TV And Films Contribute £45m To Economy

Film and TV producers spent over £45m pounds shooting on location in Scotland last year.

That is up by £12m on the year before.

Among the productions contributing to the economic boost is Outlander, which was partly filmed near Kirkcaldy earlier this year.

The Scottish Government has made almost £5m available to the sector, through for example tax credits and training opportunities.

"Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "This rise in production spend is a strong indication that film producers have a growing appetite to base their productions in Scotland. With our stunning, iconic landscapes, rich culture and heritage and skilled and talented crew, the £45 million production spend total for 2014 demonstrates that producers around the world recognise that Scotland has much to offer.

"These productions generate significant income for Scotland through the use of Scottish talent, crews, locations, transport, accommodation and through the impact they have on tourism. The Scottish Government and our agencies are firmly committed to growing the economic impact of our screen sector and continuing to promote Scotland as a premier and competitive location to produce great films and TV shows – as underlined by the £162 million public funding awarded to the sector since 2007/08, during a period of tough budgets.

"But we recognise we need to do more. That is why this week I announced a new £1.75 million production growth fund to provide an additional incentive for major international productions to come to Scotland, as well as increasing funding available for Scottish productions. This builds on the £2 million Tax Credit Advance Facility I announced earlier this year and the £1 million Screen Skills Fund through which we are supporting training and skills development opportunities."