Sir Sean Connery once said that “Edinburgh seems to have been built as a film set” — and his home town has spent decades proving him right. Marvel blew up a truck on the Royal Mile. Vin Diesel drove a magnet-truck through the Old Town. Claire found Jamie again in a close off the Royal Mile. For a city of half a million people, that’s quite the showreel.

Most of the action clusters around the Old Town: the Royal Mile and its 80-odd closes, Victoria Street, Cockburn Street, the Grassmarket and the Mound. It’s a compact, photogenic, endlessly adaptable backdrop, which is exactly why productions keep coming back.

This is a short guide to some of the films and TV shows shot in Edinburgh, and where in the city you’ll find them—many of them are part of the 90-Minute Movie & TV Locations Walking Tour.

Avengers: Infinity War

In 2017, the 19th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe descended on Edinburgh for what became the largest shoot the Old Town has ever seen. If you’ve ever wondered how a Hollywood production turns a working street into a battleground for Wanda, Vision and Thanos’s children, the answer involves a lot more craft (and a lot more misdirection) than the finished five minutes lets on.

Fast & Furious 9

Two years later, the Old Town went full blockbuster again, this time for an extended chase sequence in F9.

Outlander

Edinburgh’s Outlander footprint is small, but it’s an important one, and it’s all within a few minutes’ walk on the Royal Mile.

One Day

Two versions of One Day came to Edinburgh: the 2011 film with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, and Netflix’s 2024 series.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein

In autumn 2024, Guillermo del Toro turned the clock back to Edinburgh in 1816 for his long-awaited Frankenstein, with Oscar Isaac, Christoph Waltz and Mia Goth coming to the city.

Trainspotting

You can’t talk about Edinburgh on film without it. The 1996 original sent Renton and the gang sprinting along Princes Street in one of British cinema’s most quoted opening sequences, and T2 Trainspotting returned to the Old Town two decades later.

And plenty more besides

That’s barely scratching the surface. Edinburgh has also doubled, dressed up and shown off in:

Cloud Atlas — the Wachowskis closed the Scott Monument for a day, with Ben Whishaw looking out over Edinburgh.

Restless Natives — the much-loved 1985 comedy, with its bikers tearing up the Mound and Victoria Terrace, scored by Big Country.

Sunshine on Leith — the joyous 500-strong flash-mob finale, staged on the Mound to The Proclaimers.

Chariots of Fire — the Assembly Hall at the top of the Mound stood in for the 1924 story.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga — Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams roamed the city for this Netflix comedy.

Filth — James McAvoy’s Irvine Welsh anti-hero stalks Victoria Street and the Grassmarket.

Good Omens — Michael Sheen can be see on Edinburgh streets.

Rebus and Department Q — recent Edinburgh-set crime series filmed across the Old Town.

Baby Reindeer — Richard Gadd’s Fringe episode walks the Royal Mile.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Hallam Foe, Case Histories, The Debt Collector, Our Ladies and Death Defying Acts — among many others, going right back to 1960’s The Battle of the Sexes with Peter Sellers.

Coming soon

The city isn’t slowing down. Productions on the way include Ghostwriter, a new film from JJ Abrams, plus the second series of both Department Q and Rebus — so the list keeps growing.

Book a tour

Want to visit many of these locations during your visit to Edinburgh? Find out more about the 90-Minute Movie & TV Locations Walking Tour.