Edinburgh is becoming a film and TV capital too – Angus Robertson

The screen industry is now valued at more than four times what it was ten years ago

Film and television production is booming in Edinburgh. The sector is now worth more than four times what it was a decade ago and added more than £10 million to its annual value in the last year, which is now valued at £23.8 million. These are the findings of research put together by Film Edinburgh – Edinburgh City Council’s film office – which is playing a central role in supporting the industry.

A number of global-reaching shows have been filmed in the city, including the Amazon series The Rig, with Ian Glen, Emily Hampshire and Martin Compston; the Amazon series Good Omens; and Apple TV period drama Debutante; a new Netflix series based on the novel One Day; a crime drama Six Four starring Kevin McKidd; and the Amazon series Anansi Boys starring Whoopi Goldberg. Shows that have shot on location include Outlander; Guilt and Crime, a film adaption of the novel The Outrun; Midtown, a new Netflix feature film about a group of black superheroes; and Payback, a new ITV drama starring Morven Christie.

The new Leith and Bathgate studios in the city are top-class globally and have solidified the future of the industry in Scotland. As Culture Secretary, I have the very great privilege of seeing many of Scotland’s screen offerings in production. I know the enormous amount of hard work that has gone into improving the screen space in the Capital and Scotland-wide and thank all who are contributing to this success.

Angus Robertson is the SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central and Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Secretary