IT is a big-budget movie series featuring car chases and heists set in glamorous locations across the world.

Now the smell of burning rubber is about to hit Scotland as scenes for Fast and Furious 6 are shot in Glasgow.

The film is the latest in a long line of Hollywood blockbusters to go on location north of the Border over the past year.

It is predicted to inject up to £2 million to the city's economy over the next three weeks, a little less than the £3.5m generated by the Brad Pitt zombie film World War Z shot in Glasgow last year.

Some streets will be closed to traffic during the shoot, which is expected to feature high-speed car chases, crashes, explosions, flips and gunfire. Restrictions began around Clydeside and the city's financial district area yesterday to allow the set to be constructed, and are scheduled to continue until September 16.

Last year was said to be the best on record for "inward investment" by Hollywood and other international film companies in the UK. About £1 billion was spent, with about £25m in Scotland

There is also the spin-off benefit of visitors coming to see film locations, which now accounts for 10% of the total value of tourism to the British economy, according to Creative Scotland.

The arts body suffered a blow earlier this year with the resignation of the head of its film location services Belle Doyle, who helped bring in many of the recent big productions. It is expected to make an announcement shortly on the appointment of her replacement.

Some of the location managers who worked on World War Z are also involved in Fast And Furious, which may have added to the attraction for producers. "I think that certainly helped," said Beverley Murray, marketing and communications executive at Glasgow Film Office.

So why is Scotland proving so popular with film makers? The Sunday Herald has identified four main advantages:

Tax breaks introduced in 2006 mean tax relief is available on expenses incurred by production companies that make films deemed to be British – which can include co-productions – and spend at least 25% of their production budget in the UK.

To date, 585 films have received payments totalling £570 million.

A consultation is also currently under way on plans to introduce a similar tax break scheme for high-end television productions. It could attract more series like HBO's medieval fantasy Game of Thrones – some of which has been filmed near Stirling.

Mark Hamilton, public affairs manager at Pinewood Studios Group in Buckinghamshire – where scenes for Fast And Furious 6 are also being filmed – said: "In the UK we have the best plasterers and carpenters and model-makers and wig-makers and all of those sorts of craft skills that are as good as you get in Hollywood.''

The Screen NETS (New Entrants Training Scotland) scheme provides paid-for on-the-job training for roles in areas such as camera, production, directing and animation.

Karen O'Hare, Screen NETS manager at Screen Academy Scotland, said: "Scotland is recognised for the quality of its local crew."

Stuart Kemp, UK Bureau chief at entertainment industry magazine The Hollywood Reporter, argues that the major turning point for inward investment in the UK by Hollywood came with the making of the Harry Potter films.

The highest-grossing film series of all time was mostly filmed in the UK, and locations included Glencoe and the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

"Film-makers look at these locations, and it definitely put Scotland on the map," said Kemp.

Rosie Ellison, film liaison manager at Edinburgh Film Focus, said having a variety of locations available helped to attract the attention of film producers.

"We can stand in for locations like London or Nottingham. We have been France, we have been all sorts of different places," she said. "But equally we can be Scotland – we have coastline, beaches, mansions, castles and Edinburgh Old Town streets for Burke and Hare-type films."

LOCATIONS

THE MAGIC OF HARRY POTTER