Buachaille Etive Mor and Buachaille Etive Beag seen from Glen Etive, Glencoe
Stob Dearg, Buachaille Etive Mòr
Glen Coe and nearby Glen Etive provided some of the most memorable scenery in Skyfall (2012). In a driving sequence filmed in the Highlands on the A82 near the striking peaks of Buachaille Etive Mòr (pictured) and Buachaille Etive Beag, the secret agent's iconic Aston Martin DB5 manages to get upstaged by the stunning atmospheric scenery. The Scottish setting continues to play a leading role in the exhilarating events which follow.
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Few Scottish landmarks are as instantly recognisable as Eilean Donan Castle. In The World Is Not Enough (1999), the castle appears as the Scottish headquarters of MI6. The film's producers fully embraced the Scottish connection, with Q (Desmond Llewelyn) giving Bond (Pierce Brosnan) a demonstration of bagpipes that double as a machine gun. Edinburgh-born Shirley Manson, the lead singer of Garbage, also performed the theme song The World Is Not Enough.
Set against the meeting point of three sea lochs, Eilean Donan remains one of Scotland’s most photographed and cinematic locations.
Duart Castle
© Kenny Lam / VisitScotland
Duart Castle
While Duart Castle never appeared directly in a Bond film, it has a fascinating connection to the origins of the character. The castle is the ancestral seat of Clan Maclean, linked to wartime hero Fitzroy Maclean. Fleming is widely believed to have drawn inspiration from Maclean’s intelligence work, daring missions, and sophisticated character when shaping James Bond.
