Shetland Islands
The Shetland Islands are part of Scotland and lie north-east of the Scottish mainland. Because it’s so far north the region offers the longest daylight hours in the UK – in the height of summer the region gets four more hours per day than in London, making it an attractive proposition for filmmakers.
Shetland has nearly 1,700 miles of coastline and offers everything from moorland and woodland through to castles, country houses and historic towns. There’s also an industrial presence on the archipelago with the largest oil shipment terminal in Europe being based there, but the authorities have been careful to ensure the environment is preserved.
The islands lend themselves most naturally to documentaries, but are just waiting to be utilised by fiction filmmakers as well. Shetland Islands Council arranges filming activities alongside the regional film offices on the Scottish mainland, while daily flight connections allow for easy access to and from the islands.