Batman becomes £1m superhero for the Highlands’ economy

FILMING for the latest Hollywood blockbuster in the Batman series has boosted the economy of the Highlands by more than £1 million.

A 200-strong production team of cast and crew spent two months in the Cairngorms shooting scenes for The Dark Knight Rises, which is due to be released this summer starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader. The Highlands is also set to be showcased in two other major film releases this year – Under the Skin, starring Scarlett Johansson, and the Disney-Pixar studio’s new animated film, Brave.

The economic and tourism boost being generated by film-makers in the north of Scotland is revealed in a report due to go before Highland councillors on Tuesday.

Tourism official Colin Simpson said the UK was seen as a more cost-effective destination both for a number of large-budget US productions and for the filming of commercials which might previously have gone to exotic locations.

“Good examples are the recent Bentley commercial, partly filmed in north-west Sutherland, and the latest in the Batman series,” he said. “This production came to the Highlands, in part because the production manager, who had worked on Brave-heart in the 1990s, knew the location and the quality of support available in the Highlands.

“This in turn led to over 200 crew spending two months in the area, using local services, suppliers and accommodation and injecting £1.1m into the Highland economy.”

He added: “Brave will be promoted alongside VisitScotland and is expected to be a major hit at the box office.”