Film and TV Producers Spend Record £45m in Scotland
Film and TV producers spent a record £45.2 million shooting on location in Scotland last year, the Culture Secretary announced.
Fiona Hyslop said the total, up by almost £12 million on 2013, revealed a "growing appetite'' for filming in Scotland.
Arts body Creative Scotland has supported a number of high profile movie and TV projects, including the upcoming adaptation of the classic novel Sunset Song, starring Peter Mullan and model-turned-actress Agyness Deyn, The Legend of Barney Thomson and Sunshine on Leith, as well as the popular TV series Outlander.
Ms Hyslop announced the record production spend ahead of a visit to the set of Bannan, a Gaelic drama series commission by BBC Alba which is currently filming on Skye.
The Culture Secretary welcomed the total and said: "This rise in production spend is a strong indication that film producers have a growing appetite to base their productions in Scotland.|
"With our stunning, iconic landscapes, rich culture and heritage and skilled and talented crew, the £45 million production spend total for 2014 demonstrates that producers around the world recognise that Scotland has much to offer.''
She added: "These productions generate significant income for Scotland through the use of Scottish talent, crews, locations, transport, accommodation and through the impact they have on tourism.
"The Scottish Government and our agencies are firmly committed to growing the economic impact of our screen sector and continuing to promote Scotland as a premier and competitive location to produce great films and TV shows - as underlined by the £162 million public funding awarded to the sector since 2007/08, during a period of tough budgets.
"But we recognise we need to do more. That is why this week I announced a new £1.75 million production growth fund to provide an additional incentive for major international productions to come to Scotland, as well as increasing funding available for Scottish productions.
"This builds on the £2 million Tax Credit Advance Facility I announced earlier this year and the £1 million Screen Skills Fund through which we are supporting training and skills development opportunities.''