Several times delayed, this journey in Scotland has been prepared with special care. Although most of the sites were already well identified by the community, there was still an unexplored area: that of No Time To Die (see dedicated articles) — and above all, the legendary boat pursuit of From Russia With Love. From (very) many fans of Bond have already photographed themselves on the pier of Craobh Haven, where Bond and Tatiana board the boat... and then that's all — Almost. A photo of the explosion site had circulated well a decade ago, but its author no longer remembered the exact location, and the location remained confused. No reference card gave a reliable position (when they indicated something). So we were opening up an incredible field of inquiry: the Loch Crinan. It took us several months of work to arrive at some solid assumptions, before local contact proved decisive.
Where it all started...
As with every trip, I started working with Google Maps and above all Street View... except that the area of Crinan is very sparsely populated, and that the pursuit takes place at sea — more precisely in a marine loch. That means no Street View! Only a few photographs taken by boaters on some islands in the area were available, but nothing really exploitable. The area to explore was immense — near 300 km2 — and we did not have clear pictures or visual cues. A serious trail finally emerged thanks to the site MI6-HQ, confirming what the 2015 photo already suggested: the explosion would have taken place in the Loch Craignish. But no way to verify it. The initial idea was to go back hiking to get some shots from the coast, on the side of the marine farm. Then, thanks to the excellent site Reel Streets.com, we discovered that the island Eilean Dubh Mòr, located nearly 10 km away from the bird of Crinan, appeared on a wide plane. However, the site placed it in the same log as the explosion — which still caused confusion. Again, many assumptions, no certainty, and especially an immense frustration not to be able to confront all this with real images.
We have therefore asked an incalculable number of inhabitants of the region to help us. In parallel, I contacted the administrator of the reference site on Bond vehicles, bmt216a.dkwho had shared a lot of filming information about this sequence... without success.
It's finally turning to Nick, with whom we exchanged long, that everything was unlocked. His father almost bought one of the boats used after the shooting, so he was quite naturally Man of the situation. He confirmed some of our assumptions, invalidated others, and we finally booked for the day the boat of one of his friends, Rosswith him as a guide.
Marine map of the region of Loch Crinan
Pass on the price of such an excursion : even the idea of going back to where no one had come back to James Bond Since 1963 was enough to make us lose a little reason... But the adventure was so extraordinary that it was well worth the detour.
Bond and Tania embark – Craobh Haven (Argyll and Bute)
Loyalty: ★★★★ – Access: ★☆☆ (easy)
So it was on August 19, at 7:00 a.m., that we left our base camp in Oban for what would become the most memorable of all my Bondian adventures. First step: Craobh Haven and Lunga Estate, simple camping and a little rustic. Crossing the campers in full breakfast, we finally reach the famous pier, bathed in a mild morning sun. Although the structure has changed slightly, the location remains almost identical to that visible on the screen. We even took out the drone for a plan (a little missed, I confess) from the departure of the boat.
We hoped to learn more on the spot, but nothing matched the 34 marine screenshots that we had prepared! And for cause: as we learn in the making of (Inside From Russia With Love), the Scottish filming was sown — delays, premature explosions, unpredictable weather conditions — binding Peter Hunt to mount the sequence by mixing the rushes in all directions. I mean, it didn't make our research easier... We then resume the road for about 30 minutes, direction Crinan, our starting point to explore the marine loch.
Crinan: the base of the film team – Crinan (Argyll and Bute)
We reach the northern end of the Crinan Canal, linking the Loch Fyne in the Atlantic Ocean, where the small village of the same name nests, inhabited by only 80 inhabitants. We park in front of the Crinan Hotelwhich for more than two centuries has been the heart of this tiny community — and had hosted the film team in 1963. The hotel was partially destroyed and rebuilt since then. It was in this port of Crinan that the shooting boats were moored every evening, during the first fortnight of July 1963. often find on the Internet (and even on 007.com) that the sequence would first have been shot in Turkeybefore Terence Young does not decide to redo it in Scotland, finding the Turkish boats too slow... I don't believe it: no shooting photo in Turkey ever surfaced again. It was probably an abandoned project... But do we ever know?
The fact is that Scottish shooting went very late in the calendar, under enormous pressure — remember that at the time, EON Get out a Bond a year! In early July 1963, the team placed their suitcases in Crinan. The 6 July, while he used to track the scene by helicopter, Terence Young was the victim of an accident with the artistic director Michael White and a framer on board. The aircraft crashed in the bay of Crinan, about 15 meters deep. All get out with minor injuries — The wreckage, it is said, would still rest at the bottom of the water. In spite of this incident, Young resumed filming in the afternoon. A few days later, the driver of Daniela Bianchi The car left the road, and the actress injured in the face. His scenes had to be postponed by two weeks, an incident reported at the time in the local newspaper.
Zone 1 Lunga and Scarba Islands – Loch Crinan (Argyll and Bute)
Loyalty: ★★★★ – Access: ★★★(boat only)
So it's aboard the beautiful Sgarbh that we are welcomed by Ross and Nick. Here we go for seven hours at sea. Nick had prepared his exit well and proposes us a route starting with the furthest area: according to him, the first photos should be identifiable beyond the island of Scarba, about an hour by boat.
The departure to the bay of Crinan is splendid. The weather is still clear, and the panorama towards the north shore reveals the famous Duntrune Castle, whose monumental deer would have inspired the decorators of Skyfall. There are many assumptions about this: one of them claims that the filming should have taken place in Duntrune, but that a leak of information would have caused the production to change its plans. When we review the final sequence of the film, we quickly realize that it would have been impossible here.
So here we are, a little febrile, on a calm sea, scrutinizing the landscape while straddling our « guide » — What we will do all day long. Arriving at the place indicated by Nick, the decor is similar, but not convincing. We realize then that the game is not won, and that such a job would be impossible without an experienced sailor knowing the place at the fingertips. Fortunately, Nick shows a great intuition. He announces that it may be the East tip Which corresponds to our first photo. Fifteen minutes later, we're there. — and incredible: That fits perfectly! Here we are in an area where many plans have been shot.
We manoeuvre the boat with Nick and Ross to find the best possible angles and discover about twenty exact framings between Scarba and Lunga. Our hosts, first intrigued, are now amused and impressed by our passion — They're clearly playing games. After several hours of navigation, we anchor and launch the drone to reproduce aerial plans filmed from two small nearby islands. The rendering is absolutely incredible.
In ten years of travel in the footsteps of James Bond, this is the first time I feel such satisfaction: to discover so many exact places, and especially to see all the preparation work bear fruit. What fullness, at the bottom of this marine loch, surrounded by François and our two Scottish acolytes.
Zone 2 Loch Craignish – Loch Crinan (Argyll and Bute)
Loyalty: ★★★★ – Access: ★★★(boat only)
After a short break and a few photos ofEilean Dubh Mòr, we resume the road to Shuna Castle, where Nick thinks he's identified another set of plans.
Unfortunately, after an hour of sea, the track leads to nothing this time. But Nick, still resourceful, thinks these plans may also have been taken since the Loch Craignish. We then set course for the second great moment of the day. Another hour by boat, and here we are. On the spot, the same feeling as in the morning: the scenery of the film is everywhere around us. Some plans are only revealed after several tests, requiring to position the vessel almost to the nearest metre.
Time is beginning to run out, but Ross and Nick are repeating their attention to take us exactly where we need to go, with a riveted eye on the maritime map in order to avoid ripples — on Sgarbh being much larger than small boats Fairey The film.
Final point: between the huge salmon farmsWe finally find the exact angle of the explosion. The moment is magical! Our Scottish friends are delighted to have been able to satisfy their French clients a little crazy — And we are full.
It will only take us half an hour to get back to the port, share a hot teaand discuss with Ross and Nick the future of the saga, and our other destinations. If one day such a cruise tempts you, look no further: Do it with them. We even sent them a complete guide after we returned — And they confessed to us rediscovered their own loch through our eyes.
Thanks to François Finas, Franck Anderson and of course Nick and Ross
Sources
• Inside « From Russia with Love » – John Cork – 2000
This blog shares my travel experiences, from unavoidable destinations to the most original and exclusive places. Each article is the result of careful work and a real time investment. If you use this information elsewhere or for your own adventures, consider citing your sources and thanking – that's what I do myself, and it's always fun. Julien Abauzit (JaBoz)
