A SERIES of Scotland’s most idyllic beauty spots will feature in the first live-action Pokemon film in a major boost for the country’s tourism sector.

The big-budget production, based on the hugely popular gaming franchise, stars Ryan Reynolds, Bill Nighy and singer Rita Ora.

Filming has taken place in and around the Devil’s Pulpit at Finnich Glen in Stirlingshire as well as the River Affric at Cannich and Glen Nevis.

Both a helicopter and a drone were used to capture some of the spectacular scenery the forthcoming film Pokemon: Detective Pikachu.

Nighy, 68, filmed scenes for Detective Pikachu in London last month before the production headed north for two weeks.

The Devil’s Pulpit, off the A809 near Killearn, has already been used to film scenes for television series Outlander.

Series producer David Brown last week urged ministers at the Scottish Parliament Holyrood to capitalise on the boom in productions using Scottish locations and show the “political will” necessary to build a film and TV industry.

Other films shot at the Devil’s Pulpit include historical Roman drama The Eagle and yet-to-be-released Guy Ritchie fantasy film King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword.

Pokemon was first released as a video game in 1996 and quickly became a cultural phenomenon, leading to an animated TV series and film franchise.

The Detective Pikachu character was introduced to the Pokemon universe through a 2016 video game. The live-action film version is due for release in May next year.