Guidelines
Aberdeenshire Film Office Guidelines
Let us know what’s going on and we’ll support you. Aberdeenshire Film Office offer confidential location and logistical support; our service is free. We are a film friendly region.
We’re here to help everything to go smoothly and safely. Our communities love film, TV & photoshoots coming to our areas, especially when production companies engage with them and are thoughtful.
We ask that you follow our guidelines and request formal permission to film in the shire. Filming, Health and Safety and Production Management responsibilities and associated liabilities lie with the production company employees and overall responsibility lies with the producer. Aberdeenshire Council, Police Scotland and other services may impose restrictions as necessary.
Granting Permission to film in Aberdeenshire
We ask that you have an experienced location manager or production professional leading the project. In the first instance we would like you to send us:
- Name of production & overview of the topic.
- Name of producer, writer & director.
- Name of production company, address and key contacts.
- Number of crew expected.
- Dates and times of production.
For us to give you permission we will need to see the above and also:
- Public Liability Insurance to £5,000,000
- Signed Risk Assessment
- Other requirements as detailed below (such as drone usage) where appropriate
Aberdeenshire Film Office will give you permission by email if they are satisfied that you are managing your production safely and with consideration for the community.
Filming in Aberdeenshire is governed by Scots law.
We ask you to
Send us publicity images and keep us informed of transmission dates.
Give us spend figures: this helps us continue to support you.
Environmental Impact: Leave No Trace
Please ensure you respect the countryside and follow the Outdoor Access Code. Be aware of conservation agreements that may be in place.
You may already work within existing protocols by funders, broadcasters, green certification organisations such as albert. If not, please use Screen Scotland’s Sustainability in Production & Best Practice Guide. Their checklist is summarised here:
- Have an environmental statement and communicate to the team.
- Calculate the baseline energy and resource use.
- Commit to reducing, reusing and recycling.
- Provide paid training or shadowing opportunities to a local crew member.
- Support all crew to participate in training.
- Allocate or hire an environmental coordinator or runner.
- Ask for environmental and social responsibility policies of suppliers, broadcasters & distributors.
- Debrief with the film office after filming.
Aberdeenshire Council is a member of the Association of Film Commissions International through Screen Scotland.
Drone filming
Please ensure drone filming is conducted according to CAA advice and regulations. We want to see:
- An overview of the nature of the proposed activity (e.g. filming, event, structural survey etc).
- A copy of the pilot’s license; operator ID and Flyer ID if applicable.
- Risk Assessment and Method Statement which must be specific to the operation in question and include the maximum height, flight plan and control measures. This should include take-off and landing site(s), minimum distance from persons not directly under the operator’s control and whether the drone will fly above any people including pedestrians, roads and buildings.
- Public Liability Insurance and appropriate UAS insurance compliant to EC 785/2004.
- Category and weight of UAS and CAA paperwork.
Please protect wildlife by being extremely sensitive to our habitat:
- Do not film during darkness.
- Do not film in any way that disturbs wildlife. For example, drones have caused deer to panic and run: this can endanger their lives.
- Read Nature Scot’s guidance on Disturbing Wildlife.
Residents, Businesses and Land
Please try as far as possible to not disturb local residents and businesses. If you are planning a shoot that may impact residents we ask you to notify them of what is going on. This shows respect and is likely to engender local support. You can contact local residents with a letter drop giving an overview of the project and a point of contact for people to raise concerns. This may also be supplemented by social media notifications but please do not rely on social media alone. Give sufficient notice and tell residents what dates and times you’ll be filming and provide contact information. Please send this to Aberdeenshire Film Office to review.
Please do not film between 10pm-8am except in exceptional circumstances.
If you are filming on private property, please arrange a reasonable rental fee and issue a location contract with terms agreed upon.
Be clear about design requirements in dressing, construction and making good.
The Land reform (Scotland Act 2003 (LR(S)A) – known as the ‘right to roam’ does not mean that a release agreement or location use agreement is not necessary. You need to ensure you have agreement to film on private and public land.
Aberdeenshire Film Office can help connect you with community councils and help with community engagement. We may also contact community councils and local representatives directly.
Seas and Harbours
Aberdeenshire has many registered harbours along its coastline. Some are working commercial harbours such a Fraserburgh, Macduff and Peterhead; others are leisure harbours such as Banff, Stonehaven and Whitehills. Fraserburgh and Peterhead are privately operated as are some of the smaller community harbours. Portsoy, Banff, Macduff, Rosehearty, Stonehaven, Johnshaven and Gourdon are operated by Aberdeenshire Council. Many of the other smaller harbours are now delisted or unregistered and are treated as part of the coastline.
You need specific permission to shoot in a registered harbour and we can facilitate this. Filming in boats and at sea requires careful safety planning and we will want to ensure you have specific risk assessments in place. We recommend working with a marine safety specialist.
Roads
If you plan to use roads in Aberdeenshire please enquire with us so we can connect you with the right road management group for the county.
When filming on our roads ensure your crew is considerate to others who might need to use the roads and pavements. Your crew needs to wear high visibility clothing, if necessary provide alternative foot path and show consideration towards accessibility. Please ensure you have a plan for parking, providing alternative parking if appropriate.
You can find out about scheduled road closures here. Some main roads that go through the county are managed nationally so you will need to contact the relevant operators: Scottish trunk road network map | Transport Scotland.
If you need a temporary traffic restriction to close roads, then this requires from 2 weeks’ to 3 months’ notice depending on the level of impact. We would expect you to provide a traffic management plan and use a traffic management company for this. Please contact the film office for this process. We are very happy to arrange a meeting with a roads engineer on location to discuss your requirements and ensure you understand what permissions you need to request. Many requests include legal requirements such as notification to the community and this can take some time.
Please inform us about any alteration of street furniture or markings that you are planning, as well as use of cranes, cherry pickers, and any other potentially hazardous equipment.
Ensure emergency services are not hindered in any way.
public parks and spaces
You will need to ask for permission to film in public spaces well in advance of your arrival to ensure you do not interfere with council operations such as grass cutting, bin collections, or events.
Filming should not hinder other activities such as games or play areas.
Film crews should wear high visibility clothing to distinguish them from the public.
In addition, please let us know about
Stunt work and special effects.
Filming children. Consent forms signed by parents or guardians are required for filming under 18s and only those children are allowed to be in the frame.
Use of animals