there to buy the place (and the surrounding area) to build a refinery. But, inevitably, he grows to love the town’s residents, and the quiet and cozy way of life.
Coincidentally, this movie has a connection to where I’m from (Newcastle, in northern England):
The closing song from the soundtrack is called ‘Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero’ (and was written by Mark Knopfler, of the Dire Straits, who is also from Newcastle)…
… and this song is played at the start of every Newcastle United football (soccer) game, as the players enter the field. The soundtrack to my childhood.
Loch Ness
Loch Ness is named after the (obviously very fictional) monster of the same name.
This 1996 flick features Ted Danson, who stars as a cynical zoologist. He’s tasked with disproving the existence of the Loch Ness Monster…
… but, just like the American businessman in Local Hero, he falls in love with the slower Scottish pace of life.
And, inevitably, his cold American heart is filled with the warmth of the quaint Scottish people. Is he actually searching for a monster? Or is he really just searching for himself? (lol).
Much of this one was actually shot in and around Loch Ness. A good way to see the place before you visit. And a cute little family drama film.
For more on Loch Ness (and the Loch Ness monster), here are 21 strange and fascinating facts about Loch Ness.
The Harry Potter movies
As you probably already know, some parts of some of the Harry Potter movies were shot in some parts of Scotland.
Famous Scottish sights from the Harry Potter movies include:
- The Glenfinnan Viaduct: you know that super-scenic part of the train journey to Hogwarts, where the train rides over a sort-of-bridge? Well, that’s the Glenfinnan Viaduct, and it sits west of Fort William. You can even ride a Potter-themed train over it!
- Loch Shiel: one of the most scenic lochs in Scotland, this was (sometimes) used as the setting for the Black Lake.
- Glencoe: one of the prettiest hiking hubs in Scotland, Glencoe has been featured in loads of Harry Potter movies. You’ll probably recognize it best for being the home of Hagrid’s hut in the Prisoner of Azkaban.
For much more detail, here’s our guide to 12 mysterious Scottish Harry Potter locations you should visit.
Mary Queen of Scots
This 2018 movie features Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie.
It’s about Mary Queen of Scots, and her rivalry with her cousin Queen Elizabeth I (at the time, they were the respective queens of Scotland and England).
In case you don’t know, Mary Queen of Scots:
- Became queen when she was only 6 days old
- Was imprisoned by her cousin Elizabeth I, for 19 years
- Was killed by being beheaded (for being involved in a plot to kill her cousin)
Comfort and Joy
Written and directed by Bill Forsyth (the same man who wrote and directed Local Hero), 1984’s Comfort and Joy is a Scottish Christmas film.
Plot points include ice cream sellers, radio DJing, raspberry sauce, and a kleptomaniac girlfriend. It was largely shot in Glasgow.
Again, the soundtrack was written by Mark Knopfler.
Gregory’s Girl
Another film written and directed by the legendary Bill Forsyth (and the first of them, released in 1981), Gregory’s Girl is routinely nominated as one of the best British films of all time.
One of those clichéd coming-of-age dramas (but better than most), think Breakfast Club, but in a Scottish town close to Glasgow.
If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to be a Scottish teenager, Gregory’s Girl is for you.
Edie
For Scottish Highlands landscapes, this is one of the best films on our list.
Featuring Sheila Hancock, the 2019 movie is about an older woman whose abusive husband has recently died.
… and after his death, she decides to climb the iconic lumpy Suilven, one of the most notoriously hard-to-reach summits in Scotland (because of its remote location; not so much because of its height).
A movie about hope, regret, aging, and lost dreams, it was shot on-site in northwest Scotland. Heartwarming and beautifully shot, it’s probably gonna make you cry.
For more Scottish mountains, here are our 15 favorite hikes in Scotland.
NEDS
The title of ‘NEDS’ stands for ‘Non-Educated Delinquents’…
… and it’s a real-life acronym Scottish people once used (and sometimes still use) to describe hooligans or lower-class people.
Set in 1970s Glasgow, it was filmed in 2010, and it’s a gritty social-commentary movie. Sort of a more-modern version of Trainspotting.
You won’t see many pretty landscapes, but you will learn about Scotland’s working-class roots (and the poverty that once pervaded the place).
Shallow Grave
Featuring Ewan McGregor (just like both Trainspotting movies), Shallow Grave is a weird dark comedy crime film.
Released in 1994, it was directed by Danny Boyle…
… who also directed the Trainspotting movies…
… and who later became much more famous for working on movies like The Beach, 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire, and 127 Hours.
It’s set in Edinburgh but mainly shot in Glasgow.
Shallow Grave is about three flatmates who acquire a new flatmate. This flatmate dies, leaving behind a large suitcase full of money. The other three flatmates keep the money, they dismember him, and they bury the body. Chaos ensues.
Under The Skin
2013’s Under The Skin is the weirdest movie on our list.
It features Scarlett Johansson as a weird sort-of-alien lifeform who travels around Scotland, picking up men from streets and nightclubs, then making them sort of dissolve into liquid. That’s the best description I could come up with.
Most of the movie’s other characters are played by non-actors, and lots of the movie was filmed with hidden cameras.
One of the oddest films you’ve ever seen… with one of the best soundtracks you’ve ever heard.
It’s not really about Scotland. But it’s brilliant. And there are lots of Scottish accents in it. So you should watch it.
The Wicker Man
There are actually TWO Wicker Man movies:
- The first is from 1973
- The second (starring Nicolas Cage, famously with a face full of bees), is a 2006 remake of the original
Both are horror movies. But while the first is set on an isolated Scottish island (with cultish inhabitants), the remake is set in the USA.
Skip the remake, watch the original, and enjoy plot points like human sacrifice, heathen pagans, a missing girl, and a man being set on fire in a big wicker statue. A very odd cult classic horror movie, and still considered one of the spookiest British films of all time.
The Illusionist
A French-British animated film.
2010’s The Illusionist (not to be confused with the 2006 not-animated movie of the same name) was based on an unproduced script written by the legendary Jacques Tati (back in the 1960s).
The animation makes the movie look like a moving watercolor painting, the plot is about a jaded failing magician who visits Scotland, and it premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival.
Outlaw King
2018’s Outlaw King is another Scottish history movie about another Scottish historical legend.
It features Chris Pine as the 14th-century Scottish king Robert The Bruce (and, again, is about the Scottish wars of independence).
Expect lots of battles, lots of blood, and lots of historical inaccuracies.
Scottish TV Shows
Outlander
8 season. Loads of people love Outlander.
As you probably already know, it’s about a WW2 military nurse who travels back in time, to the period of the Jacobite uprising (when Scottish people were fighting against their British rulers).
You’ve probably already heard of it…
… and maybe you already like it.
If you do, here’s some good news:
Currently, Scottish tourism is cashing in on the popularity of Outlander, so you can take LOADS of Outlander-based tours around the nation:
On the tours, you’ll visit some of the most well-known places from the show… including castles, villages, mountain ranges, and Cranesmuir itself (to be clear though: Cranesmuir isn’t an *actual* village. The Cranesmuir scenes are usually shot in the *real* village of Culross, between Stirling and Edinburgh).
Monarch of the Glen
When most (non-Scottish) people think of Scotland, they think cute, cozy and quaint.
This tame but wholesome TV drama (shot between 2000 and 2005) is like someone took those three words and made them into a TV show. It’s based in the Highlands, and it features lots of grand buildings. Sort of like Downton Abbey vibes, if you know what I mean.
If you like gentle dramas, you’ll love it. If you don’t, you won’t.
Limmy’s Show
One of my favorite comedy shows of all time, Limmy’s Show won’t teach you anything at all about Scotland.
But it will make you laugh.
… and it will make you realize how difficult it is to understand the Scottish accent (or in this particular case, the Glasgow accent).
It’s bizarre, it’s surreal, and it’s sometimes surprisingly tragic.
If you like weird stuff, you’ll love it. If you don’t, you won’t.
Here’s one of my favorite sketches (sorry about the swearing):
Taggart
One of the UK’s longest-running dramas of all time, this crime drama ran from 1983 to 2010, and it was mainly based in Glasgow.
… with over 100 episodes, it was partially responsible for inspiring millions of other very-similar British crime dramas. Cos these days, it feels like 80% of British TV is just gruff and depressed British people investigating crimes.
Gritty, brutal, and dark, it was once one of the UK’s most-watched shows.
And if you’ve ever heard anyone say “there’s been a murder” in a Scottish accent, this is what they were referencing.
Still Game
Another Scottish comedy, Still Game is a BIG favorite in Scotland…
… and it ran from 2002 to 2019.
Based around the lives of two retired Glasgow men, it follows them as they struggle to negotiate the modern world (and as the modern world struggles to negotiate them).
It’s an old-school sitcom, and some of it’s a bit dated… but it’s good for easy laughs.
The two main characters originally appeared in Chewin’ The Fat, another Scottish comedy which ran from 1999 to 2005 (yep, Scottish people love comedy).
Rab C Nesbitt
Yet another Scottish comedy, I have vague memories of this one from when I was a kid.
If you thought Limmy’s Show was hard to understand, this one’ll make your brain explode.
Rab C Nesbitt is based around the main character of the same name. He’s a jobless alcoholic Glaswegian, and the show ran from 1988 to 2014.
For many people, this is THE Scottish comedy to watch… but it’s pretty dated now.
Shetland
Remember when I said Taggart inspired loads of crime dramas? Well, this is one of them.
Based (as you probably worked out for yourself) in the Shetland Islands, the show started in 2013, and it’s still running now.
Good for modern crime, island scenery, and feeling depressed. It’s won lots of awards.
Documentaries about Scotland
Scotland: 1,000 years of history
More Scottish history, but this time in the form of a documentary.
Clocking in at 90 minutes, this one has a Scottish narrator, and covers history from around the year 1,000, to the year 2020.
It covers kings, queens, engineering, science, languages, Scottish pride, the Industrial Revolution, and loads of pretty landscapes.
If you want to get knee-deep in Scottish history, you’ll love it.
The Incredible Scottish Highlands: Our World
People think I’m exaggerating when I say Scotland is possibly the prettiest place I’ve ever seen.
But I’m not.
… and this documentary will show you why.
It’s 4 hours of beautiful cinematography, featuring animals, mountains, beaches, islands, villages, national parks, and loads more. One of the prettiest nature documentaries you’ve ever seen, and narrated by Ewan McGregor (yep, that guy keeps popping up here).
Scotland’s Game
Sadly, I couldn’t find all of this on YouTube. Soz.
(But I’m sure you’ll be able to find it if you try hard enough).
Four episodes all about football (and when I say ‘football,’ I obviously mean ‘soccer’), 2016’s Scotland’s Game features Scottish players, Scottish clubs, Scottish fans, and Scottish managers.
It charts the rise, fall, and re-rise of the Scottish game, and considers how the nation’s social changes impacted its football scene. Massively recommended for fans of sport and social commentary.
(… and not recommended for anyone else)
Before You Go
Okay everyone, that’s us done here!
To recap: my favorite Scottish film is Trainspotting, and my favorite Scottish TV show is Limmy’s Show.
Be prepared to need subtitles for both.
But if you want to learn about Scottish history, you should probably watch boring ol’ Braveheart or Rob Roy instead.
(…. or to really learn something, watch one of the documentaries we mentioned).
For more trivial Scottish stuff, get yourself over to our guides on:
Thanks for reading, thanks for choosing Travelness, and enjoy staring at your screen. See ya!
Paul is a handsome and hilarious travel writer and travel journalist from the UK. He’s hiked, hitchhiked and laughed his way through more than fifty countries, and he’s always looking for a new place to call home. Originally from Newcastle, he’s lived all over the UK, spent more than three years in Asia, and most recently lived in Vietnam and then in Georgia.
