Scotland’s first film studio will be going ahead and it will be built in Inverness. The studio’s backers, after visiting three possible sites this week, are confident it will be up and ready for use next year.

The Inverness studio bid was thought to have suffered a serious setback when it became clear that the preferred site, a former psychiatric hospital close to the Highland capital city, could run into problems with planning permission.

However actor James Cosmo, one of those involved in the bid said today after visiting the original site and two greenfield sites with council officials, said his consortium were satisfied that all the difficulties surrounding the final choice could be resolved.

The actor said, "We are 100% confident that by the end of April the first two sound stages, one of eight thousand square feet and one of fifteen thousand, will be up and ready by next spring."

There’s been a hint of rivalry between the respective bids for Inverness and the Glasgow Pacific Quay site, where it has been suggested a film studio should form the heart of new media city to serve all of Scotland’s screen industries. However backers of the idea of getting a film studio for Scotland say they don’t conflict with one another.

John Archer, Chief Executive of Scottish Screen explains, "The Glasgow project will be situated at the heart of Scotland’s filmmaking community, whereas the Inverness stuidio will be situated at the heart of some of Scotland’s best locations. There’s clearly room for both."