Where Was The Outrun Filmed And Set In Orkney?

Bright, bracing winds and salt air practically jump off the screen in 'The Outrun' because the film was largely shot where the book is set: out in Orkney. The production leaned hard into real Orcadian locations — think Kirkwall's compact streets and harbour, the fishing-village feel of Stromness, and the wild, empty stretches of coastline where waves and cliffs do most of the storytelling. That raw landscape is the point; you can tell the crew wanted authenticity rather than a studio stand-in.

Beyond those towns, the crew used quieter, more remote spots across the islands for moodier sequences — little bays, peat-cut fields, and lonely single-track roads. For practical reasons a few interior or pickup scenes were handled back on the Scottish mainland in studios, but the heart of the film sits in Orkney. The locations double as characters: sea lochs, lichen-covered stones, and the endless light give the movie its emotional texture. I loved how seeing real places made the story feel lived-in and immediate.

Salt-scented air and a horizon that never seems to end — that's what makes the setting in 'The Outrun' so memorable, and yes, most of the filming happened across Orkney. The production sought out both the inhabited hubs like Kirkwall and Stromness and those far-flung, quieter spots on islands such as Westray, Rousay and Hoy. Those places provide that sense of isolation and community that Amy Liptrot wrote about; you get both the close-knit town scenes and the desolate shorelines where characters confront themselves.

Structurally the crew mixed sequences: exteriors almost always on the islands, interiors sometimes shot in controlled environments back on the mainland. Local people were brought in as extras and crew when possible, which gave a grounded feel to the everyday moments. For me the neat thing was watching how geography dictated emotion — the long beaches and wind-bent fences literally shape scenes. I ended up bookmarking images of the coastlines because the film made them feel personal.

The movie version of 'The Outrun' stays true to its setting: it's rooted in Orkney and filmed mostly on location around the islands. When I watched it I could tell a bunch of the scenes were shot in and around Kirkwall and Stromness because of the harbour shots and the tiny, winding lanes that only Orcadians seem to have. The filmmakers also ventured out to more remote isles and coastal spots for the scenes that need that raw, elemental feel — windy cliffs, peaty fields, and long, empty roads.

To be realistic, some interiors or complicated setups were finished in Scottish studios on the mainland, but those are the exceptions. The visual identity of the film comes from Orkney itself: the sky, the sea, and the shifting light. It felt refreshing to see a movie that didn’t hide from the weather; it used it. That honesty in location work really stuck with me afterwards.

I’ve always been drawn to stories where place shapes the person, and 'The Outrun' nails that by being both set and filmed in Orkney. Most of the recognizable locations are on the Mainland: Kirkwall’s stone streets and the harbourside of Stromness are used for the more community-oriented scenes, while the filmmakers moved out to remote headlands and small islands for the intimate, introspective moments. You can tell they prioritized genuine vistas over studio backlots — cliffs, wide tidal bays, and old croft houses appear throughout, grounding the story in real Orkney geography.

When I visited the islands after watching the film, I could pick out coastal landmarks and those vast skies that feel like another mood in the movie. The production embraced local architecture and seascapes: lighthouses, narrow lanes, and peat-cutting slopes all contribute to the visual language. It’s worth noting that adapting a memoir set in Orkney meant staying faithful to the tone of isolation and small-community connections, and the decision to film on location strengthens that. I felt both nostalgic and restless watching it, like the film itself was urging me to pay attention to weather and memory in equal measure.