Edinburgh looks like a ready-made film set. Volcano top castle, closes and wynds that swallow the light, Georgian terraces that seem too perfect to be real.
It is no surprise that some of the best films set in Edinburgh span everything from scruffy cult classics to polished Netflix epics.
If you are planning a visit, building a film themed campaign, or just hunting for your next watch, this guide pulls together 20 essential Edinburgh movies that show the city at its rawest, prettiest and strangest.
Right after this intro you will find a simple clickable contents section so you can jump straight to any film on the list. That structure helps users get to what they want quickly, and it quietly boosts on page SEO and time on page at the same time.
Trainspotting (1996)
To omit Trainspotting from a list of Edinburgh cinema is to ignore the cultural meteorite that smashed into the Scottish capital in the mid-90s.
Directed by Danny Boyle and based on Irvine Welsh’s seminal novel, this film didn’t just capture a subculture; it defined a generation of British filmmaking.
Watch the iconic Trainspotting trailer from 1996 below.
While the narrative ostensibly follows Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) and his circle of “associates”—including the sweet-natured Spud, the treacherous Sick Boy, and the terrifying Begbie—as they navigate the void of heroin addiction, the film is far more than a bleak social drama.
It is a kinetic, surreal, and often hilarious assault on the senses.
Boyle injects the grim reality of Leith’s housing schemes with a hallucinogenic energy, utilising a Britpop-heavy soundtrack and visual flair that transformed the mundane into the mythological.
The Tale of Two Cities
The film is famous for a geographic sleight of hand: due to budget constraints and logistical ease, the vast majority of the movie was actually filmed in an abandoned cigarette factory in Glasgow.
However, the soul of the movie remains undeniably tied to Edinburgh.
The contrast between the city’s “chocolate box” architecture—the castle, the festivals, the tourism—and the characters’ squalid reality creates a powerful friction.
This is most evident in the film’s legendary opening sequence. As Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” thunders in the background, Renton and Spud sprint frantically down Princes Street, taking a sharp turn onto Calton Road and under the Regent Bridge.
It is here, against the backdrop of the polite, historic city, that Renton delivers the iconic “Choose Life” monologue.
It remains one of the most effective uses of location in cinema history, grounding the story in Edinburgh’s pavement before the film retreats into the interiors shot in Glasgow.
“Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family… Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life.”
Production Trivia: The “Chocolate” Toilet
Despite the film’s gritty realism, movie magic was in full effect during the infamous “Worst Toilet in Scotland” scene.
While it looks absolutely vile on screen—depicting Renton diving into a filth-encrusted toilet bowl to retrieve opium suppositories—the “feces” that covered the set were actually delicious.
The production design team coated the bathroom in brown chocolate sauce, meaning the set smelled incredibly sweet rather than repulsive during the shoot.
T2 Trainspotting (2017)
Twenty years after the original cultural phenomenon, the gang returns to the scene of the crime. Directed again by Danny Boyle, T2 Trainspotting finds Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) returning from Amsterdam to make amends—or perhaps just to witness the wreckage he left behind.
If the first film was a sprint, this one is a marathon—literally and metaphorically.
Renton is no longer running from the law on Princes Street; he is running on a treadmill in a gym, going nowhere. When he arrives back in Edinburgh, he finds a city that has gentrified around his stagnant friends.
You can watch the T2 Trainspotting trailer below on Youtube.
The film leans heavily into “spatial nostalgia,” revisiting iconic spots but framing them through the lens of middle-aged regret.
A Gentrified Backdrop
Unlike the original, which was largely filmed in Glasgow, T2 embraces Edinburgh’s geography with far more confidence.
The visual contrast is striking: you see the gleaming glass of the Scottish Parliament and the upscale dining of Harvey Nichols clashing against the crumbling housing schemes that still trap Spud and Begbie.
Key sequences showcase the city’s vertical drama. The chase scene is no longer a flat sprint but a chaotic tumble through the Old Town’s winding streets, specifically Cockburn Street and the Grassmarket, culminating in a breathless hideout in a multi-story car park near Castle Terrace.
Perhaps the most poignant visual is Renton and Spud jogging up Arthur’s Seat.
It serves as a direct callback to their youth, but instead of the frantic energy of addiction, we see the laboured breathing of men trying to outrun their pasts against a panoramic view of a city that has moved on without them.
“You’re a tourist in your own youth.” — Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller)
The “1690” Improvisation
One of the film’s most tense and hilarious set-pieces takes place in a fiercely loyalist social club, where Renton and Sick Boy get caught stealing credit cards. To escape a beating, they are forced to improvise a song on stage.
While the scene is a masterclass in awkward comedy, the punchline is in the details: the pair successfully guess the PIN number for every single stolen card is 1690—the date of the Battle of the Boyne.
It is a biting satirical jab at sectarian obsession, suggesting that while the world progresses, some hatreds remain laughably predictable.
Shallow Grave (1994)
Danny Boyle’s directorial debut is a lean, mean, black-as-pitch thriller that immediately cemented his hyper-stylised aesthetic and established his creative partnership with writer John Hodge and star Ewan McGregor.
Check out the Shallow Grave trailer below:
Unlike Trainspotting‘s focus on the city’s underbelly, Shallow Grave critiques the opposite end of the social scale: the smug, upwardly mobile professionals who share a luxurious flat in the prestigious New Town.
The story follows three friends—a doctor, an accountant, and a journalist—who find their new flatmate dead with a suitcase full of cash.
Their decision to dismember the body and keep the money sets off a spiral of greed and paranoia within the claustrophobic confines of their beautiful apartment.
Aspiration as Agony The film weaponizes Edinburgh’s affluent architectural perfection. The spacious, high-ceilinged flat in North East Circus Place is not a comfortable home but a prison, its stark white walls reflecting the trio’s cold, nihilistic ambition.
The initial high-speed drive through St Vincent Street and across the New Town grid establishes the world of sharp lawyers and educated cynicism, making the ensuing descent into savagery all the more chilling.
It perfectly captures the late 20th-century Edinburgh of high-achievers whose biggest fear is sharing their tiny budget.
“We were happy. We had everything we wanted. We had a great flat, great jobs… we had each other. Until the fourth person came.”
The Glasgow Double: A £150k Plot Twist
While the film is emphatically set in Edinburgh—the characters work there, the exteriors are shot in the New Town, and the central themes speak to the city’s professional culture—the production was forced to get creative with its interiors.
Due to the tight budget and a crucial £150,000 grant, Shallow Grave filmed almost all of its interiors and much of its action (including the infamous grave digging and car sinking) across the central belt in Glasgow.
The iconic, spacious flat interior was a meticulously built set in a warehouse.
This cross-city deception highlights how effectively the atmosphere and exterior locations of Edinburgh’s Georgian elegance can define the tone of an entire film, regardless of where the hacking and screaming actually took place.
Filth (2013)
If Trainspotting is an ensemble piece about a group of friends surviving the system, Filth is a claustrophobic deep dive into the collapsing mind of a single man who is the system.
Directed by Jon S. Baird and adapted from another Irvine Welsh novel, the film stars James McAvoy in a career-defining performance as Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson—a misanthropic, bigoted, and corrupt officer aiming for a promotion he is mentally unfit to handle.
Watch the trailer for filth below.
The film captures a specific, manic frequency of Edinburgh that few other movies touch. Set during the Christmas season, the cinematography juxtaposes the twinkling festive lights of George Street and the grandeur of the New Town against the internal rot of Robertson’s psyche.
While tourists might recognise the cobblestones of the Grassmarket or the looming silhouette of the Castle, Filth distorts them through a fish-eye lens of paranoia and substance abuse.
Edinburgh’s Anti-Travelogue
This is arguably the ultimate “anti-travelogue.”
The film refuses to romance the city. Instead, it focuses on the feral, late-night energy of Edinburgh’s shadowy corners—the grim stairwells of council blocks, the fluorescent harshness of police stations, and the dimly lit pubs where Robertson plots against his colleagues.
The following Youtube video is an interview with Irvine Welsh where he discusses the original novel.
It captures the “fur coat and no knickers” dichotomy often attributed to the city: a respectable, wealthy exterior hiding a chaotic, unhinged underbelly.
“The games are always, repeat always, being played.” — Bruce Robertson
Musical Hallucinations: The Starsky & Hutch Connection
The film is renowned for its surreal, hallucinogenic sequences as Bruce’s mental state deteriorates. In one of the strangest and most memorable breaks from reality, Bruce hallucinates a musical number featuring his wife.
The scene features an unexpected cameo by David Soul, one half of the iconic 70s duo Starsky & Hutch. Soul appears as a chauffeur, lip-syncing to his own 1977 hit single “Silver Lady.”
It is a bizarre, meta-casting choice that perfectly encapsulates the film’s fever-dream tone—blending 70s nostalgia, cheesy pop culture, and menacing psychological breakdown in a way that only an Irvine Welsh story could.
Sunshine on Leith (2013)
After the heroin addiction of Trainspotting and the psychological corruption of Filth, watching Sunshine on Leith feels like opening a window to let fresh air into a smoke-filled room.
Directed by Dexter Fletcher, this adaptation of the hit stage musical weaves the songs of The Proclaimers into a heartfelt narrative about two soldiers, Davy and Ally, returning from Afghanistan to civilian life in Edinburgh.
The following trailer for Sunshine of Leith starts with one of the scenes from the movie.
While the title refers to the port district of Leith—previously cemented in the cinematic consciousness as a haven for drug abuse—this film reimagines it as a place of romance and community.
The cinematography is unabashedly beautiful, bathing the city in a golden, magic-hour glow that defies Scotland’s reputation for grey skies.
A Visual Love Letter to Leith
This is Edinburgh as the tourist board wishes you to see it, yet it retains a genuine local heart. The film transforms the industrial edges of The Shore into a picturesque waterfront dining scene and turns Constitution Street into a stage for musical numbers.
The camera sweeps lovingly over Princes Street Gardens and climbs Calton Hill not for a drug deal, but for sweeping romantic declarations.
It is a jukebox musical that wears its heart on its sleeve, arguing that there is no city in the world quite as photogenic as Edinburgh when the sun decides to shine.
“But I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more…”
Behind the Choreography: The 500-Mile Finale
The film’s crowning achievement is its massive closing number, set to the anthem “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).” While it looks like a spontaneous eruption of joy, it was a logistical beast to film. You can watch the Proclaimers play their iconic song in the following Youtube clip.
The sequence was shot in front of the Scottish National Gallery at the bottom of The Mound.
It involved the main cast alongside a flash mob of 500 extras drawn from all over Scotland. The dancers spent weeks rehearsing in smaller groups, only coming together on the day of the shoot.
The result is one of the most infectious crowd scenes in British cinema, effectively shutting down the city centre to create a literal show-stopping exit.
The Illusionist (2010)
Do not confuse this with the Hollywood mystery released a few years prior. This masterpiece, directed by Sylvain Chomet (best known for The Triplets of Belleville), is a melancholic, hand-drawn triumph that captures the soul of Edinburgh better than almost any live-action camera ever could.
Based on an un-produced script by the French comedy legend Jacques Tati, the film transports us to 1959. It follows Tatischeff, an ageing vaudeville magician whose art is being rendered obsolete by the arrival of rock ‘n’ roll.
The following trailer on Youtube offers a taste of the films striking visual style.
He drifts from Paris to London before finding a temporary haven in a beautifully realised, mid-century Edinburgh.
An Animated Dreamscape in Edinburgh
The film serves as a time capsule for a city on the cusp of change. Chomet’s animation team captures the unique atmospheric light of the Scottish capital—the famous “haar” (sea mist) that clings to the spires, and the soft, bruising purples and greys of the skyline.
The attention to topographical detail is forensic.You aren’t just seeing generic backgrounds; you are seeing the Old Town’s vertiginous tenements, the bustle of Princes Street before the trams were removed (and long before they returned), and the grandeur of the Jenners department store in its prime.
The film also features a lovingly rendered Cameo Cinema and the windswept majesty of Arthur’s Seat. It is a film that understands the quiet dignity of the city, portraying it as a place of breathtaking beauty but also deep, rainy isolation.
We were lucky enough to watch this film in the Cameo Cinema when it was first released, which was a surreal experience indeed!
“Magicians do not exist.”
A Meta-Cinematic Easter Egg
The film contains a heartbreakingly brilliant “film-within-a-film” moment that blurs the line between animation and reality.
The protagonist, Tatischeff, is an animated caricature of the script’s author, Jacques Tati. In one scene, the animated Tatischeff stumbles into a cinema to escape the rain.
The movie playing on the screen is Mon Oncle (1958), a real-life classic starring the real Jacques Tati. We watch the animated character observe his real-life creator on screen—a ghostly, meta-fictional tribute from the director to the man who wrote the story but never lived to see it filmed.
One Day (2011)
Based on David Nicholls’ beloved bestseller, One Day uses Edinburgh not just as a setting, but as the genesis point for a twenty-year love affair.
Directed by Lone Scherfig, the film introduces us to Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess) on July 15th, 1988—their graduation day from the University of Edinburgh.
Watch the trailer for One Day below:
While the narrative eventually sprawls out to London and Paris, the film is anchored by its opening act in the Scottish capital. It captures a very specific, fleeting feeling known to anyone who has lived there: the “morning after” haze of leaving university.
The sequence is a masterclass in atmospheric grounding. We see the hangover kicking in against the backdrop of the Old College quad, the awkward dawn walk through the New Town cobbled streets, and the impulsive decision to climb Arthur’s Seat.
The Texture of Youth
What the film gets right is the texture of being young in Edinburgh.
Unlike the high-gloss musical numbers of Sunshine on Leith, One Day embraces the slightly messy, windswept reality of the city. The climb up the Holyrood Park crags isn’t effortless; it’s breathless and sobering. The lighting captures that unique, sharp blue morning light that hits the city in summer.
It establishes Edinburgh as the “innocent” chapter—the place of potential and romantic “what ifs” before the cynicism of adulthood in London takes over.
“Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today.”
Location Reality Check: The “Student” Flat
The film asks us to believe that Emma Morley is living in a somewhat shabby, typical student flat. However, anyone with knowledge of Edinburgh real estate will spot a massive discrepancy.
The exterior shots for Emma’s apartment were filmed at Moray Place in the New Town.
This is widely considered one of the most prestigious and expensive addresses in Scotland, characterised by grand Georgian architecture and private gardens.
In reality, a struggling student like Emma would likely be living in a drafty tenement in Marchmont or a walk-up in Newington, nowhere near the aristocratic grandeur of Moray Place. It is a classic case of Hollywood choosing aesthetics over real-world economics.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
While Trainspotting defines modern Edinburgh cinema, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is the undisputed queen of its classical era.
Based on the novel by Dame Muriel Spark, the film earned Maggie Smith an Academy Award for her performance as the titular teacher—a woman who is at once inspiring, delusional, and dangerous.
Watch the original trailer from 1969 below:
Set in the 1930s, the film captures a city caught between two worlds: the severe, Calvinist repression of the establishment and the romantic, Renaissance aspirations of Miss Brodie.
She devotes herself to her “girls” at the Marcia Blaine School, determined to turn them into the “crème de la crème.”
Stone and Sky
The film makes exceptional use of Edinburgh’s dramatic verticality to mirror the story’s themes.
The characters are frequently framed against the imposing, blackened stone of the Old Town, emphasising the weight of history and conservatism pressing down on them.
You will spot the National Museum of Scotland (then the Royal Museum) serving as a backdrop for Brodie’s educational excursions, as well as the winding streets of the Grassmarket.
The film captures the unique “Edinburgh light”—that stark, cold clarity that illuminates the grey tenements—making the city feel like a stern headmistress watching over the characters. It portrays Edinburgh not just as a setting, but as a character: haughty, beautiful, and unforgiving.
“I am in the business of putting old heads on young shoulders, and all my pupils are the crème de la crème.”
Architecture vs. Reality: The Real Marcia Blaine
While Muriel Spark based the fictional Marcia Blaine School on her own experiences at James Gillespie’s High School (my old primary school!), the movie needed a location that looked grander and more intimidating to match Brodie’s ego.
The filmmakers chose Donaldson’s Hospital (later the School for the Deaf) in the West End. With its palatial, turreted design and sprawling lawns, it looks more like a castle than a school.
It is one of the most distinctive buildings in Edinburgh, and its use in the film permanently cemented the image of Miss Brodie’s world as one of isolated, architectural grandeur, separate from the grime of the rest of the city.
Greyfriars Bobby (1961)
Long before the city was associated with the counter-cultural grit of Trainspotting, its cinematic identity was defined by this tale of unwavering loyalty.
Produced by Walt Disney, Greyfriars Bobby is the definitive retelling of Edinburgh’s most famous legend: the story of a little Skye Terrier who spent 14 years guarding the grave of his master, Auld Jock, in Greyfriars Kirkyard.
The following trailer for Greyfriars Bobby was originally screened back in 1961!
This is Edinburgh viewed through thick, tartan-tinted spectacles. It is a “shortbread tin” version of the capital, where the poverty of the 19th century is scrubbed clean in favour of comforting Technicolor warmth. Yet, despite the sentimentality, the film captures the architectural spirit of the city perfectly.
A Technicolor Time Capsule
The movie excels at creating a storybook atmosphere of the Old Town. It brings to life the cobbled labyrinth of the Grassmarket and the smoky, candlelit interiors of the city’s taverns (specifically Traill’s Dining Rooms).
While some scenes were shot on soundstages, the location work in Greyfriars Kirkyard itself lends the film a solemn, haunting beauty that grounds the Disney whimsy.
If you have ever walked past the statue on George IV Bridge—or joined the legions of tourists who (controversially) rub his nose for luck—you are engaging with a mythology that was solidified globally by this very film.
“I’ve nae doubt he’ll be the best-known dog in all of Scotland.”
The Canine Casting Controversy
While the film cemented the image of Bobby as a shaggy Skye Terrier, film historians and dog experts have long pointed out a Hollywood fabrication.
The “real” Bobby was almost certainly a Dandie Dinmont Terrier (or a mix thereof)—a breed with a very different, less “fluffy” appearance. However, Walt Disney personally felt that the Skye Terrier had a more expressive, camera-friendly face.
Consequently, the production used a Skye Terrier named “Bobby” (and several lookalike stunt doubles) for the role.
This casting choice was so influential that the famous statue on George IV Bridge (erected long before the film) is now frequently misidentified by tourists as a Skye Terrier, simply because the movie overwrote the historical reality.
Restless Natives (1985)
Before Trainspotting made Edinburgh synonymous with gritty realism, Restless Natives offered a whimsical, rebellious, and distinctly Scottish take on disaffected youth.
Directed by Michael Hoffman, this comedy is arguably the city’s ultimate cult classic—a film that holds a fierce, protective place in the hearts of locals that few global blockbusters can match.
The Restless Natives trailer isn’t the best quality but gives a sample of the films rebellious theme.
Watch on the trailer on Youtube: https://youtu.be/tM9rUC18JFs?si=jaFyH1OFzOwxABbw
The premise is pure escapist gold: Will and Ronnie, two bored lads from the drab housing schemes of West Edinburgh, refuse to accept a life of sweeping streets and selling joke-shop novelties.
Instead, they don a werewolf mask and a clown mask, hop on a Suzuki motorbike, and begin holding up tourist coaches in the Highlands.
In doing so, they inadvertently become modern-day folk heroes—the “Clown and the Wolfman”—charmed Robin Hood figures who politely rob rich Americans and distribute the wealth (mostly to themselves).
The Grey and the Green
Visually, the film is a masterclass in contrast. It bounces effectively between the monochrome reality of 1980s Edinburgh and the lush, cinematic expanse of the Highlands.
You get a time-capsule view of the city before the mass gentrification of the 21st century: the windswept high flats of Wester Hailes, the traffic-choked Princes Street, and the pre-refurbishment New Town.
“It’s the police! Act natural.”
The Sonic Signature: The Big Country Soundtrack
While the visuals are striking, the film’s emotional weight comes from its legendary soundtrack. The music was composed and performed by the Scottish rock band Big Country.
Frontman Stuart Adamson crafted a score that is anthemic, soaring, and deeply atmospheric. The driving guitars and bagpipe-like effects elevate the boys’ small-time robberies into something epic and mythic.
For many fans, the film and the music are inseparable; you cannot watch a motorbike speed across the Forth Road Bridge without hearing those distinct, reverberating chords in your head.
It turns a low-budget comedy into a sweeping romantic adventure.
Festival (2005)
If Trainspotting is the film for the locals, Festival is the film for the visitors—specifically the thousands of performers, critics, and industry vultures who descend upon the city every August.
Directed by Annie Griffin (creator of The Book Group), this sharp-edged dark comedy functions as an Altman-esque ensemble piece, weaving together the desperate lives of stand-up comics, high-brow playwrights, and exhausted judges during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Watch the trailer below:
The film is essential viewing because it captures the specific, claustrophobic insanity of the city during “the month.” It moves away from the postcard shots of the Castle and dives into the sweaty, beer-soaked reality of temporary venues.
You see the damp, overcrowded student flats rented out for exorbitant prices, the aggressive “flyering” wars on the Royal Mile, and the soul-destroying reality of performing to an audience of three people in a basement off Cowgate. It is scruffy, chaotic, and painfully honest about the ego and despair that fuel the world’s largest arts festival.
“It’s not about the art. It’s about the award.”
Casting Authenticity: The Comedians Playing Comedians
Part of the reason Festival feels so uncomfortably real is that it blurred the lines between fiction and reality during production.
The cast is populated with actors who were on the cusp of stardom—including Chris O’Dowd (pre-IT Crowd), Stephen Mangan, and Lucy Punch.
However, to ensure the stand-up scenes felt authentic, the director filled the background and minor roles with actual working comedians who were in Edinburgh for the real festival.
If you look closely at the hecklers, the bar staff, and the rival acts in the background, you are seeing the real Fringe community of 2005, effectively playing themselves in the venues they were actually performing in later that night.
Stone of Destiny (2008)
This film, directed by Charles Martin Smith, retells one of the most audacious acts of political defiance in modern Scottish history.
Based on the true story of four young Scottish Nationalist students—led by Ian Hamilton (Charlie Cox)—who planned and executed the daring theft of the Stone of Scone (or Stone of Destiny) from Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day, 1950.
You can watch the Stone of of Destiny Trailer Below:
While much of the tension is spent on the planning and the dramatic theft in London, Edinburgh serves as the story’s political and emotional heart. The city is the promised land; the ultimate symbol of the nationhood the students risked everything to reclaim.
The Destination of Defiance
As the four students wrestle with the moral and legal ramifications of their act, the film’s visual journey centers on the long, fraught return trip back home. When they finally reach Edinburgh, the city becomes a celebratory destination.
The film gives soaring views of the Castle Esplanade and the Royal Mile, using the grandeur of the Scottish capital to contrast with the clandestine, almost comic nature of the caper itself.
The stone, a cultural artifact essential to the coronation of British monarchs, is returned not to a castle, but to Scotland itself—and its temporary placement becomes a national talking point before the authorities finally intervene. It is a cinematic love letter to youthful idealism and the enduring spirit of Scottish sovereignty.
“They can take the Stone of Destiny out of Scotland, but they cannae take the destiny out of the Scot.”
Historical Footnote: The Real Ian Hamilton
The main character, the passionate and idealistic student Ian Hamilton, was the real-life ringleader of the group who stole the Stone. Though the film fictionalises some elements for dramatic effect, Hamilton himself played a key role in the production.
Not only did he serve as a consultant on the film, but he also has a cameo role as a spectator. During the scene where the students and the stone have reached safety, Hamilton appears on a Glasgow street corner, offering a knowing nod to the young man playing his past self.
It is a warm, historical Easter egg woven into the narrative fabric.
You can visit the Stone of Destiny Exhibition at Perth Museum. Read our comprehensive review of the Stone of Destiny Exhibition here.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
In a film that spans galaxies and features a cast of dozens, arguably the most unique and geographically audacious sequence is the one set in Edinburgh.
Directed by the Russo Brothers, Avengers: Infinity War grounds the epic conflict of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the cozy, real-world context of a late-night street snack run by Wanda Maximoff and Vision.
Watch the Marvel trailer below in a wide-screen aspect ratio below:
The decision to use Edinburgh was a deliberate choice by the filmmakers, who sought a gothic, visually unique location that had not yet been ravaged by a superhero battle.
The result is a chaotic, rain-slicked battle that turns the Old Town’s narrow, historic streets into a desperate chase scene. The fight begins on Cockburn Street (where locals famously spotted the fictional “deep fry your kebab” shop sign) and spirals into the surrounding alleys and squares.
A Battle on the Cobbles
The city’s topography becomes an immediate character in the action.
The duo is ambushed on the Royal Mile near the City Chambers courtyard before the climax explodes at Waverley Station—a massive, glass-roofed terminus nestled between the Old and New Towns.
It is a moment of pure cinematic culture shock, watching aliens crash-land onto train platforms and seeing Captain America appear out of the shadows of the railway bridge.
For locals, the fun is in the details: recognising the small shops, the specific cobbles, and the gothic architecture being smashed by cosmic forces.
“The town was incredible, the support was incredible… we wanted a gothic tone to the sequence.” — Joe Russo, Director
Production Scale: The Seven-Week Takeover
The action sequence that takes up only a few minutes of screen time required the single largest, most complex filming operation ever hosted by Edinburgh’s city centre at that time.
The production involved over 400 crew members and generated an estimated £10 million for the local economy. Marvel took over parts of the Old Town for nearly seven weeks of night shoots.
To ensure the safety of the stunts and minimise disruption, sections of the city (including the area around Waverley Station and the Royal Mile) were closed, and a huge amount of infrastructure, including massive green screens and stunt rigging, was brought in.
The finished scene is a testament to the city’s ability to facilitate a global blockbuster without sacrificing its historic charm.
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Hugh Hudson’s Oscar-sweeping drama may be famous for its slow-motion beach run (filmed in St Andrews), but its emotional heart lies firmly in Edinburgh, focusing on the true story of Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson)—the devout Scottish sprinter who ran for the glory of God.
Set against the backdrop of the conservative 1920s, the film uses Edinburgh to visualise Liddell’s profound internal struggle.
The city feels appropriately stern and magnificent, providing a stage for Liddell’s Christian faith to clash with the secular world of competitive sports.
Watch the original 1981 trailer below:
The magnificent neoclassical architecture and the grand Church of Scotland buildings frame the central question: can he reconcile his running talent with his commitment to God?
Faith, Ambition, and Architecture
The film highlights key Edinburgh locations relevant to Liddell’s life as a missionary and athlete. The imposing Assembly Hall on The Mound, the seat of the Church of Scotland, is used for the critical scene where Liddell’s commitment to running is challenged by his sister.
Meanwhile, the winding path up Holyrood Park, with Arthur’s Seat looming in the background, provides the perfect rugged, inspirational setting for Liddell’s moments of contemplation and conversation.
The city is portrayed as a powerful, immutable force—a fitting home for a man whose moral convictions were equally unshakeable. It is Edinburgh at its most inspirational, capturing the Scottish spirit of perseverance and principle.
“I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast! And when I run, I feel His pleasure.”
Global Doubling: Edinburgh’s Period Versatility
Due to its preserved Georgian and Victorian architecture, Edinburgh is often used in film production to double for other cities requiring a strong period aesthetic. Chariots of Fire utilised this versatility expertly.
The stunningly ornate Oyster Bar at the Café Royal in Edinburgh was used to represent the sophisticated London restaurant where Harold Abrahams takes Sybil Gordon for dinner.
Similarly, the Broughton McDonald Church was meticulously used as the interior and exterior for the Church of Scotland in Paris, where Eric Liddell finally preaches to the congregation before his Olympic race.
This use highlights Edinburgh’s standing as a world-class filming location, capable of lending its unique historical grandeur to settings across the globe.
The Body Snatcher (1945)
Long before Edinburgh was captured in Technicolor or 4K, it was immortalized in the foggy, gaslit shadows of 1940s Hollywood horror.
Directed by Robert Wise and produced by the great Val Lewton (the master of subtle, psychological horror), The Body Snatcher is the quintessential gothic take on Edinburgh’s 19th-century history of medical brilliance and moral corruption.
The film is set in 1831, a time when Edinburgh was a world-leading centre for anatomy, creating a desperate demand for fresh corpses that outpaced legal supply. Boris Karloff plays John Gray, the sinister, manipulative cabman who supplies bodies to the esteemed Dr. Wolfe MacFarlane (Henry Daniell).
The doctor is desperate to advance medical science, and Gray exploits their dark, shared past to force the doctor into dependence on his gruesome trade.
A Studio-Built Auld Reekie Although shot entirely on RKO studio sets in California, the production benefits immensely from clever set design and atmospheric photography.
Lewton and Wise masterfully invoke the atmosphere of “Auld Reekie” (Old Smoky). The perpetual gloom, the clip-clop of horses on the cobblestone sets, and the deep shadows cast by flickering oil lamps created a highly convincing and terrifying period Edinburgh.
This film—alongside others like it—cemented the popular global image of the city’s Old Town as a place of moral ambiguity, where genius and murder shared the same narrow, damp alleyways.
“You’ll never be rid of me.” — John Gray (Boris Karloff)
A Final Reunion: Karloff and Lugosi
The Body Snatcher holds a unique place in horror history as the last of eight films to feature the iconic screen pairing of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.
RKO executives insisted on casting Lugosi to capitalize on their combined marquee value, forcing producer Val Lewton to write a small, unnecessary role for the ailing actor.
Lugosi plays Joseph, Dr. MacFarlane’s suspicious, greedy servant who attempts to blackmail Gray.
Despite his limited screen time, his tense, claustrophobic confrontation scene with Karloff—a masterclass in implied violence—is a memorable, chilling farewell to one of cinema’s greatest horror duos.
Burke and Hare (2010)
If the 1945 film handled the infamous body-snatching tale with gothic restraint, director John Landis (of An American Werewolf in London fame) tackles it with gallows humour and chaotic, bloody farce.
Burke and Hare brings the true story of William Burke (Simon Pegg) and William Hare (Andy Serkis)—the Irish immigrants who murdered 16 people in 1828 to sell their corpses to anatomy lecturer Dr. Robert Knox (Tom Wilkinson)—to the screen as a chaotic, Ealing-style black comedy.
The film makes an obvious and bawdy spectacle of 19th-century Edinburgh.
It captures the Old Town at its most febrile and filthy, emphasising the cramped conditions, the open sewers, and the intense rivalry between the city’s two major medical schools.
A Grimy, Lively City
Unlike its moody predecessor, this film is loud, scruffy, and stuffed with comic cameos (including Christopher Lee, Bill Bailey, and Tim Curry).
The location work, including scenes around the Grassmarket and various cramped, winding Old Town closes (like Milnes’ Court), vividly conveys the feeling of an overcrowded, pressurised city where death was cheap and scientific innovation was expensive.
It is a cinematic double bill with The Body Snatcher, showing the same historical tragedy through a completely different lens: the former is spooky, the latter is absurd.
“We’re just opportunists. Like the birds that fly behind the plough.” — William Hare (Andy Serkis)
Cameo Carousel: The British Comedy Roll Call
Director John Landis populated Burke and Hare with an incredible roster of British comedy and film royalty, giving the film a playful, self-aware charm.
The supporting cast is littered with famous faces, many in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it roles: Ronnie Corbett as a pompous military captain, Bill Bailey as the town hangman (who narrates the film), Hugh Bonneville, Tim Curry, and Stephen Merchant.
The film even features a scene where Burke attempts to charm his way past a bouncer by pretending to be the poet William Wordsworth, proving that in Landis’s Edinburgh, historical accuracy is happily sacrificed for a good sight gag.
New Town Killers (2008)
A true hidden gem of Scottish cinema, New Town Killers is an unnerving thriller that brilliantly inverts the traditional use of Edinburgh’s geography.
While most city thrillers focus on the dark, winding alleys of the Old Town, director Richard Jobson sets his cruel, high-stakes game of cat and mouse entirely within the geometric perfection of the Georgian New Town.
Watch the trailer below on Youtube:
The film follows two wealthy, deeply bored bankers who lure a young, working-class man into a horrifying nocturnal hunt.
The contrast is immediate and chilling: the polished facades and organised grid system are not symbols of safety, but of cold, inescapable privilege. The chase is confined by the very architecture designed for comfort and order.
A Cage of Elegance
This is one of the few films that truly understands the chilling symmetry of the New Town. Its wide, formal streets and squares become a vast, elegant trap.
The locked, manicured private gardens—normally symbols of exclusivity—are transformed into hostile environments, emphasising the class tension at the story’s core. The young protagonist is perpetually running through a landscape that visually and socially belongs to his hunters.
By wrapping a story of primal hunting within the area’s clean, expensive lines, the film crafts a powerful neo-noir statement about the city’s unseen power structures.
“We were just passing through. Like predators.”
The Architecture of Class: The Garden Gate
The use of the New Town’s architecture is not accidental; it is central to the film’s theme of exclusion. Many of the squares and crescents in the New Town, such as Moray Place and Charlotte Square, are lined with communal gardens accessible only to the residents who pay a fee for the lock’s key.
The film exploits this literal gatekeeping, using the locked, private green spaces to heighten the protagonist’s sense of desperation and being watched.
The elegant geometry of the streets, designed to enforce social order, suddenly feels oppressive and clinical—a stunning use of Edinburgh’s most beautiful architecture as a symbol of cold, inaccessible wealth.
Women Talking Dirty (1999)
This comedy-drama offers a welcome change of pace, moving the camera away from the historical landmarks and political grandstanding to focus squarely on the resilience and chaos of everyday life.
Directed by Coky Giedroyc, the film tracks the messy, years-long friendship between Cora (Helena Bonham Carter) and Ellen (Gina McKee) as they navigate motherhood, poverty, and terrible romantic choices in Edinburgh and Leith.
Watch the hilarious trailer below:
It is a film of quiet, lived-in moments. The city is not treated as a monument or a backdrop for a chase scene, but simply as a place to live.
You see the realistic texture of life here: the secondhand bookshops, the worn-out cafes, and the cluttered flats with cracked plaster that smell faintly of stale smoke and damp wallpaper.
A Portrait of Domestic
Leith The film is particularly effective in its depiction of Leith, using The Shore and its pubs as familiar hangouts, but always returning to the domestic interiors and local playgrounds where life’s major dramas quietly unfold.
While there are glimpses of the Old Town, the focus is on the marginal—the unglamorous struggle to pay the rent and maintain an essential, if chaotic, friendship. It is the most accessible film on this list, providing a true “slice-of-life” portrait that feels like eavesdropping on a conversation at the next table.
“You know when you’ve found a friend when you can sit in silence and still feel comfortable.”
Casting Against Type: Helena’s Grunge Era
Helena Bonham Carter, the actor most often associated with corsets, Victorian period dramas, and Merchant Ivory productions in the 1990s, made a notable shift here.
Her role as Cora, a single mother living on benefits with a chaotic punk-rock aesthetic and zero regard for convention, marked a deliberate move away from her previous genteel screen persona.
The film relies on her ability to convincingly pull off this messy, modern, and very Scottish character, showcasing the raw acting talent beneath the historical gowns.
Her casting decision underscored the film’s commitment to grounding its story in believable, contemporary life, rather than historical romanticism.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
This Netflix comedy, starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, is ostensibly a light-hearted journey of two Icelandic hopefuls, Lars and Sigrit, but for Edinburgh locals, it’s a fun, chaotic fantasy where their city finally gets to host the world’s most spectacular music competition.
While the actual contest scenes were filmed on soundstages and in Glasgow, Edinburgh acts as the glorious, symbolic fantasy host city.
You can watch the Netflix trailer on Youtube below:
The film leverages the city’s visual pomp to create a backdrop worthy of a global event.
The cameras avoid the usual grim alleyways and instead soar over the most recognisable landmarks, framing the action against stunning skylines.
Viewers are treated to sweeping shots from Calton Hill and Arthur’s Seat, showcasing the city’s majesty in a way that feels cinematic and celebratory.
Festival Levels of Chaos
The narrative is grounded in local, recognisable spots dressed up for a truly absurd party.
The celebratory parade scenes use the grandeur of the Royal Mile and Princes Street Gardens to convey the scale of the crowds and the global energy of the event.
The following clip on Youtube shows the Hollywood stars visiting Edinburgh’s Victoria Street ahead of the film’s launch in 2020.
This visual chaos instantly evokes the feeling of the Fringe Festival in August, making the transition to a Eurovision host city feel plausible—if only for a few musical minutes.
“We were happy to be in Edinburgh, which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.” — Will Ferrell
The Hosting Illusion: A Cross-City Deception
Although Edinburgh is clearly established as the host city throughout the film, the production employed significant geographic trickery.
The interior of the massive arena—the fictional “EuroDome”—was primarily filmed at the Hydro venue in Glasgow.
However, to maintain the illusion that the entire event was housed in the Scottish capital, the establishing exterior shots of the fictional EuroDome were often cleverly spliced with footage of Edinburgh’s iconic skyline.
The filmmakers seamlessly married the modern architecture of the Glasgow venue with the grandeur of Edinburgh’s Old Town to create a convincing, singular host city that perfectly serves the film’s narrative purpose.
Frankenstein (2025)
Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited vision of Mary Shelley’s classic is shaping up to be one of the most significant cinematic events in Edinburgh’s history.
The master of gothic visual texture, del Toro, made the intentional and resonant choice to root his story of scientific ambition and horrific creation in the very city that provided the intellectual and atmospheric inspiration for the original 1818 novel.
Watch the stunning trailer below shows why Edinburgh was the perfect backdrop for Frankenstein:
The film leverages Edinburgh’s reputation as a world leader in 19th-century anatomy—a reputation directly fueling the real-life body-snatching trade documented in films like The Body Snatcher.
The Source of Gothic Genius
The sheer visual density of the Old Town is the perfect foil for del Toro’s style. Locations like Parliament Square and the labyrinthine passages of Bakehouse Close were meticulously dressed to evoke the smoky, gaslit 19th-century setting.
The narrow, towering buildings of the Royal Mile and Makars Court provide the perfect claustrophobic, dramatic backdrop for Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s intellectual hubris.
Watch below as Guillermo Del Toro shares why he loved filming in Edinburgh below:
This deliberate use of the city’s inherent darkness and its literary heritage immediately positions Frankenstein as a cultural touchstone that is already driving significant “dark tourism” to the capital.
“I am not mad! I created a life!” — Victor Frankenstein
Production Insight: Dressing the 19th Century
The most significant logistical challenge for the production was transforming the modern-day heart of the Old Town into its 19th-century counterpart.
Filming on the Royal Mile and in Parliament Square required unprecedented levels of period dressing.
The crews had to conceal modern traffic furniture, satellite dishes, CCTV cameras, and lighting, replacing them with cobblestone surfacing, temporary gas lamps, and historical shop signs.
This allowed del Toro to achieve a level of visual purity, ensuring that every frame captured the city’s ancient, unaltered architectural bones, thereby reinforcing the theme that Frankenstein’s ethical failings are timeless.
Summary table: which Edinburgh film fits your mood
Use this table to skim the list and pick a starting point based on mood, era and which parts of the city you most want to see.
| Film | Year | Main tone | Best if you want | Key Edinburgh focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trainspotting | 1996 | Gritty, darkly funny | Classic counter culture and cult cinema | City centre streets, 90s youth culture |
| T2 Trainspotting | 2017 | Bittersweet | A grown up follow up to Trainspotting | Leith, Arthurs Seat, Union Canal |
| Shallow Grave | 1994 | Thriller, noir | Tight, twisty plotting | Generic flats and city feel |
| Filth | 2013 | Very dark comedy | A dive into one mans breakdown | City centre, police stations, clubs |
| Sunshine on Leith | 2013 | Feel good musical | Romance, friendship and Proclaimers songs | Leith, Princes Street Gardens |
| The Illusionist | 2010 | Melancholy, magical | Animated love letter to old Edinburgh | Forth Bridge, Arthurs Seat, Old Town |
| One Day | 2011 | Romantic drama | Students, coming of age, long term love | University area, Arthurs Seat |
| The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie | 1969 | Character drama | Classic Edinburgh literature on screen | Old Town schools, museums |
| Greyfriars Bobby | 1961 | Family, sentimental | Old fashioned charm and tearful moments | Greyfriars Kirkyard, Old Town |
| Restless Natives | 1985 | Offbeat comedy | 80s nostalgia and Highland road trips | City outskirts, Forth Bridge |
| Festival | 2005 | Dark ensemble comedy | Fringe mayhem and insider jokes | Royal Mile, student areas |
| Stone of Destiny | 2008 | Light heist drama | History with a caper spin | Castle Esplanade, Royal Mile |
| Avengers: Infinity War | 2018 | Superhero spectacle | Big action set pieces in familiar streets | Waverley, Royal Mile, Cockburn Street |
| Chariots of Fire | 1981 | Inspirational drama | Faith, sport and period detail | University, churches, streets |
| The Body Snatcher | 1945 | Classic gothic | Old school horror and foggy graveyards | 19th century medical Edinburgh |
| Burke and Hare | 2010 | Black comedy | A bawdy take on the same grim story | Grassmarket, kirkyards, closes |
| New Town Killers | 2008 | Urban thriller | Cat and mouse games in elegant streets | New Town, private gardens |
| Women Talking Dirty | 1999 | Friendship drama | Everyday lives, flats and relationships | Leith, cafes, bookshops |
| Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga | 2020 | Broad comedy | Big crowd scenes and spoof pop songs | Royal Mile, Calton Hill, Arthurs Seat |
| Frankenstein | 2025 | Lush gothic horror | Atmospheric period streets and stately homes | Royal Mile, Parliament Square, closes |
Rotten Tomato Scores & Film Budgets for Edinburgh Films
| Film Title (Year) | Rotten Tomatoes Score | Budget (Approximate) |
| Trainspotting (1996) | 90% | $1.5 Million |
| T2 Trainspotting (2017) | 75% | $18 Million |
| Filth (2013) | 58% | £5.7 Million (~$7.2M) |
| Sunshine on Leith (2013) | 90% | N/A |
| The Illusionist (2010) | 90% | $17 Million |
| One Day (2011) | 35% | $2.3 Million |
| The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) | 75% | $2.76 Million |
| Greyfriars Bobby (1961) | 75% | N/A |
| Restless Natives (1985) | 83% | £1.2 Million (~$1.5M) |
| Festival (2005) | N/A | N/A |
| Stone of Destiny (2008) | 53% | N/A |
| Avengers: Infinity War (2018) | 86% | $300 Million |
| Chariots of Fire (1981) | 84% | $5.5 Million |
| The Body Snatcher (1945) | 84% | $125,000 |
| Burke and Hare (2010) | 33% | $10 Million |
| New Town Killers (2008) | 23% | N/A |
| Women Talking Dirty (1999) | N/A | N/A |
| Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020) | 63% | N/A |
| Frankenstein (2025) | 79% (Early) | $120 Million |
| Shallow Grave (1994) | 79% | $2.5 Million |
FAQ: films set in Edinburgh
Are all of these films actually shot in Edinburgh?
Not completely. Some, like Sunshine on Leith, The Illusionist and Frankenstein, spend extended time on location in the city. Others, such as Trainspotting and Shallow Grave, are set in Edinburgh but use Glasgow and studio sets for many interiors.
Which film should I start with if I have never been to Edinburgh?
If you want the raw, alternative version of the city, start with Trainspotting or Filth. If you would rather fall in love with the skyline first, go for Sunshine on Leith, The Illusionist or Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
Is Frankenstein really connected to Edinburgh?
Yes. The novel has links to Scotland and del Toros 2025 film leans into that, using Old Town streets, Parliament Square and nearby Gosford House as key locations.
Recent coverage from Film Edinburgh, the Scotsman and Country Living has highlighted how much of the production was based in and around the city.
Can I visit these filming locations?
Many of them.
Princes Street, the Royal Mile, Waverley Station, Greyfriars Kirkyard and Arthurs Seat are all public spaces.
Some interiors, such as Gosford House or certain university buildings, open to the public on specific days, so it is worth checking their own sites for details.
Wrapping up
From cult classics like Trainspotting to lush new releases like Frankenstein, Edinburgh has quietly become one of the most versatile film cities in Europe.It can play gritty or romantic, ancient or futuristic, sometimes all in the same shot.
