THE stars of the new movie about Mary, Queen of Scots, celebrated its Scottish premiere in Edinburgh last night, with a special reception at Edinburgh Castle.
Hosting the event, which was attended by the film's stars Saoirse Ronan, Jack Lowden and James McArdle, as well as its director Josie Rourke, the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon commented on how relevant the story of Queen Mary was to modern times.
She noted: "She was of course a distinctly European ruler, and a female monarch operating in what was essentially a man's world - some things never change.
"She remains a hugely compelling figure today."
Ms Sturgeon added: "Of course one of the most fascinating elements of her story is her tumultuous and ultimately fatal relationship with her cousin, Elizabeth I, and by bringing that story to the screen, the film highlights a hugely exciting and dramatic piece of our history."
Ms Rourke said it had been an honour to shoot a piece of Scotland's history, and also noted the European feel of the film: it has been shot using French, English "with a Scottish accent", English in a "RP" style, Gaelic, Italian and Latin.
The movie, shot on a series of locations across Scotland, stars Ms Ronan as Mary, and Margot Robbie as Queen Elizabeth in what the director of Screen Scotland said is an "illuminating portrait" of the famous Scottish queen.
Locations used for the film include Strathdon, Glencoe, Glen Feshie, Blackness Castle and Seacliff, East Lothian.
Fiona Hyslop, the culture secretary, has already said she hopes the film will boost tourism to Scotland.
The film’s Scottish premiere follows Margot Robbie’s BAFTA nomination for the Best Supporting Actress in her role as Elizabeth I alongside Alexandra Byrne for Best Costume Design and Jenny Shircore for Best Make Up/Hair.
The Mary Queen of Scots film follows another major Scottish historical epic, Outlaw King, about Robert the Bruce, which was also filmed in Scotland.
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