A tiny Argyll island has been viewed nearly four million times on You Tube since Florence and the Machine made a music video there.
Easdale is the setting for the single, Queen of Peace, from the band’s chart-topping album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful.
The former slate quarrying island, which has no roads or cars, is 10 hectares, with the 60 or so inhabitants living in quaint cottages.
The video stars Florence Welch as she faces a violent group of people intent on brutalizing a town in the Scottish countryside. Despite bloody skirmishes and broken relationships, the 10-minute clip features some stunning scenery on Easdale.
Keren Cafferty, owner of the Puffer Bar and Restaurant on the island, said: “It is really funny for us watching it because they used a few extras from the area. It is really good for the area, it only came out last summer so we will see if it makes a difference to visitor numbers in the next season.
“We’ve got 10 people coming over this weekend to do a photoshoot for a foreign shoe company. It is really putting us on the map.”
Argyll and Bute Council’s Environment Development and Infrastructure Committee will meet tomorrow(thur), when councillors will be given an overview of the filming activity in the area throughout 2015.
The council is working to attract investment into Argyll and Bute from the screen industries.
In a report to the committee, Executive Director of Development and Infrastructure, Pippa Milne, writes: “For the year January 2015 to December 2015, Argyll and Bute received 110 inquiries and there have been 48 productions filmed during the year. This has resulted in a production spend of £524,500 with 603 cast and crew involved and
118 filming days.”
The Florence and the Machine video involved two days of filming, with 65 cast and crew members, six of which were locally cast.
She adds: “To date there has been more than three million viewings of the YouTube video with many comments on the fantastic cinematic visuals of the location.”
Also filmed in Argyll last year was a feature film remake of Whisky Galore at Luss, and a commercial on Islay and Jura.
There were also two BBC productions. From Darkness, a new drama filmed around Tayvallich, Ardfern and Ellenabeich was recently shown on prime time Sunday evening.
Still to be aired is Stag, a comedy filmed around Glen Douglas, The Rest and Be Thankful, Glen Kinglas and Garelochhead Training Camp.