Even if you’ve never set foot in Scotland, you might already be quite familiar with the country. Thanks to several blockbuster films that gave us an inside glimpse into the culture, terrain and history of the United Kingdom destination. Whether it’s wizardry, war or the wild ways of teens and young adults going off the rails, many of us have witnessed Scotland in all its good and bad glory.
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, we probably don’t have to tell you that parts of the books and movies were set in Scotland. While the battlefields featured in Braveheart also fall within that country. Those who remember the movie Trainspotting might know it was adapted from a book written by Scottish author Irvine Welsh. The characters in the novel and film come from a poverty-stricken area of Edinburgh.
Scotland has produced its fair share of famous actors, singers and creatives. Think Sean Connery, Tilda Swinton, Ewan McGregor, Annie Lennox, DJ Calvin Harris and Gerard Butler.
It’s also brought us mythical greats like the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie as it’s known to some. The creature once again made headlines around the world on 1 April, when it was widely reported that scientists had developed photographs from a 50-year-old camera trap that had been set up to capture images of the Loch Ness Monster.
“The device is thought to be one of six cameras placed 180 metres (590ft) below the surface in 1970 by Professor Roy Mackal, of the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau, and the University of Chicago,” reads one Daily Mail article.
“It is likely one of the earliest attempts to catch the famous monster on film and, remarkably, remained dry within its clear waterproof plastic container. It was unearthed during trials of a National Oceanographic Centre (NOC) submersible vessel – commonly known as Boaty McBoatface.”
