Based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem, Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey brings to life the story of the Greek hero Odysseus – and his journey home after many years away at war.
Culbin Forest on Scotland’s Moray coast was among several sites around Scotland where filming took place for this long-anticipated film, starring Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Zendaya and Tom Holland.
Today, Culbin is home to a wide array of habitats, which support birds, butterflies, dragonflies, lichens and more than 500 species of flowering plants.
But it’s not always been the case. In fact, in 1694, the area became engulfed in sand, as the Great Sand Drift swallowed up 16 farms with wind-blown sand overnight.
32 years earlier, Isobel Gowdie, a woman living in nearby Auldearn, had been suspected of witchcraft – and during her trial, she said that a farm at Culbin would become smothered in sand. Superstitious residents of Culbin saw this as an accurate foretelling, and fled during the storm, believing the land to be cursed.
In an effort to stabilise the sand-dune system, the Forestry Commission acquired Culbin in the 1920s. The dramatic days weren’t behind Culbin, however, as a wildfire swept through the area in 1938, damaging a large area of land.
During the Second World War, Culbin Forest was used as a training ground, with its complex landscapes used in preparation for the D-Day Landings of 1944. As part of this battleground transformation, the area was shelled by Royal Navy ships, leaving imprints on the landscape for years to come.
These days, the forest is managed using a process known as “continuous cover forestry”, which involves the Forestry Commission (now known as Forestry and Land Scotland, or FLS) selectively felling trees and retaining a cover of mature trees. This has the dual benefit of producing quality timber and improving biodiversity in the forest. The felled trees naturally regenerate.
Other Scottish filming locations for The Odyssey
Scottish filming for The Odyssey took place at various locations along the Moray coast, mostly on the coast of the Moray Firth, thanks to its dramatic geology and stunning coastline. The Moray Firth is Scotland’s largest firth, a large inlet of the North Sea in northeastern Scotland, where the coastline meets the sea across a 500-mile stretch.
Cast and crew were pictured filming at Findlater Castle, a ruined castle perched high on the clifftops near Cullen in Aberdeenshire, also located along the Moray Firth. Built in the 1200s, the castle remains a key part of medieval Scottish history and is connected to Clan Ogilvy, which held the castle for over two centuries, during which time the castle would play host to royal visits, violent feuds and dramatic sieges.
Cast members were also seen boarding boats in the harbour of Burghead, a small coastal village up the coast from Findlater Castle. Another harbour location is also believed to have been used in filming: Buckie Harbour was supposedly turned into an ancient Greek naval port for The Odyssey.
The world’s largest Viking ship, Draken Harald Hårfagre, took part in filming, serving as an ancient Greek warship thanks to its authentic construction. The modern longship was built in 2010, to explore the capabilities of large, ocean-faring Viking warships, and was docked in Buckie Harbour during the filming process.
Top image: Culbin Forest on Findhorn Bay (credit Mark Richards/Getty)
