Filming Locations in Scotland: A Complete Guide to Every Scottish Location Used in the Netflix Series

Scotland plays a starring role in Netflix’s award-winning drama The Crown. Although much of the series is filmed across England, Scotland provided many of the spectacular landscapes, castles, estates, and villages that helped bring the story of the British Royal Family to life.

From locations standing in for Balmoral Castle to dramatic Highland scenery featured in Prince Charles and Princess Diana storylines, Scotland became increasingly important as the series progressed through its six seasons.

This guide explores the major filming locations used in Scotland, including the seasons, episodes, filming dates where known, and fascinating behind-the-scenes facts.

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Ardverikie Estate, Loch Laggan

Location: Near Newtonmore, Highlands

Perhaps the most important Scottish filming location in the entire series.

Ardverikie Estate served as the fictional representation of Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family’s beloved Scottish residence.

Seasons Featured

• Season 1
• Season 2
• Season 4
• Season 5
• Season 6

Notable Episodes

Season 1 Episode 7

“Scientia Potentia Est”

The Queen and Prince Philip visit Scotland while dealing with family tensions.

Season 4 Episode 2

“The Balmoral Test”

One of the most famous episodes in the series, featuring Margaret Thatcher’s disastrous first visit to Balmoral.

Season 5 Episodes 1-3

Several scenes involving the breakdown of Charles and Diana’s marriage were filmed here.

Season 6

Used extensively during storylines surrounding the late Queen’s family life in Scotland.

Filming Periods

• Summer 2016
• Autumn 2019
• Summer 2021
• Summer 2023

Fun Fact

The real Balmoral Castle did not permit filming. Producers spent years searching for a convincing replacement before selecting Ardverikie.

The estate may look familiar to fans of Monarch of the Glen, where it served as Glenbogle House.

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Cawdor Castle

Location: Near Nairn

Another location used to represent Balmoral-related settings.

Seasons Featured

• Season 4
• Season 5

Notable Episodes

Used in conjunction with Ardverikie Estate to create wider views and establish Scottish royal settings.

Fun Fact

Cawdor Castle is traditionally linked to Shakespeare’s Macbeth, although the historical connection is largely fictional.

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Glencoe

Location: Highlands

One of Scotland’s most spectacular landscapes.

Seasons Featured

• Season 1
• Season 6

Notable Episodes

Used for establishing shots and Highland travel scenes.

Filming Dates

• 2016
• 2023

Fun Fact

Production crews often arrived before sunrise to capture the famous mist-filled valleys.

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Glen Etive

Location: Near Glencoe

The winding single-track road became a perfect representation of royal journeys through the Highlands.

Seasons Featured

• Season 6

Notable Episodes

Several sequences showing members of the Royal Family travelling through Scotland.

Fun Fact

The road is also famous from the James Bond film Skyfall.

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Loch Laggan

Location: Highlands

Surrounding Ardverikie Estate, Loch Laggan appears frequently whenever Balmoral is depicted.

Seasons Featured

• Seasons 1, 4, 5 and 6

Fun Fact

The loch often appears larger on screen thanks to aerial filming techniques.

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St Andrews

Location: Fife

The historic university town played a significant role in later seasons.

Seasons Featured

• Season 6

Notable Episodes

Depicting the period when Prince William attended the University of St Andrews and met Catherine Middleton.

Filming Dates

Spring 2023

Fun Fact

Some scenes were filmed only a few hundred metres from where the real events occurred.

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Dunnottar Castle

Location: Aberdeenshire

The dramatic cliff-top fortress was used in aerial sequences and establishing shots.

Seasons Featured

• Season 5

Fun Fact

Drone footage of Dunnottar became some of the most visually striking scenery in the entire series.

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Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

Seasons Featured

• Season 5
• Season 6

Used extensively for Scottish countryside sequences and road scenes.

Notable Locations

• Rural roads
• Coastal scenery
• Estate entrances

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John O’Groats

Location: Caithness

The famous northern landmark appears in travel and landscape montages.

Seasons Featured

• Season 6

Fun Fact

The crew reportedly faced some of the strongest winds experienced during production.

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Isle of Skye

Location: Inner Hebrides

The rugged beauty of Skye appears in several aerial and scenic shots.

Seasons Featured

• Season 5
• Season 6

Featured Areas

• Quiraing
• Trotternish Ridge
• Coastal viewpoints

Fun Fact

The production team used helicopters and drones extensively to capture Skye’s dramatic landscapes.

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Fort William Area

Location: Lochaber

The mountains around Fort William were used for travel sequences and landscape footage.

Seasons Featured

• Season 4
• Season 5

Nearby Locations

• Ben Nevis
• Glen Nevis
• Highland roads

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Loch Ness

Location: Inverness-shire

Used for atmospheric Scottish establishing shots.

Seasons Featured

• Season 5

Fun Fact

Several aerial sequences were filmed at dawn to capture calm water conditions.

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Glasgow

Location: Central Scotland

Glasgow occasionally doubled for other locations in the United Kingdom.

Seasons Featured

• Various seasons

Uses

• Street scenes
• Architectural backgrounds
• Urban establishing shots

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Melrose Abbey

Location: Scottish Borders

The historic abbey was used in scenic and atmospheric sequences.

Seasons Featured

• Season 5

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Ayrshire Coast

Location: Southwest Scotland

Several coastal shots and countryside sequences were filmed along the Ayrshire coastline.

Seasons Featured

• Season 6

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Orkney Islands

Location: Northern Isles

Aerial footage and landscape imagery from Orkney were used to represent remote Scottish settings.

Seasons Featured

• Season 6

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Shetland Islands

Location: Northern Isles

Certain landscape shots were incorporated into wider Scottish montages.

Seasons Featured

• Season 6

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Why Scotland Became So Important to The Crown

Scotland represented more than simply beautiful scenery.

For the Royal Family, Scotland has always been:

• A private retreat
• A family gathering place
• A refuge from public life
• The setting for many pivotal moments

As the series moved into the modern era, the importance of Balmoral and Scotland increased significantly, making Scottish locations some of the most frequently used settings in the final seasons.

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Visiting The Crown Filming Locations Today

A popular self-drive route includes:

Day 1

• Edinburgh
• Linlithgow Palace

Day 2

• Perthshire
• Loch Ness

Day 3

• Fort William
• Glencoe
• Glen Etive

Day 4

• Ardverikie Estate
• Loch Laggan

Day 5

• Cawdor Castle
• Dunnottar Castle
• Aberdeen

Day 6

• Isle of Skye

Day 7

• St Andrews
• Fife Coast

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Final Thoughts

While many viewers associate The Crown with Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and London, Scotland became one of the show’s most important filming regions. From the magnificent Ardverikie Estate standing in for Balmoral Castle to the rugged beauty of Glencoe, Skye and the Highlands, Scotland helped create some of the series’ most memorable moments.

For fans of the show, visiting these locations offers a unique opportunity to step directly into the world of Queen Elizabeth II and experience the landscapes that shaped both the monarchy and one of Netflix’s most successful productions.