James Bond and Scotland: Here are 10 links the world's most famous spy has with Scotland - including 007's former school and his father's background
It’s been 60 years since the world premiere of Dr No launched one of the biggest ever film franchises in cinema history on October 5, 1962.
In the six decades since there have been 27 films, with seven actors playing the iconic lead role – Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.
And Bond is back in the headlines since Daniel Craig announced that ‘No Time To Die’ would be his last James Bond film, with feverish speculation about his successor.
Bond has had a number of different hair and eye colours, personalities, heights and body shapes – while members of his team including Q, M and Moneypenny have been played by a variety of actors.
But one constant has been Bond’s links with Scotland, which have expanded since creator Ian Fleming first put pen to paper.
Here are 10 ways that Scotland can claim a share of the world’s most famous spy.
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And Bond is back in the headlines since Daniel Craig announced that ‘No Time To Die’ would be his last James Bond film, with feverish speculation about his successor.
5. Friends and ememies
They may have not been Scottish characters but some of Bond enemies and friends have been played by some of Scotland's best-known actors. Robbie Coltrane played ally Valentin Zukovsky in both GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough, while Alan Cumming and Robert Carlyle were baddies Boris Grishenko and Renard in the same two films. Photo: Contributed
6. The perfect scenery for a car chase
In the most recent Bond film - and Daniel Craig's swansong in the role - one of the most memorable scenes was set in Scotland. An epic car chase in No Time To Die takes in the Cairngorms National Park and the beautiful Loch Laggan, near Dalwhinnie. tHe freshwater loch was also featured in Monarch of the Glen and the popular Temeraire series of fantasy novels. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
7. Soundtracked by Scots
It wouldn't be a Bond film without a custom-made song to play out in full accompanying dramatic opening credits. Two Scottish singers have had the honour of singing a Bond theme song - Lulu in 1974 for Roger Moore's The Man With The Golden Gun, and Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson in 1999 for Pierce Brosnan's The World Is Not Enough. Photo: Getty Images
8. The base of a plot
In 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me, starring Roger Moore, Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, located on Argyll's Gare Loch, plays a major part in the film. It's where 007, wearing full navy uniform, discovers that baddy Stromberg is targeting british submarines. Photo: Canva/Getty Images