The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Gangster drama filming has caused ‘Peaky effect’
Take a little walk to the edge of town... of Portsoy which will feature in the first episode of Peaky Blinders season six that premieres this Sunday.
Parts of the show – which centres on Tommy Shelby who leads the Birminghambased gang Peaky Blinders – were shot in the picturesque Aberdeenshire town in early 2021.
A stellar cast including Cillian Murphy (Tommy Shelby) and Finn Cole (Michael Gray) arrived for filming back in February last year.
Shooting for five days, the hit TV series brought a huge buzz to the town and helped to place Portsoy on the Scottish film locations map.
Fans of the TV series will be able to spot Portsoy’s Shore Inn which was transformed into the fictional Hotel Lalanne with filthy windows and a tattered sign. Some of the stars also filmed scenes on board a small red boat and others were seen in costume at the harbour, rolling barrels – potentially full of illegal alcohol.
The Station Hotel Portsoy hosted crew members for five weeks and also provided harbourside catering – delivering soups, pies and sandwiches to the cast and crew.
With all Peaky Blinders seasons available to stream on Netflix in 37 countries, the BBC gangster drama became a global phenomenon.
Birmingham has been cashing on its status as the home of the real-life Peaky Blinders for years, with an increased number of visitors coming to the English city thanks to the so-called “Peaky effect”.
And now, it’s hoped that Portsoy – which doubles as Miquelon in the British drama – will also attract more international visitors.
Esther Green, marketing manager at Portsoy Community Enterprise, said: “While you may not be able to travel back in time to see what life was like in the days of Tommy Shelby, Michael Gray and the Peaky Blinders characters, fans can at least follow in their footsteps by coming to visit Portsoy and see where shooting for the final ever series took place.
“The twists, turns and drama of the powerful Shelby crime family have had an incredible hold over audiences and series five drew in an audience of more than seven million, so for Portsoy to have an association with such a major production that has a global following is brilliant.”
Ms Green said it took “huge effort and meticulous planning” to organise the shoot last year.
She added: “We can’t wait to see the results. Director Anthony Byrne thanked locals who helped make the shoot possible, and the cast and crew sent a supportive message ahead of the Ahoy Portsoy virtual boat festival last summer.”
The final series is set in the 1930s and follows the Shelby family as they attempt to smuggle alcohol into the US during Prohibition.
The first episode, titled Black Day, will be shown at 9pm on BBC One.