CAPITAL CRIMES TV PRODUCERS FLOCK TO EDINBURGH TO FIND PERFECT SETTINGS FOR TALES OF MURDER
Dark alleys and grand streets are real stars of gritty dramas
From series to thrillersdark period and dramas,gritty Edinburgh’s dark and windy closes and stunning panoramas are riding a new wave of popularity with directors.
The capital has played a leading role as a hub for some of the country’s most popular crime dramas. One Of Us has become the latest four-part BBC thriller to be shot in Edinburgh and the Borders.
The programme follows two families from Braes ton, a small village in the Highlands, who have been caught up in a brutal murder which shatters the community.
Almost all the scenes were shot in Edinburgh, with the production company basing itself in the city throughout filming.
Locations in Edinburgh include Waverley Court, Rodney Street Tunnel, Tolbooth Tavern, The Sheep Heid Inn and Royal Mile Tavern.
Rosie Ellison, film manager at Film Edinburgh, says the city offers a breathtaking array of locations dating from the medieval to the contemporary.
She said: “Edinburgh is a city of contrasts, not only between the atmospheric, dark cobbled closes of Old Town and grand squares of the Georgian New Town but its built- up urban centres, rolling countryside and coastline.
“And it’s not just the scenic views or grand country houses, of ten it’s woodlands or desolate wastelands that location scouts seek.
“At Film Edinburgh, we’ve a varied database of around 3000 locations in the region, including the Scottish Borders and East Lothian.”
Recently Edinburgh doubled as Victorian London in BBC’s The Secret Agent and Glasgow City Chambers also doubled as the Russian Embassy in the hit series.
The Secret Agent, an explosive drama which covers terrorism, espionage and betrayal in 18th-century Britain, follows the adaption of Joseph Conrad’s classic
novel, which is one of the first of its kind to cover the early years of terrorism.
The majority of the series was shot in Edinburgh because of its period locations, including Hopetoun House and Thistle Street Lane, which was transformed to create Soho in London.
Corridors of the mortuary and police
station can also be found in Freemasons’ Hall, while Barries Close, a medieval alley off the Royal Mile, also makes an appearance.
Marketing Edinburgh have brought together a guide to the locations for crime dramas based in the city.
Fans can use interactive maps to visit some of their favourite locations. Rosie
said: “The diversity and versatility make the area a film-maker’s dream.
“While the character of the city is obviously crucial to Edinburgh- set dramas such as Rebus or Case Histories, it also regularly features as the backdrop to productions set elsewhere.”
The crime drama Case Histories, from Kate Atkinson’s well-loved novels of the same name, follows crumpled and complex investigator Jackson Brodie as he attempts to unravel disparate case histories in modern-day Edinburgh.
For the nine episodes, filming took place all over the city including India Buildings, Calton Hill, Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Waverley Court, Princes Street Gardens and Arthur’s Seat, which is a favourite jogging route for Brodie.
The Bafta-winning drama Murder was also set in Edinburgh and the Borders while legal drama Garrow’s Law had the capital city as its backdrop.
Slick drama Low Winter Sun used Edinburgh venue The Caves, which doubled as a Chinese restaurant.
The diversity and versatility make the area a dream for film-makers