Film, TV and photo shoots during COVID-19

Safety measures that we’ve put in place

• Many of our landscape locations and built heritage sites are now open to the public, and are also open to welcoming film, TV and photo shoot crews. Some of our built heritage locations will remain closed to the public until 2021. If you’re interested in conducting a film, TV or photo shoot at a Trust location then please email our Filming Manager on filming@nts.org.uk to discuss further.
• Many of our built heritage locations have enrolled in the VisitScotland ‘Good to Go’ scheme, which provides assurance about the measures we’re putting in place to keep our visitors and staff safe.
• Depending on the project and requirements, we may be able to accommodate your shoot at a location that’s closed to the public. Please be aware that this depends on staff availability to facilitate and supervise the shoot.
• Depending on requirements, it may be necessary for us to ask the production to employ external contractors such as cleaners to clean toilet facilities and other areas prior to and following your shoot, and we may also require that the production works with one of our recommended external project conservators to supervise your shoot. This can be discussed further with the Filming Manager.

Measures that we require from productions

• Please give at least 7–10 working days’ notice of your proposed filming date. We ask you to complete the National Trust for Scotland Filming and Photo Shoot Enquiry Form – please contact the Filming Manager (filming@nts.org.uk) to discuss your prospective enquiry.
• All crew must be compliant with the current Scottish Government guidelines and specific film guidelines ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on film and TV production’.
• We recommend that all crew complete the ScreenSkills COVID-19 training module ‘Coronavirus basic awareness on production training’.
• We recommend that all crew bring their own Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as required (depending on current Scottish Government guidelines), and that all crew members have their own hand sanitiser, antibacterial wipes and paper towels for wiping down toilet facilities after use.
• Once a shoot has been agreed with the Filming Manager and specific location/s, we’ll discuss location charges and will ask the production to complete our standard Filming and Photography Contract. We’ll also require copies of the production’s Public Liability Insurance and any drone operator documents, if drone filming and/or photography has been agreed.
• In addition to the standard documents noted above, we’ll require the production to send us a Risk Assessment for the activity at our location/locations with specific detail of the COVID-19 protocols. Your risk assessment should consider potential risks to production staff, National Trust for Scotland staff and contractors, and to visitors and the general public. We’ll also ask for details of the production’s COVID-19 supervisor.
• We’ll require productions to provide us with the names and contact telephone numbers of each crew and cast member attending the location for the project. This information will be securely stored by the National Trust for Scotland for 21 days for the purposes of assisting with NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect strategy should there be any instances of COVID-19 linked to the location within 14 days from the production’s arrival on site. Equally, we also ask that the production makes us aware of any instances of COVID-19 linked to the production within 14 days of the cast and crew’s arrival on site. Our legal grounds for this processing is legitimate interests, in that we consider it necessary in supporting NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect strategy. For further information please see our data protection policy.
• Further resources can also be found via Screen Scotland’s COVID-19 Update.

If you have any further questions, please contact the National Trust for Scotland Filming Manager (filming@nts.org.uk).