The Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands has been named the UK’s best film location by holidaymakers.
Since its 2002 debut in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the railway attraction has become intrinsically linked with the magical films.
It starred in a further two movies in the franchise and is known to millions as ‘The Harry Potter Bridge’. Many fans have been inspired to pay homage – and 2023 saw a record-breaking number of visitors.
The immense 21-arch, 30-metre-high (100ft) curved structure on the Fort William to Mallaig line tops a ranking of the nation’s favourite film locations drawn up by Virgin Media 02 from a survey of 2,000 UK adults.
Second on the list is Highclere Castle in Hampshire, a Jacobethan-style country house and the location for several films and TV series, including Downton Abbey.
The Glenfinnan Viaduct (pictured) has topped Virgin Media’s ranking of the UK’s favourite film locations
Since its 2002 debut in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (above), the immense 21-arch, 30-metre-high (100ft) curved structure has become intrinsically linked with the magical films
Glenfinnan Viaduct is located on the Fort William to Mallaig line
Above is Highclere Castle in Hampshire, the setting of Downton Abbey, which places second on Virgin Media’s ranking
In third place is Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, better known to some as the residence of Mr Darcy in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
The Notting Hill Bookshop places fourth on the list, likely due to its appearance in Notting Hill, starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts
While the inside of the shop did not feature in the 1999 romcom, its interior was replicated as a set, and decades later, the site is often crowded with tourists.
Honeysuckle Cottage in Surrey, the inspiration for the cottage in the film ‘The Holiday’, which saw Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz home-swap over the Christmas holidays, places fifth on the list.
Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, the location of period drama Pride and Prejudice, places third
The Notting Hill Bookshop, which inspired the bookshop in Notting Hill, is often crowded with tourists and ranks fourth on Virgin Media’s list
In sixth place is the Royal Liver Building in Pier Head, Liverpool, a historic monument that was recently transformed into the Gotham City Police Department, in Batman.
The Duke of Albany in New Cross, London, ranks seventh. This former grand pub appeared in 2004 film Shaun of the Dead, starring Simon Pegg.
St Ann’s in Nottingham, one of the locations in ‘This is England’, places eighth and Piccadilly Circus in London, which has featured in countless films from Bridget Jones’s Diary to Trainspotting, places ninth.
Finally, in tenth place, is another Derbyshire location, Kedleston Hall – the main filming location for The Duchess, a period drama starring Keira Knightley.
The study also found that visiting film locations is a key tourism driver for staycations, with one in four Brits (26 per cent) admitting they’d plan a trip to visit a film location over visiting a family member or friend.
Social media seems to play an increasing role in influencing the locations people choose to travel, with 28 per cent of Brits more likely to be swayed by a trip they’ve seen on social media compared to a recommendation from a friend (23 per cent).
The Royal Liver Building in Pier Head, Liverpool (sixth), doubled as the filming location of 2022’s Batman
London’s legendary Piccadilly Circus has featured in many famous films and places ninth on the list
Once at their film pilgrimage, 79 per cent of Brits reveal they document their trips by taking photographs, while 21 per cent go even further by reenacting a scene from a film.
Some Brits are willing to go that extra mile, perhaps too far, to get the perfect shot, with nearly one in ten (nine per cent) of the men surveyed even willing to risk getting fined.
Google Trends findings also reveal that over the past five years, searches for ‘film locations’ spiked dramatically around the festive season, likely due to people wanting to visit the locations of their favourite Christmas classics.
THE UK’S FAVOURITE FILMING LOCATIONS
1. Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scottish Highlands
2. Highclere Castle, Hampshire
3. Chatsworth House, Derbyshire
4. The Notting Hill Bookshop, London
5. Honeysuckle Cottage, Surrey
6. Royal Liver Building, Pier Head, Liverpool
7. The Duke of Albany, New Cross, London
8. St Ann’s, Nottingham
9. Piccadilly Circus, London
10. Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire
Source: Virgin Media 02
Source link
CHECK OUT: Top Travel Destinations
READ MORE: Travel News
