Scotland’s top film locations: Auris at the Movies

World War Z Glasgow

We’re celebrating the Toyota Auris’s sponsorship of ITV Movies with our own journey to take the car to some of the UK’s top film locations. Having completed our trip across London, we headed north of the border to Scotland for the second part of our tour.

Thankfully, the relaxed character and comfortable seats of the Auris Hybrid Touring Sports made light work of the 400-mile-plus slog up the M6. Read on to see where we ended up.

If you’re a keen snapper, take note of the ‘Getting the shot’ tips by our photographer GF Williams, and if you’re a real film buff, guess the film just using the image!

Skyfall Glen Etive

Location six: Glen Etive, Scottish Highlands. Nearest postcode: PH49 4HY

Movies filmed here: Skyfall

Made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series, Skyfall is a true blockbuster: it is the highest-grossing film in the 007 series, the highest-grossing film ever in the UK and the eighth-highest-grossing film of all time globally. On top of that, it was critically acclaimed, not least for the final act, which takes place at Bond’s childhood home in the Highlands.

The Skyfall Lodge used in the film was actually a set built at Hankley Common in Surrey, but Glencoe and Glen Etive were used for several parts of the driving section. As well as collecting some stunning shots of the Auris, we tried to recreate a famous moment from the film – let us know what you think of our efforts.

Getting the shot: “Shooting in the Highlands was more interesting than London, as the scenery is amazing and it gives you lots of options. I was shooting into the sun, so I set the exposure manually to get the car properly exposed. I used a 1/60 sec shutter speed to get a sense of movement in the car and follow the front of the car with the camera, and chose the position as the sun was perfectly positioned above the hill opposite. There was no editing on this photo, so I was really pleased with the result.

Skyfall Glen Etive

“It took us quite a while to find the right spot to re-create the Skyfall image, but I think we came pretty close. It was a challenge to find exactly the right spot, and we aimed to recreate the photo of Bond and M standing next to the Aston Martin DB5. We used a tripod and timer to get us both in the frame.”

Harry Potter Glenfinnan Viaduct

Location seven: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scottish Highlands, PH37 4LT

Movies filmed here: Harry Potter series

Completed in 1898, the Glenfinnan Viaduct created a key link between Fort William and Mallaig. The curved 21-arch viaduct  is 30 metres tall and so offers great views of Loch Shiel and the surrounding area, particularly from the Jacobite steam train which continues to run during the summer.

The Jacobite stands in as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter film series, and is seen crossing the viaduct on multiple occasions. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the Ford Anglia Harry and Ron drive actually lands on the viaduct.

Getting the shot: “We didn’t expect to be able to get so close to the viaduct. We drove underneath it and it was only when we looked back that we realised what a great spot we were it – it was wow moment!

“We were trying to get as much of the viaduct in as possible, while still showing the car. I got another long shot from up in the hills, but ruined my shoes by doing it.”

(Look out for more images from our tour on the Toyota UK Facebook page)

Glasgow world war z toyota auris

Location eight: Queen Street and Cochrane Street, Glasgow city centre, G1

Movies filmed here: World War Z

Getting the shot: “We tried shooting in Glasgow during the day, but the street was too busy and the images just didn’t look very nice. We returned at about 10pm for a night shoot, and luckily a lot of the buildings are well-lit. There aren’t as many parked cars either; just the occasional car passing by, which we used to our advantage to add streaks of light through the photos.

“This shot was a combination of three photos all shot on tripod with a two-second exposure – one photo without passing cars, the others with, and I combined them in Photoshop so the left and right of the frame have light streak while the car is nice and clean. I used the same method for the other Glasgow shots, but the side profile shot is my favourite.”

Our third installment in the Auris at the Movies tour will be published soon. You can read the first part here.

World War Z Cochrane Street

See also:
Toyota Auris set for UK movie tour
London’s top film locations: Auris at the Movies
Northern England’s top film locations: Auris at the Movies
Southern England’s top film locations: Auris at the Movies

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