Where Was Highlander Filmed? An Action Fantasy Film From The Mid-80s!!

Did you enjoy watching Warlock? Would you like to know more about a similar film? Then we suggest you watch Highlander. Before you tune in, let’s discuss where was Highlander filmed. Furthermore, I’ll also give you an overview of this classic action film.

Highlander is an American action film that was released in the mid-80s. Christopher Connery and legendary Hollywood actor Sean Connery played the lead role in this rousing movie. Beatie Edney and Clancy Brown were selected to play the supporting characters.

The basic premise of Highlander revolves around the character of Connor MacLeod, an immortal swordsman living in Scotland. The story gets interesting when the Scottish swordsman clashes with his arch-enemy Krugen to settle the dispute once and for all.

This award-winning fantastical drama was adapted from Gregory Widen’s story, which he wrote a couple of years prior to the movie. However, when Widen joined this project, he collaborated with Peter Bellwood and Larry Ferguson while writing the screenplay. Russel Mulcahy was at the helm of affairs, while Peter Davis and William Panzer funded the entire production.

We’ll discuss more about this classic fantasy film, but before that, let’s find out where was Highlander filmed. Furthermore, I’ll also walk you through the plot of this amazing film.

Where Was Highlander Filmed? Let’s Know This Fantasy Action Flick Closely!

The story of this fantastical movie is set in the Scottish Highlands. But, you’d be quite surprised to know that not all outdoor scenes of Highlander were captured in Scotland only. The production members also traveled to a number of other countries and filmed the rest of the scenes.

The production budget of Highlander was close to $19 million. So, the director thought it would be a good idea to allocate the majority of the budget towards selecting the best filming locations. 

So in order to make things more clear, the director supervised the auditioning process for the supporting characters. The lead actors, on the other hand, were selected by no casting director but Russell Mulcahy himself.

The main filming locations in Scotland were selected by the production members at the beginning of the project. However, the other locations were selected by separate teams formed by the director. 

Several potential locations were scouted in and around the UK and the USA. The production members traveled to London and other iconic cities in Britain. After these locations were selected, the remaining locations were scouted in America.

The principal photography began in the second week of April 1985 and continued until the last week of August of the same year. The majority of the outdoor scenes were filmed in and around the UK.

However, the second phase of shooting took place in America, and during this time, the remaining outdoor scenes of Highlander were filmed. The production designers began working before the shooting process started.

Even the shooting permits and other expensive items required for filming were arranged by them to avoid any delays. This decision was extremely crucial because, later on, the production members were able to complete the shooting process within the estimated timeline.

Let us now discuss in detail where was Highlander filmed.

Scotland, England | UK

The opening sequence of the movie was filmed in London. The production members selected St. Augustine’s Church, located in Kilburn, London, to capture the scenes of the church. In this particular sequence of the movie, we see the lead character for the first time.

Other important scenes in England were filmed near Welwyn Garden City and Brocket Hall. The sequence where the lead actor saves young Rachel from the attack by the Nazis was filmed in Greenwich, London.

After all these shots were captured, the production members moved to Scotland. The scenes depicting the mysterious tower and the cottage were filmed near Glen Coe, Highland. Additional outdoor scenes of the movie were shot near Isle of Skye.

The iconic scene in the movie where Krugan and Connor clash against each other for the first time was filmed in Glen Coe, Highland. After all these scenes were filmed, the production members traveled to America.

Other Filming Locations

The second phase of filming took place in America. The production members filmed the final quarter of the movie in and around the city of New York. The filming crew also captured the interior scenes of Highlander inside a famous after which the shooting process ended.

I will now walk you through the plot of Highlander. In the meantime, you can also read Welcome to Wrexham and To Wong Foo.

Plot Of Highlander | What’s It About

The story of Highlander revolves around the character of Connor MacLeod, an immortal Scottish swordsman living in Highland. At the very beginning of the movie, the lead character meets with his master and discusses his next plan to find and neutralize his arch-enemy.

As the story progresses further, MacLeod continues searching for Krugon and, in the meantime, runs into a pretty girl. The character of Rachel, on the other hand, shows the lead actor his path to glory.

Watch Highlander and find out what happens when Connor MacLeod and Krugon run into each other to settle the age-old rivalry once and for all.

Final Words

Guys, this is the final segment of this article. I’ve already mentioned all the filming locations of this fantasy action flick. If you have any questions regarding where was Highlander filmed, let us know in the comments. 

But if you’re interested in knowing more about this action-adventure movie, then you should definitely check out the FAQs listed below.