Twenty five years after the original film was released, Monty Python duo Michael Palin and Terry Jones were back in Sterlingshire recently and still on the hunt for the Holy Grail.
The Pythons are still hugely popular in America, where a new release of Monty Python And The Hunt For The Holy Grail is about to come out on interactive DVD.
"This interactive DVD will enhance the original film with new interviews and commentary about the film locations and how certain scenes were shot, " Michael Palin says. Scenes from the Holy Grail film were shot at Doune Castle, doubling as Swamp Castle and Anthrax Castle, as well as the home of The Guy De Lombard and also at Killin, where a cave became the home of the killer white rabbit.
Michael Palin explains; "When we were making the original film we wanted somewhere that had an Arthurian feel to it and the landscape around Stirling fitted the bill. Filming in Scotland adds an element that is hard to get elsewhere in the UK. You get big sweeps of lochs and mountains which you just can’t get in England without pylons or something similar getting in the way."
Not slow to recognise a good promotions opportunity, Stirling Council had little difficulty persuading the two Pythons to add their weight to their campaign to make the county a premier film location. Stirling Council are working closely with the locations department of Scottish Screen on a package of filmmaker incentives.
"This part of the world is perfect for getting a sense of wilderness while being totally accessible...it’s only an hour from Glasgow," says Palin. "Don’t forget, when we were making the Holy Grail in 1975 we didn’t have much money, so we had to find this kind of wild landscape within easy reach of major city. Stirlingshire proved ideal."