Movies depicting Edinburgh’s architectural buildings and other locations, Scottish architectural film advice

Movies Depicting Edinburgh Architectural Buildings and Locations

23 June 2023

What comes to your mind’s eye when you picture Edinburgh? Visions of dark and moody sandstone churches and townhouses? Intimidating alleys along the streets? The city is known for having the greatest architectural assets in one place.

5 Movies Depicting Edinburgh’s Architectural Buildings and Other Locations

So much so that this has inspired national and international filmmakers to shoot their films in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, surrounded by its historical architecture. If you are a fan of exploring buildings around the city, especially the architectural buildings in Edinburgh, then it’ll be interesting for you to learn how they are depicted in the movies.

In this article, we have listed some of those movies that have some or most of their scenes based in Edinburgh.

First things first, make sure that you have a stable internet connection so that you can smoothly stream these movies and explore Edinburgh’s architectural buildings. If you don’t have one, we recommend going for an Xfinity internet connection for its super-fast speeds and stable connectivity. What’s even better, the Xfinity phone number is available 24/7 for any internet-related issues.

Trainspotting (1996)

This may have been the best ‘Edinburgh film ever, as most of the famous spots around Edinburgh have been captured in this film.

Two characters from the film, Mark and Spud took a jog at Holyrood Park, around the Queen’s Drive. It is one of Edinburgh’s highest points, consisting of a 650-acre hilly area, from where you can take in a panoramic view of Edinburgh.

There is also the Scottish Parliament Building, where the characters from the film request funding for their business. St. Stephen’s Church Stockbridge at Saint Stephen’s Street is shown in the opening scene of the movie Trainspotting.

Other landmarks include Forth Road Bridge, a large bridge that the characters trek across, The Cav, which is a nightclub, Edinburgh Airport, and more.

Although Trainspotting was mostly filmed in Glasgow, it still showed some of the best locations around Edinburgh.

If interested, catch the Trainspotting movie on the Paramount+ streaming service.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)

A classic, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie starring Maggie Smith, was wholly filmed in Edinburgh in the 1960s.

In the movie, there are backdrops of real Edinburgh locations, such as the Vennel, a flight of steps toward Grassmarket, along with a view of Edinburgh Castle.

The main character, Miss Brodie, lived in the Victorian House opposite the Lothian Regional Council Office in Edinburgh. She taught at the now-referred-to-as Edinburgh Academy, previously Donaldson School for Deaf and Dumb Children.

Other places that the film characters are seen passing through are Barnbougle Castle, Greyfriars Kirkyard, and more.

You can stream The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie on Movieland TV or Cinema Box on your Roku device.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

That’s right, even one of the Avengers movies was shot in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. Filmmakers wanted something unique, gothic, and dramatic, and voila, Edinburgh’s Old Town with its historical architecture fitted the bill.

Two characters, Wanda and Vision, were having a romantic stay at Edinburgh and took a stroll down Cockburn Street.

Remember the scene when they were attacked by aliens and followed to the streets across from a landmark? That was Edinburgh City Chambers, in all its glory. They were also followed through Laila’s which is a small café down at Cockburn Street, Royal Mile, St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh Waverley, and Edinburgh Castle in the backdrop.

If you want to watch the Avengers movie again just to spot these places around Edinburgh, it is available for streaming on Disney+.

One Day (2011)

This is a beautiful romantic film, where a boy and a girl, who are recent graduates of the University of Edinburgh and complete opposites, spend the night together and there begins their lifelong friendship.

One Day wasn’t fully filmed; there were just a few locations that were shot there. Places you can spot in this film are Arthur’s Seat, a mountainous peak in Edinburgh, Warriston’s Close, Parliament Square, Cockburn Street, and the Royal Mile.

This movie is available to stream on Prime Video, Redbox, Apple TV, or Vudu.

Cloud Atlas (2012)

This Hollywood blockbuster was mostly shot in London, Berlin, Glasgow, and San Francisco, as well as Edinburgh, Scotland.

The scenes that were shot in Edinburgh were at the Scott Movement, City Chambers on the Royal Mile, Victoria Terrace, and the magnificent India Buildings. There was also a scene in Cloud Atlas which was supposedly a bridge leading to the nuclear power station in the US, but it was actually Clackmannanshire Bridge in Scotland.

You can stream Cloud Atlas by renting or purchasing on Google Play, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and Vudu.

Movies Depicting Edinburgh Architectural Buildings – Wrapping Up

These are just five of the movies that took their filming to Edinburgh. And rightly so, because Edinburgh does have some picturesque structures around its region that would look aesthetically appealing on our TV screens. If you want to look at places around Edinburgh, these films are your best bet.

Comments on this Movies Depicting Edinburgh’s Architectural Buildings and Other Locations article are welcome.

Edinburgh Architecture

Vision for National Centre for Music at Royal High School
New National Centre For Music Edinburgh

Rowanbank Gardens

construction photo courtesy of developers
Rowanbank Gardens Edinburgh Housing

Powderhall Stables Building

photo : Andrew Lee
Powderhall Stables Building

Comments / photos for the 5 Movies Depicting Edinburgh Architectural Buildings and Other Locations page welcome