An independent Scotland would offer tax incentives to film and 
TV productions, Scotland's Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said last night.

An American television network is to build a studio and production base in Scotland to film a new drama series that 
could bring £20 million to the 
Scottish economy.

The production of Outlander, to be made by cable network Starz and Sony Pictures Television, raises the prospect of Scotland finally having its own major film and TV studio.

The show was lured to Scotland, in part, by new UK tax breaks for "high end" TV shows, following tax breaks for films in the UK, which has supported more than 1100 film productions between 2007 and 2012.

However, the announcement raised questions over whether 
an independent Scotland would have similar financial allure 
for foreign productions of film and long-running TV drama.

May Miles Thomas, a Scottish film maker, commented on 
Twitter: "I believe Scottish film makers are Yes by heart, No by head because of UK tax breaks."

However Ms Hyslop said 
yesterday: "Scotland is becoming an increasingly sought-after 
location for major productions and has the capacity and talent 
to become a global centre of TV and film production. The Scottish Government has consistently championed Scotland as a location for high-end productions.

"An independent Scotland would have full control over tax powers and the opportunity to offer additional incentives to enhance the competitive edge of our creative industries on the international stage."

The American drama will be filmed in a converted warehouse in Cumbernauld for about 38 weeks between this year and next, with 16 episodes of the time-
travelling drama being made.

It is unclear whether the 
Scottish Government, Creative Scotland and Scottish Enterprise believe the studio will be the 
long-term answer for encouraging film productions north of the Border.

Gillian Berrie, a leading Scottish producer, said: "A converted 
warehouse is not the answer to 
the lack of a Scottish film studio. It must follow."

Outlander is an adaptation of best-selling books by Diana Gabaldon, which tell the story of Claire and James Fraser, who use time travel to slip between 18th- and 20th-century Scotland.

Gabaldon's seven-book series has sold more than 20 million copies. The series will be 
written and executive-produced by Ronald D Moore, the writer 
and producer of Battlestar 
Galactica, Star Trek: Deep 
Space Nine and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The lead role will be played 
by Sam Heughan, a Scottish 
actor who trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 
Glasgow, and has appeared in Doctors and River City.

The production will commission about 200 Scotland-based crew, and more than 2000 supporting artist roles cast from within Scotland and the rest of the UK.

It is expected the studio, although primarily for use in making television, could also 
be used for films and become 
the centre of major film-making in Scotland.

A statement from the UK 
Treasury said a studio legacy would be left when the filming of the series ends.

The UK Government announced in 2012 that film tax reliefs would be extended to 
high-end television, animation and video games.