I saw first series being filmed
AS THE FINAL RUN OF FANTASY EPIC NEARS, CASTLE CUSTODIAN CATHERINE REVEALS SHE WAS THERE AT START
As the custodian of one of Scotland’s most famous castles, Catherine Mason had a ringside seat at one of the biggest moments in TV history.
The manager of Doune Castle was on set as stars such as Richard Madden, Sean Bean and Kit Harington arrived to f ilm scenes for a new HBO drama cal led Game of Thrones.
It’s just a pity that Catherine had no idea how big the new show would be.
Now she is wishing she could step back in time as the worldwide hit prepares for the launch of it s long-awaited eighth season – as she failed to get a single selfie with the cast, who have become household names.
Due to her job, Catherine became one of the first people to watch scenes from the earliest episode of the show.
She spent time with author George RR Martin, met the show’s dire-wolf pups and got an autograph from Bean.
Catherine, 47, said: “It does feel quite a privilege to be able to say I saw scenes from the first ever Game of Thrones being filmed. The only actor I recognised was Sean Bean and, while the rest are obviously famous now, at the time I didn’t know who they were.
“Kit Harington was there as the character Jon Snow. Richard Madden was there in his role as Robb Stark.
“All the young actors who played the Stark children were there, as were the actors who played many of the other main characters including the Lannisters and the Baratheons.
“The one thing the people from HBO were quite strict about was that none of the castle staff took any photos of the scenes. Now we are all kicking ourselves.”
The castle, in the village of Doune in Perthshire, was built in the 14th century by Robert, Duke of Albany.
Its high stone walls, great hall and courtyard areas make it a popular f ilming location. It has featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Outlander and recent blockbuster Outlaw King, which starred Chris Pine as Robert the Bruce.
Catherine had never heard of Game of Thrones when in 2009 she
was told the castle was to be used for a new television series. She only knew the show was based on George RR Martin’s fantasy novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, and Bean would be playing a lead role.
Catherine said: “They filmed quite a few scenes at the castle, which was supposed to be the Stark family home of Winterfell. They filmed a banquet scene in the great hall. They filmed in the kitchen and they did some scenes out in the courtyard.
“George Martin came along to watch the filming and being able to meet him was fantastic. He was really nice and down to earth. I spoke to Sean Bean too but he was quite quiet.
“I got them both to sign a copy of A Song of Ice and Fire that I bought but I didn’t ask any other of the cast because they were actors I had never heard of.”
Catherine remembers watching Harington and Madden filming scenes in the courtyard, involving archery and sword fighting. She said: “They were both much younger and the only actor I was really looking for was Sean Bean.
“I remember Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays Jamie Lannister, was really nice to chat to. He asked about my work at the castle and what I thought of the filming that was going on.
“It was just amazing to watch everyone come and go.
“I remember seeing Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister, dressed in his robes, being filmed going through the main gates and into the courtyard.
“I stayed late one night and sat on the steps to the castle shop wat ching everything happen around me. I think I was the only person left at the castle apart from the crew and actors and it just felt so special to be able to watch them work. “I remember one scene where they were trying to film a raven flying up to a window of the castle and they had to film take after take until they got the angle at which the raven reached the window just right. “I also got to pet the dire-wolf pups – which were adorable.” Catherine remembers the weeks the Game of Thrones team were at the castle were bitterly cold. She said: “They were there in late October and November and it was freezing. “I used to fill hot water bottles up for some of the actors, especially the women who were in dresses.” While Catherine enjoyed watching the actors at work, she believes the real star of the scenes was the castle itself. She said: “For me, the best part was seeing the castle being used so differently.
“The great hall is normally a big, quite empty room but the crew had dressed it with tables, benches, food, banners, and even all the lighting used made the place look absolutely amazing.
“The rooms looked how they would have looked at the time the castle was built and that was quite special to see.”
Catherine, who continues to work for Historic Environment Scotland at the castle, is now a big fan of the show.
She said: “Sadly, Doune was only used for Winterfell at the very beginning, then filming switched to Ireland.
“I’m really looking forward to the start of the next series of the show – and hope there will be future spin-offs so that it’s not really the end.
“We’re getting a lot of visitors to the castle who have come because they are Game of Thrones fans.
“I feel really honoured to have been involved in its history.”