Scary movies: 6 horror films shot in Edinburgh - from The Awakening to The Wicker Tree

These are the horror movies and psychological thrillers that were filmed in Edinburgh

With its dark and gruesome past and haunted buildings, it is no surprise that Edinburgh has been chosen as a backdrop for many scary movies over the years.

The city’s spooky stately homes have set the scene on a number of occasions, and oscar-winning actors and Hollywood stars have walked the historic streets to bring us spine-chilling entertainment.

Here are the horror movies and psychological thrillers filmed in Edinburgh.

The Awakening (2011)

Gosford House stately home.

The Awakening was written and directed by Nick Murphy and Stephen Volk and first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 16 September 2011.

This creepy supernatural drama film set in 1920s post-war Britain sees ghost hunter Florence Cathcart called to investigate a reported haunting at a boys’ boarding school. As she prepares to leave after concluding that the ghostly sightings are the result of a prank, Florence is spooked by a paranormal experience.

Parts of the movie were filmed across the Edinburgh City Region at locations including a house in Earlston, stately homes in Gosford and Manderston and St Bernards Crescent in Edinburgh.

Outcast (2010)

Frontage of The Worlds End pub, High Street in Edinburgh city

This supernatural horror thriller was directed by Colm McCarthy and was screened at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

It tells the tale of Scottish/Romany girl Petronella and her boyfriend Fergal, a mysterious Irish traveller. As their doomed relationship plays out, a beast stalks the estate where they live, killing the locals.

Outcast was filmed around multiple housing estates in Edinburgh, including Sighthill, Greendykes, Wester Hailes and Muirhouse.

Other filming locations were Grassmarket and outside of The World’s End pub on the Royal Mile.

Book of Blood (2009)

Aerial viewof Dundas Castle estate with the Auld Keep, rear left

Book of Blood is an erotic horror film directed by John Harrison and is based on the framing stories from legendary horror author Clive Barker’s book series of the same name.

It follows two paranormal experts who discover what they believe to be a haunted house and decide to move in to uncover its mysteriously murderous past.

Book of Blood was shot across the city between December 2007 and February 2008, with locations such as High Street and Grassmarket being used.

A townhouse in Abercromby Place was used for two and a half weeks of filming, while filming also took place at Dundas Castle in South Queensferry.

The Wicker Tree (2011)

Arniston House, Gorebridge

Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Tree is a sequel to the cult classic, The Wicker Man, which was released in 1973.

The Wicker Tree was filmed at Arniston House, Gosford House and Crichton Castle, as well as buildings in Haddington, including St Mary’s Parish Church and Amisfield Park Temple.

Under the Skin (2013)

Tantallon Castle, East Lothian.

This eerie film, directed by Jonathan Glazer and written by Glazer and Walter Campbell, is based on the 2000 novel by Michel Faber.

It stars Hollywood A-Lister Scarlett Johansson as an alien who preys on men in Scotland.

Parts of the award-winning film were shot at Tantallon Castle in East Lothian.

The Jacket (2005)

Approved: West Lothian gives go-ahead for Bangour Village Hospital homes plan

The Jacket is an American psychological horror directed by John Maybury and is partly based on the 1915 Jack London novel The Star Rover, published in the United Kingdom as The Jacket.

The film centres around a wounded Gulf war veteran, played by Adrian Brody, who finds himself in a mental institution for insane criminals after being wrongly accused of murder. He becomes the subject of disturbing experiments while restrained in a straight jacket.

Filming took place at the abandoned Bangour Village Hospital in West Lothian between January and February 2004.

The hospital, which opened in 1906, became notorious for its psychiatric work. For almost 100 years, it housed patients with mental health problems from Scotland.