Movies Galore!

The easiest way to see the latest big budget blockbuster is to head to one of the large cinema chains and a quick Google will tell you that there are enough Cineworlds, Vues and Odeons dotted around the country to keep you in popcorn for life.

But, if you like to take more of a chance with your cinema, there are plenty of opportunities out there.

The Highlands and the North

Following its multimillion pound revamp, Eden Court Cinema (Bishop's Road) in Inverness is the most important place for Highland film fans. Mixing the mainstream with rarer gems, the cinema also hosts Inverness Film Fans, enthusiasts who regularly meet to discuss and screen movies.

If you can’t make a bricks and mortar cinema there’s always The Screen Machine, the UK’s only mobile cinema which travels the Highlands taking cinema to remote areas.

Elgin’s Moray Playhouse (High Street) brings some of the bigger film titles to locals while down in Aberdeen the Belmont Picturehouse (Belmont Street), part of the national Picturehouse chain, manages to tap into a wide variety of movies.

Central

Edinburgh boasts the Cameo (38 Home Street), allegedly Tarantino’s favourite cinema, Filmhouse (88 Lothian Road) and The Dominion (18 Newbattle Terrace) for a broad mix of cult classics and arthouse. Pub venues such as The GRV (37 Guthrie Street), The Brass Monkey (14 Drummond Street) and the Voodoo Rooms (19a West Register Street) are also worth checking out for the occassional informal screening.

Just outside the capital there’s The Brunton Theatre (Ladywell Way) in Musselburgh and the newly refurbished Hippodrome (10 Hope Street) in Bo’ness, both worth keeping an eye on for occasional screenings.

In Glasgow, the gorgeously decorated Glasgow Film Theatre (12 Rose Street) is perfect for foreign and classic cinema while The Arches (253 Argyle Street) and the Grosvenor (24 Ashton Lane) are popular alternatives to the chain cinemas.

Away from Edinburgh and Glasgow, residents in central Scotland are spoilt for choice when it comes to smaller venues.

Dundonians should check out Dundee Contemporay Arts (152 Nethergate) while Stirling boasts The Carlton Allan Park (28 Allan Park) and the MacRobert Arts Centre (University of Stirling).

Other cinemas sitting largely within the central belt include: the New Picture House (117 North Street) in St Andrews; The Waterfront (10 Custom House Way) in Greenock; The Studio Cinema (41 John Street) in Dunoon and The Highland Theatre (George Street) in Oban.

South

Film fans in the south of Scotland can stay local with the Newton Stewart Cinema (35 Victoria Street) in Newton Stewart, the Lonsdale Cinema (Moat Road) in Annan and the Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre (Mill Road) in Dumfries which hosts various workshops and arthouse films. Finally, there’s the The Pavillion (Market Street) in Galashiels for a decent selection of large and smaller films.