A LONG-awaited film adaptation of one of the country's best-loved novels has begun shooting in Scotland.

Terence Davies' "intimate epic" version of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's 1932 novel Sunset Song is under way in various locations around Aberdeenshire for the next two weeks.

Davies, director of movies such as Deep Blue Sea and House of Mirth, is in Scotland with his cast which includes model and actress Agyness Deyn, Peter Mullan and Kevin Guthrie.

The shoot has already visited several countries.

It began in New Zealand, to capture the March harvest season, followed by the shooting of interiors at Filmland in Luxembourg, which had contributed financially to the production.

A statement from the film makers said: "To capture the beauty of the landscape, the film-makers have chosen to shoot on 65mm film, a creative decision that will ensure depth, clarity and emotional impact on the screen.

"This should help ensure that the land will feature as a character in its own right."

Creative Scotland, the national arts and film funding body, has given £450,000 towards the film's budget.

The director had previously said that the filming of the movie in different countries was necessary in order to capture the different seasons in the book.

The book, regarded as one of the greatest Scottish novels of the last century, tells the story of Chris Guthrie growing up in fictional Kinraddie in the Mearns in the north-east of Scotland.

The novel forms part of the trilogy A Scots Quair. It was previously made into a television series by the BBC in 1971 and has also been produced as a stage play.

Sol Papadopoulos, co-founder of Hurricane Films, said: "We were drawn to Terence's unique script and vision and, after looking at the initial rushes, we truly believe we're capturing something really special. "With Terence's distinctive style, and themes that are as relevant today as they were in the early 20th century, we're confident Sunset Song will resonate with audiences the world over."

Ben Roberts, director of the BFI Film Fund, which has also backed the film, said: "Terence Davies is one of our finest film makers

We are excited beyond belief by how he is working with the landscape and bringing his long-cherished Sunset Song to the big screen, supporting our fifth film with Scottish roots after Under The Skin, Sunshine On Leith, The Angels' Share and For Those In Peril".