A NEW film recently released on Netflix features a “Duke of Dunbar” and also scenes shot at Tantallon Castle – and has been called “a cup of hot chocolate for the soul” by film critics.

A Castle for Christmas, starring Cary Elwes, Brooke Shields and some questionable Scottish accents, was released on Netflix on November 26, and almost immediately met with the claim “it’s so bad it’s actually good”.

But a spokesperson for Historic Environment Scotland, which owns and manages Tantallon Castle, said that watching the film might “inspire” people to visit.

They added: “We hosted the production last October, when the wider castle was open to the public, working under strict industry guidelines relating to Covid-19.

“Hosting filming at our sites is great for us, both economically and also through raising the profile of Scotland’s rich history to a national and global audience.

“Such opportunities allow us to present our historic environment in a different context to engage new audiences.

“Watching such films, and seeing the historic splendour of sites like Tantallon Castle, might hopefully inspire people to visit the wider area of East Lothian and Scotland as a whole.”

The film’s plot sees a bestselling American author (Shields) getting in touch with her Scottish heritage by travelling to Scotland, where she falls in love with a castle called Dun Dunbar (actually Dalmeny House, South Queensferry) and its owner Myles, the Duke of Dunbar (Elwes).

Netflix called the film “comfier-than-a-soft-wool-tartan romance” and “the most accurate depiction of Scotland ever seen on screen. Honest”.

But film critics have said “it will grate on Scottish audiences” and it has “a disregard for accurate accents”.

Audience reviews, however, said “it did have its refreshing and humorous moments” and “it fills the craving most of us have for corny Christmas flicks this season. Loved it!”.

Other filming locations included Edinburgh Airport, a brief glimpse of Whitekirk, and Culross in Fife, which stood in as a fictional village called Dunbar.

Tantallon Castle featured for a few seconds in the film and was described by Elwes’ character as the castle with “ocean views and its own graveyard”.