The breathtaking scenery of the West Highlands is being filmed this week to provide specialised location shots for the forthcoming movie block-buster, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," based on the incredibly popular book series by Edinburgh's J.K. Rowling. Following a visit to Lochaber in June by the film's director, Chris Columbus, Warner Brothers camera crews have been in the West Highlands this week filming various scenic sites selected for the takes onto which action sequences will be superimposed. As part of the storyline involves the Hogwart's Express steam train, much of the filming will centre on the West Highland Railway Line between Fort William and Mallaig. Other local locations will be the Mamore Hills above Kinlocheven and Treslaig in Ardnamurchan. There are high hopes that the Victorian castle of Inverailort, on the Road to the Isles, could be in the frame to be used as Hogwart's School of Wizardry.

With the movie now in pre-production, "Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone" is expected to hit UK cinemas by autumn 2001, with 11 year old London actor, Daniel Radcliffe, in the title role. Meanwhile, following some successful location spotting by Brian McDermott of Fort William-based "Wildplace Access," the cameras will be rolling this week to provide the Highland connection for what is certain to be a smash-hit success

HARRY POTTER MAKES A RETURN VISIT TO LOCHABER
Thursday, August 30, 2001

Not even Harry Potter's Wizardry could get the steam loco, Hogwart's Castle, to pass through a West Highland railway station on Thursday afternoon. The blood-red engine was en route from the North West of England to Glenfinnan where filming, featuring the Hogwart's Express steam train is due to start on Friday, on the latest Harry Potter movie, "Chamber of Secrets."

But when the locomotive reached Banavie Station, three miles from Fort William, it was discovered that it was too wide to negotiate its way past the single platform at Banavie - which juts out towards the track. With faces as red as the engine, Warner Brothers personnel, Railtrack engineers, and Scotrail officials scratched their heads as the loco was manoeuvred backwards and forwards. But Hogwart's Castle couldn't get past, and had to be reversed back down the track towards Fort William.

The steam loco is due to be pulling six coaches - also coloured red - which are the rolling stock of the Jacobite Steam Train which runs regular excursions on the West Highland Line between Fort William and Mallaig. A hundred youngsters from Lochaber high School in Fort William will be appearing on the train as cheering, flagwaving extras - all dressed in wizard's cloaks and sorcerer's mantles.

James Shuttleworth, marketing director for the Jacobite Steam Train, said: "We had a notion that the Hogwart's Castle loco might have difficulty at Banavie Station. Adjustments are being made and the plan is to try again at 6am on Friday."

Sunday, September 02, 2001

It was all aboard Hogwart's Express on the West Highland Railway Line on Sunday afternoon for 100 excited school pupils. The youngsters, aged from 13-15, who attend Lochaber High School, in Fort William, were all kitted out in wizard's cloaks and sorcerer's mantles. They had been signed up as extras for the latest Harry Potter movie, The Chamber of Secrets (Book #2 in the series).

Their roles cast them as students of Hogwart's Castle for Wizards, and the magical train trip is one of the main sequences of the film. A Warner Brothers camera crew took the action shots from a helicopter as the pupils cheered and waved flags out of the windows of the blood-red carriages of Hogwart's Express.

The train shuttled between Glenfinnan Station and Glenfinnan Viaduct, both spectacularly situated high above Bonnie Prince Charlie's Monument at the head of Loch Shiel. A 1950's steam loco, named Hogwart's Castle, also a striking blood-red in colour, pulled the four coaches

BRAVEHEART SWORD
Sunday, March 11, 2001

The man who crafted SEVEN of the Wallace Swords used in "Braveheart" by Mel Gibson is having a wee smile to himself that the one he didn't make has been auctioned for £116,000. Indeed that particular one didn't even make the film!

Brian Davenport (68) from Fort William was No 2 armourer for the 1995 blockbuster movie, much of which was shot in and around his local area. And, on location, he had the job of fashioning no less than seven of the five feet long broadswords, which Mel Gibson brandished at various stages, in the film.

"The reason for that number being hand-produced was to have a sufficient quantity of working swords on the set," said Brian on Friday. "They were used to blend in with the lighting, the background scenery, and the time of day the scenes were being shot."

At the end of the filming several of Brian's broadsword creations - all of which cost around £300 to make - were given as presents by the movie company to producers and directors of the film. "I know that one of the swords I made was auctioned in America for $18,000 a few weeks ago", said Brian. Brian worked with free-lance armourer, Simon Atherton, who is based in London, and who was commissioned to make up a full size replica of the original 700 year old, six feet long Wallace broadsword, to show to Mel Gibson and Braveheart's art director.

"The loved it", said Brian, "But the sword was too big for Mel. Simon crafted another one, smaller, and with a shorter steel blade. At the end of the filming the original big one went to Mel, the second one, which was actually used in the movie, Simon got for himself as a souvenir."

LOCHABER RESCUE TEAM COMING TO THE BBC
Sunday, September 02, 2001

Fort William, which has played host over the past 20 years to the cast and crew of blockbusting movies like Local Hero, Rob Roy and Braveheart, is currently at the centre of the action for a six-part BBC drama series.

"Rockface," reputed to be costing £500,000 an episode, features the Glentannoch Mountain Rescue Team, whose exploits are built around the real-life adventures of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team - Scotland's busiest. And, while the epic, locally-shot films of the 1980s and 1990s were on location in and around Fort William for three weeks apiece, the cast and crew of "Rockface" are spending a four MONTHS sojourn there.

As a result the Lochaber area is benefiting from the knock-on effects of having the TV drama on their doorstep. For example, the Lochaber Rural Complex at Torlundy has been virtually taken over for the film studios - with executive offices, two miles away, being provided by the premises of a former garden centre.

All sorts of props are being provided locally, with huge amounts of climbing clothing and gear being supplied by Fort William's outfitters. Apart from being retained as technical, safety and locations advisers, several members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team are in the series as extras - their parts ranging from mountaineers to monks! - and "acting" as "Sherpas" on the slopes. The four months of filming has also meant that a total of 7,500 bednights have been taken up by the cast and the crew, who are staying in hotels, guesthouses and self-catering accommodation within a ten mile radius of Fort William.

Jacky Stoller, the series producer, said during the week: "Everyone we have dealt with locally has been extremely helpful and courteous, and those on location with us are working really hard to help make the series a success. The camaraderie between the actors and crew, and the local extras, is tremendous." Jacky, who produced "At Home With the Braithwaites" and last year completed a series based on the horseracing bestsellers of Dick Francis added: "As far as their mountaineering prowess is concerned, the members of "our team," while they may have felt that they were training at some kind of Boot Camp at the start of their rock-climb training, are now really enjoying the rescue sequences - thanks to their expert local tutors."