The Odyssey’s Scottish anchor: How the Moray coast’s folklore and landscapes drew Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey found a cinematic home on Scotland’s Moray coast during the previous summer, joining production sites in Sicily, Morocco, and the Peloponnese. The film, starring Matt Damon, Zendaya, and Tom Holland, utilised specific locations including Culbin Sands, Hopeman, Clashach Cove, Burghead, and Findlater Castle. While the Moray coast is less recognised domestically than the Isle of Skye or the North Coast 500 route, its varied landscape of sand dunes, shingle bars, and sandstone skerries provided a distinct backdrop for the nearly 3,000-year-old Greek epic.

The production’s choice of location was driven by more than just visual appeal; the region’s local folklore resonated deeply with the Homeric narrative. At Culbin Sands, the site where Damon’s Odysseus encounters giants, lies the legend of the “Atlantis of the North,” where a village was buried by sand in 1694. Locals historically attributed this tragedy to a witch’s curse or a laird’s bargain with the devil. This blend of superstition and history is echoed throughout the coast, from the Grin Iron Wife sea-spirit in Clashach Cove to the creator goddess Cailleach, figures preserved by the fading tradition of seanchaidhean, or oral historians.

Historical layers of conflict and survival are visible at Burghead, where the film crew docked a 35-metre longship. The town features the remains of a large Pictish fort, likely destroyed during a Viking raid in the 10th century. Nearby, concrete pillboxes from the Second World War, part of a secret training ground for D-Day landings, resemble the Trojan horse depicted in the film. These relics, along with sunken tanks in the Moray Firth, underscore a maritime history of resilience that parallels the film’s themes.

The cast and crew established their working base at The Seafield Arms in Cullen, where meeting rooms were converted for editing and the ballroom served as a private cinema for Nolan and the team. Matt Damon stayed in Bow Cottage, which has since been refurbished with Greek-inspired decor and movie memorabilia for public booking. The region’s natural beauty also includes the Moray Firth, home to Europe’s most northerly resident pod of bottlenose dolphins, adding a sense of magic to the coastal environment.

Beyond the epic’s mythical elements, the production highlighted the real-life strength of Moray’s seafaring communities. The fisher lassies of Buckie, who historically baited hooks, packed herring, and carried their husbands to sea, offered a powerful counterpoint to the passive Penelope archetype. Their active role in sustaining coastal life provided a grounding reality to the film’s exploration of homecoming and endurance, anchoring the ancient story in the tangible history of north-east Scotland.