Why not take a tour of Scotland’s impressive landscape and see where some Hollywood blockbusters and classic movie scenes were captured?
Start at Rosslyn Chapel, just a few miles from Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh. The 15th-century medieval chapel was featured in the movie "The Da Vinci Code." Check the chapel’s Web site a day or two before visiting because the chapel closes on occasion for funerals and private services.
Fans of the British cult classic "Trainspotting," featuring Ewan McGregor and Johnny Lee Miller, might recognize Edinburgh’s Princes Street from the movie’s opening chase scene. Princes Street, a lively, often-crowded thoroughfare, features street musicians, prominent shops and a neo-Gothic monument dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, which, according to the Scotland Flavour Web site, is the largest monument ever built to honor a writer.
Locations on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, which leads from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyrood House, are featured in the movies "Chariots of Fire" and "Mary Reilly."
Travel to the historic town of Stirling, where Mel Gibson’s "Braveheart" was set. This region was the setting for the battles of Stirling Bridge and Falkirk, which are portrayed in the movie. William Wallace, portrayed by Gibson, is commemorated with a 220-foot-tall tower, the National Wallace Monument, which sits atop the rock of Abbey Craig — where Wallace camped before the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297.
While there, take a walk around Stirling Castle and enjoy the panoramic views of seven battlefields, Ben Lomond, Ochil Hills and The Trossachs region. This is Rob Roy country.
Near the town of Perth, visit Megginch Castle, whose courtyard was transformed into an 18th-century marketplace for the movie "Rob Roy." Not far away, near the town of Crieff, stands Drummond Castle and its impressive gardens, where several other scenes from the movie were filmed.
And Scotland’s rugged Highlands region around Glencoe provided the backdrop for scenes from not only the "Braveheart" movie, but also the film "Highlander."
While in the Glencoe area, visit the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which was traveled by the Hogwarts Express train in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." Then there’s Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain. It was the backdrop for the quidditch matches in a couple of the "Harry Potter" films.
