£180m Mary Queen of Scots blockbuster to be filmed in Edinburgh

A major new film telling the story of Mary Queen of Scots is set to be shot in Edinburgh this year.

Saoirse Ronan will star in Mary Queen of Scots, the monarch who famously stayed at Edinburgh's Holyrood Palace.

The £180m project, written by House of Cards creator Beau Willimon, will star actress Saoirse Ronan in the lead role, according to reports.

It is reported that locations throughout the UK and Ireland were considered before it was decided to shoot in Edinburgh.

One insider was quoted by The Herald today saying: “This is going to be one of the greatest historical films ever made about Scotland will not be a straight remake of the 1971 film.

“It’s a fascinating 16th century tale, not least because Mary was only 19 when she was imprisoned and it was 23 years later before she was finally executed.”