10 Film & TV Locations That Attracted The WRONG Sort Of Attention
It turns out having your home in a Hollywood movie SUCKS.
People love to visit film and television locations. There’s something magical about walking in the footsteps of your favourite actors and characters and that magic is keenly catered for by a steady stream of walking tours, museums, and commemorative plaques or shrines.
There’s an area of Cardiff Bay, for example, which is a year-round shrine to the dearly departed (and 100% fictional) Torchwood character Ianto Jones. Yea round, fans flock to Cardiff to leave notes, flowers, and artwork in tribute to Captain Jack’s former lover/coffee boy.
In short, having a film or television show shot in your city or town is great for the tourist trade. It’s why so many cities and countries offer tax breaks to film crews as an incentive for filming there. It’s also why various South Korean locations are currently cashing in on the global fascination with Squid Game as Korean tourism’s way out of the pandemic.
But this intrigue can be a curse as well as a blessing, and this list looks at the unfortunate householders, historical societies or overlooked communities that must deal with the downside of increased interest in their local area.
10. Outlander Fans Trample The Grave Of Clan Fraser
Time travelling Highland romance Outlander has been huge for Scotland both culturally and economically. Alongside Avengers: Infinity War and Fast and Furious 9, it has provided a welcome injection of money into Scotland’s screen industries.
It has also increased interest in Scottish history much like Mel Gibson’s historically inaccurate Braveheart did, despite that being filmed mostly in Ireland. One historical location that experiences an increase in footfall is the site of the battle of Culloden.
In the show, it is the setting of Jamie’s final confrontation with the villainous Black Jack Randall. In real life, the devastating events of that April day in 1745, and the attempted ethnic cleansing that followed, continue to cast a long shadow on the Scottish psyche.
All of which is lost on many visitors to Culloden, who want to see the site of the Season 3 opener. But the former battlefield is no mere film set, it’s a war grave with 1,200 men buried beneath the earth. In their rush to leave cardboard cut-outs of lead actor Sam Heughan, some fans have trampled the ground around the memorial, leaving erosion and damage in their wake.
In an interview with the Scottish newspaper the Daily Record, one expert quipped “how would they feel if I walked my dog across Gettysburg?”