James Bond: Why the next Scottish actor to play the part may need to say 'stirred, not shaken' – Scotsman comment

Everyone knows the best James Bond was Scottish.

Remember Mr Bond, it's 'stirred, not shaken' or your Irn-Bru will explode (Picture: Andrew O'Brien)

In fact, there is a suggestion that author Ian Fleming decided to write a new back-story that his super-spy was half-Scottish precisely because of Sean Connery’s success in the film role. There are also claims the fictional character was based on the late Scottish diplomat and SAS commando, Fitzroy Maclean.

Despite that, to date Connery remains the only Scot to play the part. However, it now appears Leith-based actor Jack Lowden is in the running for the role, alongside Gerard Butler, Richard Madden, Sam Heughan and many, many others.

One bookmaker reckoned that Lowden could be a “good fit for 007 thanks to his Scottish connection, which could see him pick up where Sean Connery left off”.

Lowden has starred in movies such as Tommy's Honour, Dunkirk and Benediction but another earlier performance might – just might – inspire the screenwriters to tweak Bond’s character just as Fleming may have done for Connery.

For, when he was 18, Lowden starred in an advert for Scotland’s other national drink, aka Irn-Bru. In a parody of the film High School Musical, he sang: “We’ve got something that’s good for morale. It’s fizzy, it’s ginger, it’s phenomenal.”

So perhaps it’s time for Bond to abandon his favourite vodka martini in favour of something apparently called an “iron monkey”, a cocktail made with whisky and Irn-Bru.

This would present a rather different image, but as long as Bond remembered to say “stirred, not shaken”, we’re sure it would all be fine. If not, then an exploding cocktail shaker could always provide an unexpected plot twist.

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