Film crew hire/Edinburgh/Locations and permits
Filming in Edinburgh: locations and permits. Who says yes, what it costs and how much notice it wants.
Council streets, parks, beaches and kirkyards all go through one office, Film Edinburgh. Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Park are in Historic Environment Scotland’s care, Waverley is Network Rail’s, anything near the tram wires needs Edinburgh Trams, and the Royal Botanic Garden, the Scottish Parliament and the University of Edinburgh each say yes for themselves. Fees and notice checked October 2026.
Notice of No Objection · under 10 crew
£56 + VAT
Public liability · every application
£10m
The Castle, Holyrood Park
from £300 + VAT
Road closure · under 5 days
2 weeks’ notice
On this page
01 The short version
How filming permission works in Edinburgh
01
Work out whose land it is
A pavement on the Royal Mile, the grass in Princes Street Gardens, the sand at Portobello and Greyfriars Kirkyard all go to Film Edinburgh. Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Park, Arthur’s Seat included, are in Historic Environment Scotland’s care. The concourse at Waverley is Network Rail’s, Haymarket is ScotRail’s, and anything within reach of the tram wires needs Edinburgh Trams.
02
Apply early enough
Film Edinburgh wants a week for a small, low-impact shoot, four weeks for a large one and two weeks for a road closure of under five days. Waverley wants five working days for ten people or fewer, the trams 21 days, and Historic Environment Scotland can sometimes manage a small handheld crew inside ten working days. The full list is below.
03
Tell the people who need telling
Film Edinburgh passes every shoot on to the council’s services and Police Scotland, so it wants to hear about two people and a tripod on the street as well. Homes and businesses get a letter at least a week ahead, three weeks for a night shoot, and Film Edinburgh sees the letter before it’s printed.
Finding the location first
Film Edinburgh
Free advice, and a locations library you can browse by category, from castles and mansion houses to subterranean spaces. It won’t set the shoot up for you, as its FAQs say, but it has the contacts: film@edinburgh.gov.uk, 0131 529 6273.
Historic Environment Scotland’s shortlist
Its popular locations for filmmakers include Craigmillar Castle, inside the city, where Outlander and Outlaw King filmed. Blackness Castle is 20 minutes from Edinburgh Airport, and Linlithgow Palace 30.
Network Rail’s library
Waverley is in it, with the films shot there, from Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps (1935) to Avengers: Infinity War and The Lost King.
The recce
We walk it before the shoot, at the hour you’ll film, and check every van and car against the Low Emission Zone, which covers the city centre all day, every day. That’s in the logistics guide.
Who files it
On a full production our producer applies for all of it, in our name. On a crew hire the location and its permission stay with you: the application names your company, and the £10m public liability certificate Film Edinburgh asks for is yours. A production manager we book can run the applications, the bays and the call sheet for you.
02 The film office
Film Edinburgh: one office, four councils
Filming on council land in Edinburgh goes through Film Edinburgh, the City of Edinburgh Council’s film office in the City Chambers on the High Street. From its permits page, its Code of Practice (June 2025), its 2026 filming guide and the 2026–27 application, checked October 2026.
The street itself
No permit is needed to film on a public street or footpath, as long as the shoot causes no obstruction, nuisance or offence. The exceptions Film Edinburgh names are Multrees Walk, the terrace of Princes Mall, and every park and beach in the city. If you want it in writing, it issues a Notice of No Objection, £56 + VAT for a crew under ten (checked October 2026). On a busy street, it’s the paper you show when someone asks.
Tell it anyway
A crew of fewer than ten with nothing closed off still contacts Film Edinburgh, so it can let local officers and Police Scotland know. Its 2026 guide asks for the locations and schedule at least 24 hours ahead for a low-impact shoot, and two weeks where there are weapons, real or replica, violence or police uniforms.
One form
The 2026–27 filming application goes to film@edinburgh.gov.uk, with a section for each location: the scenes, including any effects, animals, weapons or nudity, the crew, vehicles and kit, and how the public will be marshalled. In with it: £10m public liability, required for all filming, a risk assessment and a map, plus traffic management drawings, parking plans, residents’ letters and drone paperwork where they apply.
What you sign up to
The Code of Practice for Filming in Edinburgh, HSE’s INDG360, the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 where children are involved, the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, the parks’ management rules and tree protection policy in parks, and Scotland’s single-use plastics ban.
Anything on the road
Closures, held traffic, track, cranes, stunts and effects go to a joint agency meeting that Film Edinburgh calls with the council and Police Scotland, then to the council’s roads team for a Temporary Traffic Regulation Notice (TTRN) or Order (TTRO). The council issues it; the production puts out the notices, the yellow No Parking boards and the cones, through a traffic management company.
Free advice, a fee for big crews
Film Edinburgh’s advice costs nothing. A crew of 40 or more pays an administrative fee, from £276 + VAT. Production companies from Edinburgh, East Lothian or the Scottish Borders pay none (checked October 2026).
Over the boundary
Film Edinburgh covers East Lothian, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders as well, but East Lothian and Midlothian each have their own Code of Practice, and East Lothian and the Borders apply on a separate form. Everything on this page is for the City of Edinburgh.
03 Lead times
How much notice Edinburgh wants
Every permission in Edinburgh and the minimum notice it wants, shortest first. Book further out than this and nobody’s rushing. In August, allow more.
| What you need | Who says yes | Minimum notice |
|---|---|---|
| Telling Film Edinburgh about a low-impact shoot, so the council and police know | Film Edinburgh | 24 hours |
| A yellow-line dispensation for a working vehicle | The council, through NSL | 24 hours |
| Filming in a council park or greenspace | Film Edinburgh | 48 hours; more for some |
| A suspended pay-and-display or permit bay | The council, through NSL; Film Edinburgh can co-ordinate | 3 working days |
| A drone inside Edinburgh Airport’s flight restriction zone | Edinburgh Airport | 3 working days |
| Waverley, ten people or fewer | Network Rail | 5 working days, or £500 more inside that |
| A small, low-impact shoot on council land | Film Edinburgh | 1 week |
| A drone taking off or landing on council land | Film Edinburgh | 1 week |
| The residents’ and businesses’ letter for a day shoot | Film Edinburgh sees it first | 1 week |
| Edinburgh Castle or Holyrood Park, a small crew with handheld kit | Historic Environment Scotland | Sometimes under 10 working days; under 5 costs extra |
| A road closure of under five days (TTRN), or kit, track, stunts or effects on a minor road | The council’s roads team, after a joint agency meeting | 2 weeks |
| Weapons, real or replica, violence or police uniforms | Police Scotland, through Film Edinburgh | 2 weeks |
| A location contract with an estate | The owner | 2 weeks |
| Waverley, up to 50 people | Network Rail | Enquire 15 working days ahead; apply 12 |
| Anything within reach of the tram wires | Edinburgh Trams: an Authority to Work | 21 days |
| A child on camera | The child’s home council: a performance licence | 21 days |
| A night shoot: the letter and the consultation | Film Edinburgh, the council and Police Scotland | 3 weeks |
| A large-scale shoot | Film Edinburgh | 4 weeks |
| A lighting tower, scaffold or crane on the street | The council’s permits team | 4 weeks |
| Haymarket, or any ScotRail station | ScotRail | 25 working days |
| A road closure of five days or more, or on a main road (TTRO) | The council’s roads team | 10 weeks |
| Kit that touches the fabric of a Historic Environment Scotland monument | Historic Environment Scotland: Scheduled Monument Consent | 3 months |
Where the deadlines disagree
For a road closure of more than five days, the 2026–27 application says ten weeks, the Code of Practice eight and the council’s filming page six: we plan on ten. For a suspended pay bay, Film Edinburgh’s guide says two working days and the council three: we plan on three. And Edinburgh Trams’ own guidance says 21 calendar days in one paragraph and 21 working days in another, so we allow the longer.
04 Fees
What filming permits cost in Edinburgh, 2026–27
Film Edinburgh publishes one fee sheet for the City of Edinburgh, on the back of its 2026–27 application, and the council’s parking team publishes its own. Every figure is plus VAT.
| What | Fee, plus VAT |
|---|---|
| Notice of No Objection, crew under 10 | £56 |
| Notice of No Objection, 11 to 24 | £166 |
| Notice of No Objection, 25 to 74 | £331 |
| Notice of No Objection, 75 or more | £551 |
| Notice of No Objection, TV drama with 25 or more crew, per block | £275 |
| Film office administrative fee, crews of 40 to 100 | £276; £551 for 100 to 200; £1,103 over 200. None for production companies from Edinburgh, East Lothian or the Borders |
| A park, under 4 hours, 5 people or fewer | £79 |
| A park, over 4 hours or 6 people or more | £189 an hour; large-scale filming may need a bond |
| Drone filming permission, secure ground area | £184 an hour |
| Vehicle access: Calton Hill, Princes Street Gardens, Bonaly Country Park | £140, plus £79 out of hours, in a 4×4 insured off-road |
| Council staff at a large shoot in a park | £79 an hour |
| A cemetery, small scale: documentary, GVs, interviews, under 6 people | £56, a Notice of No Objection |
| A city-centre kirkyard, large scale: Greyfriars, Calton Old and New, St Cuthbert’s | £357 an hour |
| Any other cemetery, large scale | £179 an hour; staff £80 an hour |
| A council library, drama and commercials | £1,412.50 a full day, £565 a half day |
| A council library, documentary | £282.50 a full day, £141.25 a half day |
| A road closure of under 5 days (TTRN) | £675, with 3.5 hours of a Road Events Officer included |
| A road closure of 5 days or more (TTRO) | £1,980, plus advertising, usually £1,500 to £3,000 |
| Road Events Officer, beyond that | £50.89 an hour, 9am to 5pm; £76.33 out of hours |
| A cherry picker or MEWP; a crane | £63 a day per location; £126 a day |
| Traffic signals switched off and on | £185 a switch on weekdays, 07:00–17:30; £370 evenings, weekends and holidays; £545 at short notice |
| A street lighting electrician in attendance | £90.28 the first hour, then £45.14 to £49.93 an hour |
| A suspended parking bay | The bay’s pay-and-display rate for every operating hour: £4.20 to £9.00 an hour by zone |
| A yellow-line dispensation | £16 a vehicle per location, or £40 a week |
| Students: under 4 hours, 5 people or fewer | No fee; £79 beyond that |
Bonds and deposits
Heavy kit on soft ground in a park can mean a reinstatement bond, paid before you get on site. A night shoot in a residential or business street can mean a deposit against noise, cleaning, damage or staff time.
Police time
Any Police Scotland presence on a shoot is by risk assessment, and charged. If it involves managing traffic, there’s a TTRN or TTRO as well.
Council buildings
Location fees for council property reflect the disruption and the staff time, and are negotiable. Damage is recharged.
Credit
The council asks for a credit to “The City of Edinburgh” for filming on its streets.
05 Council land
Council land: parks, beaches, kirkyards and the Old Town
Every park and beach in the city needs Film Edinburgh’s permission, and so do the council’s kirkyards, libraries and schools. From the 2026–27 fee sheet, the council’s filming page and the Code of Practice, checked October 2026.
Princes Street Gardens and Calton Hill
Both on Film Edinburgh’s fee sheet for vehicle access, £140 + VAT, in a 4×4 insured to drive off-road. From mid-November to early January the gardens host Edinburgh’s Christmas, so check the calendar first.
Holyrood Park isn’t one of them
It looks like a city park, but it’s Historic Environment Scotland’s, with its own rules and fees. More below.
The beaches
Portobello and the city’s other beaches need Film Edinburgh’s permission, the same as the parks. The council’s parks rules prohibit commercial filming and photography without its written permission.
The kirkyards
Greyfriars Kirkyard, Calton Old and New, and St Cuthbert’s are the city-centre cemeteries on Film Edinburgh’s fee sheet. A documentary, GVs or an interview with under six people is a £56 Notice of No Objection; drama and commercials pay £357 an hour there and £179 in the other cemeteries (checked October 2026). Public liability and the risk assessment go in with the request.
Libraries and schools
The council’s libraries charge drama and commercials £1,412.50 for a full day and documentaries £282.50, plus VAT. Schools want the request by lunchtime the day before, and the council limits how many it takes.
Trees
In a park, the application comes with a Tree and Root Protection Plan: Heras fencing bolted to concrete feet, matting under any vehicle on the grass, nothing dug and no branches cut.
The streets
The Old Town
Avengers: Infinity War used Cockburn Street, the Royal Mile and the City Chambers. Film Edinburgh calls it the largest and most complex shoot ever in the Old Town and city centre: seven weeks, more than 400 crew, and night shoots for the action sequence.
The New Town and the West End
Netflix’s One Day filmed in the New Town, the West End, the Grassmarket and on Viewforth in Bruntsfield over a fortnight in July 2022, and wrote to every resident and business it might affect first.
What a small crew can do
A camera, a tripod and a sound recordist on the pavement need no permit, only a word to Film Edinburgh. Kit in the road, a held pavement or a truck on a yellow line brings in the permissions in the lead times above.
06 Historic Environment Scotland
The Castle and Holyrood Park: Historic Environment Scotland
Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Park, Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags included, are in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. Nothing is filmed there without its written permission, and fees start at £300 + VAT for up to two hours on site (checked October 2026).
| Historic Environment Scotland | Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Park, Craigmillar Castle |
|---|---|
| Permission | Written, before any filming, through a filming liaison at HES: filming@hes.scot, 0131 668 8731 |
| Notice | A very small crew with handheld kit can sometimes be done in under ten working days. Under five working days is charged as late notice |
| Fees | From £300 for up to two hours on site, plus VAT, by crew size and site, and negotiable. On top: staff to supervise, lost admissions if a site closes, road closures in Holyrood Park, base units and parking, a drone, late notice and cancelling |
| Visitors | Crews can’t ask visitors to move out of shot. HES can close a site or part of one, or open early or late |
| Kit | Without Scheduled Monument Consent, everything is freestanding on rubber feet: nothing fixed to the stonework and nothing into the ground. Consent takes about eight weeks to decide, so allow three months |
| Weapons | Blunted, risk-assessed blades can come on site; any replica gun has its certificate seen before filming. Edinburgh Castle has a military presence, and the Ministry of Defence is told of every replica weapon request and may inspect them |
| Effects and animals | Smoke and effects declared with their chemical make-up and judged case by case. Animals controlled, risk-assessed and with their movement paperwork |
| Insurance | £5m public liability; more for some shoots |
| The process | An application form and a risk assessment, read by its conservation team; a site meeting for anything complicated; terms signed exactly as presented; then the permission letter. Big shoots may pay before filming and leave a refundable remediation deposit |
| Cancelling | Half the fee once the permission letter is out; all of it inside 48 hours |
| Not filmed | Nothing political, and paranormal requests are unlikely to be approved |
Holyrood Park’s roads
On Saturdays and Sundays every road in the park is closed to vehicles during the day. The High Road and Dunsapie Loch car park open to vehicles Tuesday to Thursday, 9.30am to 3pm, and Duddingston Low Road and the Radical Road, under Salisbury Crags, are closed. A closure or a unit base in the park is HES’s to agree, at a charge.
Arthur’s Seat
Netflix’s One Day filmed on it, and on the Vennel steps in the Old Town for the view across to the Castle.
The Castle
Run in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, with a military presence on site. HES doesn’t take student filming there from April to September or in December, and in August the Tattoo is on.
Craigmillar Castle
HES’s too, inside the city, with rooms, corridors and courtyards on several levels. Outlander and Outlaw King both filmed there.
Drones
Prior consent for any flight from an HES site, with the pilot’s CAA certificate, at least £5m public liability and a risk assessment marking the launch area and flight path.
Not HES
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, at the foot of the Royal Mile, is Royal Collection Trust’s, and the Scottish Parliament answers for itself. Both are below.
07 Stations and trams
Waverley, Haymarket and the trams: three landlords
Waverley is one of the stations Network Rail manages itself, with published rates. Haymarket is ScotRail’s, and the trams have their own permit for anything near the track or the wires. Checked October 2026.
| Where | Managed by | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh Waverley | Network Rail | Network Rail’s filming team, filming@networkrail.co.uk, with published rates (below) |
| Haymarket | ScotRail | ScotRail’s filming application: at least 25 working days, from £1,000 at its stations for drama, features and adverts, and £10m public liability |
| The trams, from the airport to Newhaven | Edinburgh Trams | An Authority to Work through its Permit+ portal for anything near the track or the wires, at least 21 days ahead |
| Waverley | Network Rail |
|---|---|
| Small crews | Ten people or fewer, cast included, on Waverley’s own Small Scale Filming Agreement: five working days’ notice, or £500 more inside that |
| Kit on a small crew | A handheld camera, monopod, tripod, a slider up to 1m, Steadicam (not an Easyrig), handheld or radio mics, a reflector up to 1.2m² (not silver or gold) and a wireless monitor. Nothing else, so no boom pole and no lights |
| Bigger units | Up to 50 people: enquire 15 working days ahead, with the application, plans and risk assessment 12 ahead. Over 50: enquire 25 working days ahead |
| Rate | Corporate and commercial work, ads and drama: £750 an hour for up to ten, £1,000 up to 25 and £1,500 up to 50. Charity, factual and short films: £300 an hour for up to ten. Two hours minimum, plus VAT, paid in advance |
| When | Weekdays 10:00–16:00 or 20:00–06:30; weekends and bank holidays usually any time; 12 hours at most, and no running into the peak |
| Insurance | Up to £10m, in sterling; at least £10m on a Small Scale Filming Agreement |
| People | More than ten need a Network Rail escort, charged on top |
| Cancelling | Inside five working days, the whole fee and staff costs; earlier, half |
| Right now | The platforms are being expanded, so some areas may be off limits |
Waverley on screen
Network Rail lists Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps (1935) and the 1959 remake, Trainspotting 2, Avengers: Infinity War, The Lost King and Six/Four.
On the trains
Network Rail’s permission covers the station. For a train, you ask the company that runs it.
ScotRail’s rules at Haymarket
No filming within two metres of the platform edge, nobody and nothing within three metres of the overhead wires, no boom poles on those platforms, no lights or flash as trains come and go, and no drones anywhere on its stations or depots. A location agreement is signed before the day.
The trams
The overhead line runs at 750V DC and is treated as live at all times, and in the city centre the wires are fixed to the buildings. An Authority to Work covers anything that could come into the hazard zone: a ladder or pole within 2m of the rail, a scaffold tower or crane within 5m of the rail or the wires, anything rigged above them, or a set-up that pushes people or traffic onto the line.
Drones near the line
Network Rail doesn’t approve anyone else’s flights: you tell it through Dronecloud, and flying close to the railway goes to its air operations team first. Near the trams, it’s an Authority to Work.
Travelling with kit
Getting crew and kit here by train is a separate question. It’s in the logistics guide, with the Low Emission Zone and where the vans can park.
08 Estates and venues
Private land and venues: the owner says yes first
Film Edinburgh covers council land. Everywhere else, the owner decides, and Film Edinburgh can suggest who to ask. From each owner’s own pages, checked October 2026.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Commercial filming is charged by the hour and by its effect on the Garden, with security and horticultural fees on top where they apply. A recce with a member of staff comes first, staff stay with the crew all day, and the glasshouses are closed for refurbishment and not available for filming (its media page). Requests to press@rbge.org.uk.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse
Royal Collection Trust doesn’t allow location filming at the official royal residences. It considers only filming about works of art in the Royal Collection, applied for six weeks ahead, at £300 an hour + VAT (its filming page).
The Scottish Parliament
Requests to include the building in non-political programmes go to the Parliament Communications Office, which weighs the effect on parliamentary business. The Parliament generally won’t absorb the extra costs (its media policy).
The University of Edinburgh
Film Edinburgh’s locations library lists university buildings, Appleton Tower and the Business School among them, and shows Old College’s quadrangle being set up for One Day’s 1980s graduation party. We found no filming policy published by the university, so we ask it directly.
Multrees Walk and the Princes Mall terrace
The two places in the city centre Film Edinburgh’s guide names as needing permission even for street filming. It can supply the contacts.
Homes and offices
A New Town flat, a house in Dean Village or an office on George Street is the owner’s to agree. The Code wants a location contract two weeks ahead, the art department’s dressing and build plans set out, floors and furniture protected, and the place left as it was found.
The Pentlands
In Pentland Hills Regional Park, permission usually comes from the land managers. The park’s events form goes to them, and they aren’t obliged to say yes.
Access rights don’t cover a unit
Scotland’s right of access covers commercial activity only where it’s something you could also do otherwise than commercially (Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, section 1), and the Code of Practice puts any exemption from access rights on the production. Beyond a camera on a path, we ask the land manager first.
09 Paperwork
What the paperwork looks like
Film Edinburgh, Historic Environment Scotland, the railways and the venues mostly ask for the same handful of documents. Here’s each one, who wants it and when.
RA
Everyone asks
Risk assessment
Film Edinburgh wants one with the application, Historic Environment Scotland’s conservation team reads it before the permission letter goes out, and Network Rail wants it 12 working days ahead for a unit of up to 50. The Code is clear the duty stays with the producer, whoever asks for a copy. Ours is written for the location, not the job in general.
£10m
Everyone asks
Public liability certificate
£10m for Film Edinburgh on every application, for ScotRail, and for Waverley’s small-crew agreement. £5m for Historic Environment Scotland, on the ground or in the air.
1 week
The neighbours
Residents’ and businesses’ letter
At least a week before a day shoot and three weeks before a night shoot, with an earlier letter for anything high-impact. Film Edinburgh sees it before it’s printed. It names the production and a contact, the dates and times, the scenes, the crew and vehicles, any drones or big kit, closures and parking, and who to call with a concern. A runner usually walks it round.
2 weeks
The owner
Location agreement
A signed contract with every owner, two weeks ahead, with the dressing and build plans in it. Historic Environment Scotland’s terms are signed exactly as presented, with no changes.
TM
Anything on the road
Traffic management drawings
For a closure, held traffic or kit in the road: drawn by a traffic management company and approved by the council before anything goes out on the street.
21 days
Children
Child performance licence
From the child’s home council, at least 21 days before the first day. The Film Edinburgh application also confirms you know the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003, and that no one in a childcare role is on the list of people barred from working with children.
MS
Effects and stunts
Method statements
For special effects, stunts and night work, with the risk assessment. Effects run under a JIGS-graded supervisor and stunts under a JISC co-ordinator.
SIA
Overnight kit
Security
Anyone guarding a location or kit overnight holds an SIA licence.
10 Drones and airspace
Drones over Edinburgh: who has to say yes
One flight over Edinburgh can need several yeses: Film Edinburgh on council land, the airport inside its zone, Historic Environment Scotland at the Castle and in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh Trams near the wires, and the pilot’s own CAA paperwork. Checked October 2026.
| Permission | Who grants it | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Taking off or landing on council land: streets, parks, beaches | Film Edinburgh, as the landowner’s film office. Its guidelines want the drone’s category and weight, the flight path, up to 120m and 50m clear of roads, buildings and uninvolved people, the Flyer and Operator IDs, public liability and drone insurance, and a risk assessment and method statement for the flight. In a park, £184 an hour + VAT. Near a road, a traffic order and a stewarding plan too | At least a week |
| A drone of 2kg to 25kg | Nobody: not flown over residential, recreational, commercial or industrial areas | Not allowed |
| Edinburgh Airport’s flight restriction zone | The airport, through the form on its website | At least 3 working days |
| Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Park and other HES sites | Historic Environment Scotland, charged on top of the filming fee | Ask with the filming request |
| The tram network | Edinburgh Trams: an Authority to Work for flying from or near it | 21 days |
| The railway | Nobody: Network Rail doesn’t approve other people’s flights. Tell it through Dronecloud; taking off or landing on its land is charged. ScotRail allows no drones on its stations at all | Before you fly |
| The Forth bridges and the estuary | Transport Scotland, to fly over a live road or bridge; Network Rail for the Forth Bridge; Forth Ports, told before any flight over the Forth | Forth Ports: 2 days |
| The CAA | The pilot: a Flyer ID and an Operator ID for anything over 100g with a camera, and an A2 certificate of competency to fly a UK2 or C2 drone near people | Held by the pilot |
Near people
A UK2 or C2 drone keeps 30m from people who aren’t part of the shoot, or 5m in low-speed mode; without the class mark, 50m. A drone under 250g can fly over people, but never over a crowd, and Film Edinburgh’s guidelines point out how busy the city is.
In the parks
The council’s parks rules prohibit commercial filming without its written permission. A pilot flying from council land without it is asked to stop, and Police Scotland called if they don’t.
The airport
Its own page says not to fly within 5km of the airport without permission, and not to fly near it until the answer comes. The flight goes on the zone map before it goes on the quote.
The bridges
Flying over the Forth Road Bridge or the Queensferry Crossing is Transport Scotland’s to agree, the Forth Bridge is Network Rail’s, and Forth Ports wants notice of any flight over the estuary. None of it is Film Edinburgh’s.
The pilot’s paperwork
Most of it sits with the pilot. Here’s how we book a drone operator in Edinburgh.
11 On the day
The rules on the day in Edinburgh
From Film Edinburgh’s Code of Practice and its night filming guidance. It isn’t legal advice: read the Code before you shoot.
Keep the pavement open
Pedestrian access stays open except for safety, and the public can be asked, not told, to wait for a take. Kit that blocks a footway needs a supervised way round at least 1.2m wide that a wheelchair can use, and emergency access stays 4m wide.
Cones don’t hold a space
A No Waiting cone has no legal force unless a TTRN, a TTRO or a parking suspension is behind it. Without one, it’s an obstruction.
Cables and lights
Cables flown at least 2.6m over a footway and 5.7m over a carriageway, or matted. Lights mustn’t dazzle drivers or shine into homes or businesses without permission, and stands on the pavement are attended or weighted.
Generators and engines
As far from homes and businesses as practical, super-silent where possible, renewable where it’ll do the job, and engines off on arrival.
Nights
Night filming is 23:00 to 07:00. In residential streets, work on the road stops at 23:00 unless the council, Police Scotland and the residents agree, and the residents get three weeks’ notice. Noisy scenes go before 22:00, radios on covert earpieces, with blackout and earplugs offered.
Weapons and uniforms
No weapon of any kind, prop and replica guns included, without Police Scotland agreeing first, indoors or out, on public or private land. A licence holder or registered firearms dealer is there for live-firing weapons. Actors in police uniform cover it between takes. Replicas are in the props guide.
Moving vehicles
Filming from a moving vehicle on a public road, from a low loader to an A-frame, goes through Film Edinburgh, which consults Police Scotland.
Fire and ambulance
The production tells the emergency services about hydrants, effects, fires or braziers, and anyone dressed as a firefighter or paramedic.
Wet-downs
Rain, snow and wetted streets only with the location’s agreement, after the forecast’s been checked, with signs up and a clear-up plan.
A day off for the street
Several days in one place means one day of respite a week for the people who live there.
Clear up and credit
Rubbish and spills off site, unit signs down when they’re done with, Scotland’s single-use plastics ban kept, and a credit for “The City of Edinburgh”.
12 The calendar
August, Christmas and Hogmanay: when the city is booked
Three times a year the city centre belongs to its own events. Book around them, or plan for them. Dates checked October 2026.
August
The Fringe, the International Festival and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo fill the Old Town. The Tattoo is at Edinburgh Castle from 6 to 28 August 2027. When Baby Reindeer filmed mid-Fringe, Film Edinburgh encouraged a reduced crew on the Royal Mile.
What we’d do
If the street doesn’t have to be the festival, shoot in another month: it’s easier on the permits, the schedule and the sound. If it does, keep the crew small and the kit handheld, and apply early.
Christmas
Edinburgh’s Christmas runs from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 in East and West Princes Street Gardens and on George Street.
Hogmanay
The torchlight procession is on the streets on 29 December 2026, the gardens under the Castle hold concerts on the 30th and 31st, and the street party takes the city centre on Hogmanay itself (Edinburgh’s Hogmanay).
Holyrood Park at weekends
Every road in the park is closed to vehicles during the day on Saturdays and Sundays, so a unit that needs to drive in goes on a weekday.
13 Insurance
Public liability: £10m, £5m, and whose certificate it is
Every permission asks for a public liability certificate. In Edinburgh the council’s figure is £10m and Historic Environment Scotland’s £5m. Which certificate goes in depends on who the producer of record is.
| Who’s asking | Public liability |
|---|---|
| Film Edinburgh: streets, parks, beaches, kirkyards, libraries | £10m at least, on every application. The Code wants it shown on demand to anyone the shoot affects |
| Film Edinburgh: drones | Public liability and drone insurance, with the same application |
| Historic Environment Scotland: the Castle, Holyrood Park, Craigmillar | £5m, for filming and for drones; more for some shoots |
| Network Rail: Waverley | Up to £10m, in sterling; at least £10m on a Small Scale Filming Agreement |
| ScotRail: Haymarket | £10m |
| The Royal Botanic Garden | Agreed at the recce |
| The Scottish Parliament, the University of Edinburgh | No figure published: ask with the request |
Crew hire
You’re the producer of record
The certificate the venue gets
Yours. Film Edinburgh, Historic Environment Scotland, Network Rail and the venues want your public liability, for the company named on the application.
What our insurance covers
The 2%: employers’ liability for every crew member we book, and the kit we hire in for you. Nothing else on the shoot.
What it costs
10% booking fee + 2% insurance, on everything we book.
Permits
Yours to hold.
Full production
We’re the producer of record
The certificate the venue gets
Ours: our production policy, £10m public liability included, with a certificate naming the venue.
What our insurance covers
The 5%: insurance across the whole shoot, and the contingency.
What it costs
15% production fee + 5% insurance and contingency, on the production budget.
Permits
We apply in our name, and the fees go in the budget.
Not sure which it is? If your own producer or director will run the day, it’s crew hire. If you want us to take the production on, it’s a full production quote, and the Edinburgh crew page takes either brief. Shooting from abroad? Here’s how overseas teams book Edinburgh.
Need an Edinburgh location sorted?
Tell us where and when. We’ll come back with whose permission it needs, the notice it takes and the insurance they’ll ask for. Or call us on 07412 543822.
Quick contact form
14 Questions
Filming in Edinburgh: questions
Do I need a permit to film in Edinburgh?
Not on a public street or footpath, as long as you cause no obstruction, nuisance or offence: Film Edinburgh, the City of Edinburgh Council’s film office, still wants to hear about it, so it can tell local officers and Police Scotland. Every park and beach needs its permission, and so do the council’s kirkyards and libraries. A Notice of No Objection, confirming the shoot can go ahead, is £56 + VAT for a crew under ten (checked October 2026). Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Park need Historic Environment Scotland, and Waverley Network Rail, on top. Film Edinburgh is at film@edinburgh.gov.uk and covers East Lothian, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders too.
How much notice does Film Edinburgh need?
At least 24 hours to tell it about a low-impact shoot, 48 hours for a council park, a week for a small shoot and four weeks for a large one. A road closure of under five days takes two weeks and a longer one ten; the residents’ letter goes out a week ahead, or three weeks for a night shoot (checked October 2026). Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours, so it’s usually the notice period that sets the date.
How much does a filming permit cost in Edinburgh?
Checked October 2026, plus VAT: a Notice of No Objection is £56 for a crew under ten, £166 for 11 to 24 and £331 for 25 to 74. A park is £79 for under four hours with five people or fewer, then £189 an hour. A large shoot in a city-centre kirkyard is £357 an hour, drone permission in a park £184 an hour, and a road closure of under five days £675. Crews of 40 or more pay an administrative fee from £276. A yellow-line dispensation is £16 a vehicle.
Can I film at Edinburgh Castle or in Holyrood Park?
Yes, with Historic Environment Scotland’s written permission, through a filming liaison at filming@hes.scot. Fees start at £300 + VAT for up to two hours on site, with road closures in the park, base units, drones and late notice charged on top (checked October 2026). Crews can’t ask visitors to move out of shot, kit has to stand free of the stonework, and any replica gun has its certificate checked first. At the Castle, the Ministry of Defence is told about replica weapons too.
Can I fly a drone in Edinburgh?
Yes, with planning. Taking off or landing on council land goes through Film Edinburgh, at least a week ahead, and drone filming permission in a park is £184 an hour + VAT. Drones of 2kg to 25kg can’t be flown over residential, recreational, commercial or industrial areas. Inside Edinburgh Airport’s flight restriction zone you need its permission, with three working days’ notice; at the Castle and in Holyrood Park, Historic Environment Scotland’s; near the trams, an Authority to Work. ScotRail allows no drones on its stations. Checked October 2026.
Can I film at Edinburgh Waverley or Haymarket?
Waverley is Network Rail’s: £750 an hour + VAT for corporate and commercial work with up to ten people, two hours minimum, five working days’ notice on its Small Scale Filming Agreement or £500 more inside that, weekdays 10:00–16:00 or 20:00–06:30, and £10m public liability. While the platforms are expanded, some areas may be off limits. Haymarket is ScotRail’s, which wants at least 25 working days and £10m public liability. Checked October 2026.
Can I film near the Edinburgh trams?
Yes, but anything that could come within reach of the track or the 750V overhead wires needs an Authority to Work from Edinburgh Trams, through its Permit+ portal, at least 21 days ahead (checked October 2026). That includes a ladder within 2m of the rail, a scaffold tower or crane within 5m, anything rigged above the wires, and any set-up that pushes pedestrians or traffic onto the line. In the city centre the wires are fixed to the buildings.
Can I film in Edinburgh in August?
Yes, but plan for it. The Fringe, the International Festival and the Tattoo fill the Old Town, and the Tattoo runs at Edinburgh Castle from 6 to 28 August 2027. When Baby Reindeer filmed mid-Fringe, Film Edinburgh encouraged a reduced crew on the Royal Mile. If the street doesn’t have to be the festival, another month is easier on the permits, the schedule and the sound.
What public liability insurance do I need to film in Edinburgh?
Film Edinburgh asks for at least £10m on every application, Network Rail up to £10m at Waverley and ScotRail £10m; Historic Environment Scotland asks for £5m (checked October 2026). On a crew hire you’re the producer of record, so the certificate is yours. On a full production our policy covers the shoot, £10m public liability included, and the certificate names the venue.
Around the crew
More for Edinburgh shoots
01
Kit rental
Kit houses in Leith and out towards the airport, the crew’s own kit, and what comes from Glasgow or London.
03
Studios and set builds
FirstStage in Leith, smaller studios for interviews and product, and set builds.
