American TV bosses have pulled the plug on a lucrative reality TV deal worth millions to the Scots economy. Cameras were ready to roll at historic mothballed Taymouth Castle in Perthshire this month on an eight-week shoot for Los Angeles-based TV company Rocket Science Labs — the team behind Sky TV’s current success Temptation Island.

They were all set to film 21 US contestants pitting their wits against each other for a major TV series. But this week, Scottish Screen bosses —-who had worked tirelessly to win the bid over rival sites in Ireland- revealed the deal was off.

And the Scottish Executive’s film and TV agency, based in Glasgow, warned the pull out could herald a major withdrawal of inward investment in Scotland by US film and television companies in the wake of the terrorist atrocities.

"This would have been our biggest contract by far in Scotland this year," explained Scottish Screen’s locations manager Kevin Cowle.

Devastating News

"The work was worth £1.6m to the local economy alone and all but seven key crew members were being employed in Scotland so we have also lost two months work for 140 people — it’s absolutely devastating news for everyone."

Contractors were poised to start rewiring and plumbing work at the early 19^th Century castle where Queen Victoria honeymooned in 1842 to bring the former stately home, school, hospital and hotel up to accommodation standards for the 21 contestants. Preparation work was also planned for the nearby diary building and ruined farm complex where several of the programme challenges would be based.

Glasgow-based Karen Smyth was appointed producer for the show last week, only to learn later the same day that the cable company which commissioned the project had decided to withdraw.

Quick Work

"We started work on this project in June," explained Mr Cowle, "When we were approached with a brief for the setting of this major new TV series.

"They wanted a spooky castle capable of sleeping 21 contestants who would feel trapped and remote in its surroundings. We get lots of requests for castle settings for short shoots but this one involved very serious money indeed, " he explained.

"After considering several possibilities in Ireland and Scotland, the shortlist came down to castles in Mull, Ayrshire, and Perthshire, and Taymouth emerged the eventual winner."

Outside Boost

Outside multi-million-pound one-offs such as Braveheart , draw Scotland an average annual income of around half a million pounds from US film and TV work. But Mr Cowle says the US can no longer be relied on to provide that regular economic boost.

"In the wake of the terrorist attacks many Americans are afraid to fly and there is still a degree of paranoia," he said.

In the meantime however, question marks still hang over the future of other scheduled US productions in Scotland.

"Work was scheduled to start at Stonehaven in January on a major movie involving a big-name actor-director," said Mr Cowle."We have heard nothing from that film company lately and are starting to get nervous about its future."

The changing international political profile has also delayed indefinitely proposed location work in Dundee for a spoof spy thriller.

Scottish Screen say location work is "in crisis" with the US withdrawal and a threatened Equity strike combining to endanger future filming work in Scotland. However, Mr Cowle said one project that was assured of going ahead in Scotland was selected scene shoots for the new Bond movie early next year.