Choosing one location to be the double of another is common in the film industry, and it is a tactic that has been particularly relevant to Scotland recently, with several films in production (including Brad Pitt's World War Z) in which Scottish towns appear disguised as somewhere else.

On other occasions, Scotland has been rejected as a location, even to play itself, as with new David Tennant release The Decoy Bride, for which scenes set in the Hebrides were filmed on the Isle of Man (though others were filmed in Glasgow).

Earlier this week, we asked if you knew, or could guess, which of the following films were made in Scotland, and which feature location doubles.

It's not too late to have a go at the quiz: click here for the questions

Or read on to uncover the stories behind the productions.

Brigadoon (1954)

Set in a mystical Scottish village, which two Americans stumble across while on a hunting trip, Brigadoon, starring Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse, was shot entirely in studios in Culver City California. Producer Arthur Freed did visit Scotland to see if it could be a suitable location, but concluded that the climate was too unpredictable.

Braveheart (1995)

Several scenes in this iconic Scottish film (starring Australian Mel Gibson) were shot at Glen Coe and Glen Nevis, at least reasonably near to where the historical events recounted took place. However, much of the filming also took place near Dublin in Ireland, a source of controversy at the time.

The King’s Speech (2010)

Key scenes in this Oscar-winning hit about the life of George VI are set at the royal family’s Scottish residence at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire. However, these were filmed in the ballroom of Knebworth House in Hertfordshire and at Wendover Woods in Buckinghamshire.

Water Horse (2007)



On the shore of a Scottish Loch during the Second World War, a lonely boy finds and hatches a mysterious egg that turns out to be a benevolent Loch Ness-style monster. Some of the filming for Water Horse took place at Ardkinglass in Argyll, but a large part was in New Zealand on Lake Wakatipu.

Doomsday (2008)

Set in a post-apocalyptic Scotland which has been quarantined because of a deadly virus, this science fiction thriller, starring Bob Hoskins and Adrian Lester, was filmed mostly in South Africa.

William and Kate the Movie (2010)



The made-for-television account of the royal couple’s romance was filmed entirely in California, though of course much of the action takes place in St Andrews. It was broadcast to audiences around the world at the time of the Royal Wedding last year.

Mary Queen of Scots (1971)



The historical drama, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson , was mostly filmed at Shepperton Studios in Surrey and at Alnwick and Bamburgh Castles in Northumberland, which both doubled for Holyrood Palace. A few scenes were filmed in the Scottish borders.

Whisky Galore (1949)

This classic film is based on the real-life adventures of a group of islanders who ‘salvaged’ thousands of bottles of whisky from a shipwreck during the Second World War. The events which inspired Compton MacKenzie’s novel and screenplay took place around Eriskay, with the movie made on the nearby island of Barra.

Local Hero (1983)

Things don’t go as expected when an American oil company sends a young representative to Scotland to buy a village on the proposed site of a refinery. Pennan in Aberdeenshire, appears as the village of Ferness, with beach scenes shot around Morar, Mallaig and Moidart.

Gorky Park (1983)

This Golden Globe nominated thriller about a detective investigating a triple homicide in Moscow’s Gorky Park was filmed partly in Finland and partly in Glasgow. The city’s architecture was a key reason for the choice and even a local bath house featured in one scene.

Stardust (2007)

An appropriately mystical setting for a magical movie, scenes from Stardust, which journeys between an old English village and the fantasy kingdom of Stormhold, were filmed at the Quiraing, a remarkable rock formation at Trotternish on the Isle of Skye which also featured in Breaking the Waves

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Scenes from many of the Harry Potter films are shot in Scotland, including at Rannoch Moor and in Glencoe, but the most iconic image is of the Hogwarts Express as it puffs over the Glenfinnan viaduct in the second of the blockbuster series.

Do you know of any other Scottish 'location doubles' stories? We would love to hear them if so. Use the comments facility below to let us know.