Glasgow stars on-screen

The home of the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust stars in a new film alongside British acting stalwart, Timothy Spall, in which his character journeys from John O’Groats to Land’s End – despite the cast and crew having never left Scotland.

Directed by Scottish filmmaker Gillies MacKinnon (Small Faces, Whisky Galore), The Last Bus was filmed across Scotland in October and November 2019 and is now set for release on Friday (27 August).

The film charts the story of 90-year-old Tom Harper (Spall) who, after the death of his wife Mary (Phyllis Logan), travels the 874 miles from their home at Scotland’s most northern mainland point to England’s most southern point, via local buses using his bus pass.

Despite the epic nature of the journey, film production never left Scotland, instead making clever use of Scottish locations and real regional buses to recreate the route.

Most of the filming took place in and around Glasgow, including at the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust’s Bridgeton Bus Garage on Fordneuk Street. The exterior of the former Corporation bus garage was used for bus stops and depots, while sets were built in the interior of the museum which is home to around 130 vintage buses, coaches, commercial vehicles and fire appliances.

Other film locations included Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in North Lanarkshire, and Dunure on the Ayrshire coast and Hunterston House in West Kilbride, both of which are familiar to Outlander fans as filming locations for the hit television series.

Touch Estate on the outskirts of Stirling acted as Tom and Mary’s cottage, with an unused house renovated by the Art and Props department to create a warm and cosy home.

The film also features many scenic shots of the beautiful landscapes in the Scottish Borders, Argyll and Highlands.

The Last Bus is just one of many productions to have taken advantage of Scotland as a backdrop in recent years – including most recently, Fast & Furious 9 (filmed in Edinburgh), Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (filmed in Glasgow and Edinburgh) and The Princess Switch: Switched Again (filmed in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Lothians).

Research shows that around one in five visitors are motivated to travel to Scotland after seeing locations on the big and small screen. With the rise of streaming services and increased availability of watching Scottish-set films years after their release, screen tourism could play a more significant role in attracting visitors and boosting Scottish tourism.

The Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust’s collection of vehicles is only available to see on specific dates throughout the year. The Trust plans an Open Weekend on 9 and 10 October which will include many visiting vehicles and stalls, plus a high frequency bus service between the garage and city centre using its vintage vehicles.

To find out more about the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust, go to www.gvvt.org

ENDS