Local Hero

Mac's (Peter Riegert) car drives along what seems to be Interstate 45 (Gulf Freeway) with the centre of Houston, Texas USA in the background.

Oldsen (Peter Capaldi) drives Mac along the Scottish countryside. This is currently unidentified but could be near the A861 location as featured in the next image.

This misty road section is the A861 between Glenuig and Kinlochmoidart. The exact spot is parallel to Loch na Draipe and about 1.6 miles south of Glenuig. In the background of the shot can be seen a glimpse of the water of Loch Moidart, but the subsquent tree growth since filming in the early 1980s makes the Loch hard to spot from the location.

This road is currently unknown. But likely within a short distance of other roads already identified.

The mist lifts and the car sits facing Loch Tarff. They are parked on the B862 on the Eastern approach to the loch where on Google streetview there is a 'passing place' sign on the roadside that seems to mark roughly the spot used.

They arrive at the village. This is Pennan, Aberdeenshire in North East Scotland. The iconic red phone box shown was a prop placed there for filming. The village does have a real red phone box about 20 seconds walk away, but unfortunately it means it's not exactly the same spot as in the film.

Site visitor Aston provides a long shot of the village.

The car slowly drives along the main street of Pennan village. The seafront is just to the right of the camera.

Looking up the street when they first arrive, Aston Martin has provided an updated shot of his own previous image.

And to the 'hotel' on the same road. In real life this is a private residence.

Aston Martin notes that the outer appendix was added for the film.

Later on they step outside the hotel and almost get hit by a motorbike as it speeds down the main street.

No speeding local bikers on the day Aston snapped this updated shot.

They walk along the beach and begin eyeing up the money and development potential of the town. This location is Camusdarach Beach which is actually on the other side of Scotland, about 179 miles from the village location!

Aston Martin visited the beach location on an overcast day.

As they watch the jets fly past from the beach, they also notice a local waving at them. This is looking up Camusdarach Beach.

When Aston Martin visited the location, just noted the tree seemed to have gone.

They then decide to check out the church. The building itself was a fake exterior built for the film. More on this can be read via the link in the Header Section of this film.

Aston Martin’s newer shot shows the real building that stands on the site of the fake church.

Mac and Oldsen skim stones on the sea front.

Aston Martin provides an update shot that shows not much has changed.

Mac just manages to avoid the bike again before going down to talk to the locals.

Site visitor Shaun Harding added this ‘now’ shot taken when he travelled from Australia to do some movie location visits.

Some of the local fishermen chatting on the sea front.

Not as many locals sat around to discuss how they?ll spend there fortune on this day.

Oldsen goes for a walk on the headland just next to the beach.

Gordon (Denis Lawson) goes for a walk and talk with Mac.

Aston Martin found that the bracken & heather growth means getting an exact updated shot to match the movie is very hard.

Oldsen runs off down the street, leaving Mac to himself.

Seems much quieter when Aston Martin was visiting.

But he then gets called over to the phonebox to take receipt of a call from Houston. Pennan Quay is in the background.

Site visitor Aston Martin has provided an updated image of his own previous shot.

The local CB radio reveals to the local shop owner that the friendly Russian visitors are coming back, so she tells the locals in the main village street.

Again site visitor Aston Martin finds the village quieter compared to events in the film, but also largely unchanged.

Mac seems to be getting more at home as he walks along the headland admiring the view.

Site visitor Aston Martin adds this updated ‘now’ shot.

Happer (Burt Lancaster) emerges from his building. The building seems to be the JP Morgan Chase Tower on the corner of Milam Street and Capitol Street in Houston, Texas, USA.

As he crosses the plaza, he's seems to have Milam Street in the background.

After getting into his limo, it pulls away onto Capitol Street (the green road sign saying 'Happer Street' was a prop added for the film).

Happer emgerges from the beach hut/home and Mac rushes to catch up with him.

Unsurprisingly the beautiful mountain background wasn’t found to have changed much when Aston Martin snapped this shot.

Mac leaves as instructed on the chopper.

Although a little further back than shown in the film, Aston Martin adds a new view of capture 26.

Stella (Jennifer Black) watches the helicopter leave over the village harbour.

No Stella and no washing line when Aston Martin visited the location. He also recently submitted an updated version of his own capture. The location has clearly not seen much change since filming.

The aircraft flies over Loch Eilt. This is between the villages of Glenfinnan and Lochailort. the A830 road runs along its north short. This loch has featured in two Harry Potter films (Azkaban & Deathly Hallows pt 1).

This is the album cover of the Local Hero soundtrack, which itself features a location shot from the movie. Shaun Harding and his friend made contact with the cover photographer before they travelled from Australia to visit the locations used in the film. They were told the location used for the cover was during a break in filming and located ‘around the Camusdarach Beach area’…

Shaun and friend made a lot of preparatory analysis and found the trees features in the album image were critical in locating the correct location, which can be seen here.