10 Great Bollywood Locations in Scotland

Kashmir was a favourite place for outdoor location filming for Bollywood movies, with stunning mountain and lake scenery. However, it became very difficult to take film crews into the area to film and even harder to risk the stars for the location shoots. Around the mid 1990’s somebody chose to use Scotland for locations.  Suddenly Scotland of the misty glen, craggy mountain peaks and 3,000 lochs (Scottish word for lakes), full of castles and ruined abbeys and cathedrals was number one on the desirable location list. These days Indian film crews are a regular sight across Scotland making new movies. Some of the most famous Bollywood hits of the last 20+ years have been filmed partly (or even mainly) in Scotland.

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

The first really big hit movie to use Scotland was filmed in various locations. Eilan Donan Castle, Tantallon Castle and the stunning Bass Rock island, the 13^th century religious ruins at Crossraguel Abbey and the lovely Inchmahome Priory, set on an island in a lake, all made great locations.  Scenes were also shot deep in Glencoe, one of Scotland’s best mountain/glen settings, also a favourite for Hollywood movies. Glencoe was used as the setting for James Bond’s childhood home in Skyfall. After the success of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai the film industry made Scotland one of their most preferred location sites and the Scottish tourist board and government gave them lots of incentives to come and film here.

Dhaal Akshar Prem Ke

This was released in 2000 and also filmed in East Lothian at Tantallon Castle and the Bass Rock, as well as at Culzean Castle on the South West Coast.

Mausam

Many of the scenes for Mausam, another major movie filmed extensively in Scotland, were shot in the World Heritage Capital city of Edinburgh. High on Calton Hill, in the city centre, where they filmed at the National Monument and Dugald Stewart Memorial.  Scenes were shot in St. Giles Cathedral, the Edinburgh Central Mosque and Donaldson’s School for the Deaf, a glorious Victorian building. Other scenes were filmed in The Last Drop, an old pub in the Grassmarket, below Edinburgh Castle, where the hanging gallows stood for many years and the lovely Usher Hall, where a concert was set. Opening scenes included the Forth Bridge just outside Edinburgh, voted by Scots as their favourite man-made construction in Scotland. The locations from Mausam would make a very interesting half or full day guided tour of Edinburgh and we can arrange the driver/guide and vehicle if you would like to do that – https://www.celticlegend.co.uk/guided-tours-scotland/

Yeh Hai Jalwa

Shot in 2002, Yeh Hai Jalwa used many of the same Edinburgh locations as well as the Balmoral Hotel and the amazing Scott Monument. They also filmed in Glasgow’s George Square in the city centre.

Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta

Several other Bollywood films also chose Glasgow as a backdrop, including Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta, starring Govinda.  It also featured George Square, Argyle Street, The Clyde Arc Bridge, the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens, Bell’s Bridge, Prince’s Square, the Clyde Auditorium and the University of Glasgow. It sounds like the whole movie was filmed in Glasgow, but not quite – only almost ALL the outdoor location shots.

Baar Baar Dekho

Released in 2016 Baar Baar Dekho seemed to love the River Clyde through the centre of Glasgow and especially, many of the bridges and the Glasgow Tower.  Glasgow’s inhabitants often have names for the bridges not intended by the designers – The Clyde Arc has become the Squinty Bridge, because of the twisted arch above it,

Aarzoo

Aarzoo filmed location shots in Scotland’s old capital city of Perth, especially statues such as The Fair Maid of Perth from a novel by one of Scotland’s foremost literary figures, Sir Walter Scott. They also filmed at St Andrews Cathedral in the pretty little town of St Andrews, the Home of Golf.

Contact us to discuss a tour to visit some of the locations.