Fans of hit television series are being urged to keep away once filming begins in the north-east, by order of the Peaky Blinders’ producers.
The team behind the BBC’s hit gangster show plans to film part of its sixth series at Portsoy harbour in the coming weeks, but said adhering to coronavirus restrictions is their utmost priority.
The filming – which is a closed set due to lockdown restrictions – is expected to take place in the coming weeks, with preparations at Shorehead already underway.
The filming was originally planned for Spring 2020, and due to take five days, but was halted by the pandemic. Now it’s resuming in a carefully controlled way, with director Anthony Byrne hoping to release the next, highly-anticipated chapter for the Shelby family in 2022.
The production companies behind the Peaky Blinders, are stressing that public safety is “paramount” and safe filming can only go ahead under strict coronavirus guidelines.
A spokesman for the show said: “Everyone at Peaky Blinders is excited to be able to finally begin work on our new series. We’ve gone to extensive lengths in line with the applicable government and regional guidelines to make the production safe for cast, crew and the communities that surround our filming locations and in order to continue to do this, we kindly ask that members of the public please stay away from our closed sets to allow us create the series in a safe and secure way for everyone involved.
“We look forward to sharing the series with you in due course.”
Hopes are high the inclusion of Portsoy in the show, which will also stream globally on Netflix, will bring about a tourism boost to the region.
VisitAberdeenshire’s chief executive Chris Foy said: “Peaky Blinders is one of the most recognisable and watched shows around the world, and to see the Shelby brothers don their flat caps in the north-east is fantastic.
“According to the British Film Institute, film and TV-related tourism is worth up to £600 million to the UK economy and with the Outlander effect taking hold in other parts of Scotland, it’s a great opportunity for the region to be seen on screen once more. “With other productions in the pipeline due to film here, it’s an exciting time for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.”
Village makeover
Portsoy’s picturesque 17th-century fishing harbour was a hive of activity yesterday with crews on hand working on buildings including the apparent transformation of the currently-closed Shore Inn to the fictional Hotel Lanaan – complete with grubby windows and tattered sign.
Before the pandemic hit, The Seafield Arms in Whitehills, five miles from Portsoy, revealed it was fully booked with cast and crew for the end of June.
However, owner Dave Hayfield said there’s been no such bookings this time around.
“I can hand on heart say say that we have had no contact with the production company which originally booked the rooms last summer,” he said.
“It is an exciting thing for the area, but I just struggle to understand how they are going to manage to do the filming in the current climate and with the restrictions on travel.
“But I know things are happening in Portsoy down at the harbour.”
He added that all his rooms are booked out tonight but “it’s not big names that they are under”.
Other hotels in the village itself are remaining tight-lipped, though, with nobody available to comment at the Shore Inn and the owners of the Station Hotel saying they “couldn’t comment” on the activity in Portsoy.
Road closures
Aberdeenshire Council, meanwhile, has put in place various road closures and diversions around Shorehead, Low Street, Shore Street, Lodging Brae and Barbark Street at points from now until mid-February.
Created and written by Steven Knight, the sixth season of Peaky Blinders, once again starring Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson and Helen McCrory, will be set in the 1920s and see the family try to smuggle alcohol into the US during Prohibition.
Although the series is set in Birmingham, the majority of its scenes have been filmed in and around Liverpool and Leeds as well as several other parts of Yorkshire.
The decision to film in Portsoy reportedly comes after the crew were impressed by the way residents handled the filming of the 2016 remake of classic comedy Whisky Galore.
