The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s epic starring Matt Damon, follows Odysseus on his ten-year journey home from the Trojan War – tackling monsters, gods and a great deal of bad weather. Released in cinemas in July 2026, the film was shot almost entirely on location in seven countries – including the Moray Firth Coast in Scotland.
To film the sequence where Odysseus and his crew are trapped by the sorceress Circe on mythical island of Aeaea, Nolan took cast and crew to the Moray Coast to film at Findlater Castle, Sunnyside Beach and Culbin Forest. Fancy visiting? Each of the Odyssey filming locations in Scotland are within about 50 miles of each other, along one of my favourite coastlines in Scotland.
Here is how to visit them. Mild spoilers ahead for those who have yet to see the fim.
Moray Council have a lovely map of the Odyssey filming locations
Findlater Castle – the home of Circe
Where: Off the A98 between Cullen and Sandend, Aberdeenshire.
The ruins of Findlater Castle sit on a rocky promontory, perched about fifty feet above the Moray Firth. In the film, Findlater Castle becomes Aeaea, home of the sorceress Circe (played by Samantha Morton) who SPOILER turns Odysseus’s crew into pigs.
Getting there: Findlater Castle is located off the A98 between Cullen and Sandend. Follow the small sign for “Car park, Sunnyside Beach, Findlater Castle & Doocot,” which takes you down a track past farm buildings to the informal parking area at Barnyards of Findlater. From there it’s about half a mile on a grassy path, head for the doocot, which you’ll see straight away, to the interpretation board and walled viewpoint on the cliffs behind the castle.
Important: don’t try to get down into the ruins. This is a protected archaeological site and the structure is genuinely unstable. There’s a viewing platform for a reason, and the view from it is the one you want anyway. Wear proper footwear, the ground is uneven and can be very muddy.
If you’d rather walk in: there’s a lovely coastal route from Cullen, roughly 8.7km out and back, which will take you two to two and a half hours.
Find out more about The Odyssey filming at Findlater Castle
Sunnyside Beach – the shipwreck
Where: Between Sandend and Findlater Castle. Foot access only.
Sunnyside is a curve of pale sand hemmed in by cliffs, sitting directly below the castle, and it is almost always empty. During filming, footage showed wreckage strewn across the shore – this is where the sea does its worst to Odysseus. It also gives you the best view back up to the cliff to where Circe’s house stood.
Getting there: You can’t drive to Sunnyside Beach. From the Findlater car park, walk to the castle viewpoint, then turn left and follow the path west along the clifftop for ten or fifteen minutes until the beach appears below you on the right.
Important: The descent down to the beach is a narrow, steep path and it is very slippery when wet. Take your time. In wet weather with kids in tow, think twice about descending.
Culbin Forest and Culbin Sands – the land of the Laestrygonians
Where: Near Kintessack, outside Forres, Moray.
Culbin Forest and Sands is where Odysseus and his crew comes ashore and meets the Laestrygonians, the armoured giants who wreck most of Odysseus’s fleet.
The Forest stretches 8 miles between Nairn and Forres, and it’s one of those places that somehow feels like a proper hidden gem. It’s also got one of the best best viewpoints on the Moray coast if you love big skies and wide landscapes.
Explore the sandy forest trails and head for the spectacular Hill 99 viewpoint tower for a full 360° view over the forest and out across the Moray Firth. If you’re feeling more energetic, you can walk through the forest to the coast and visit the Gut, a muddy bay home to wading birds
Getting there: Park at Wellhill, the start Hill 99 route. Allow about two hours for the Hill 99 loop. For an easier option, the Gravel Pit Ponds trail from Wellhill is flat, firm and buggy-friendly.
Important: The sands are much further than they look. Keep heading north through the forest toward Buckie Loch, where the trees give way to marram dunes and open coast. It will take you a long time, so don’t try it with kids.
Where to stay near The Odyssey filming locations
Here are the best spots to make your base on a trip to the Moray Coast. Affiliate links:
- For Culbin Forest – stay at Culbin Edge, a lovely cabin with a hot tub, The Crown & Anchor Inn in FIndhorn or The Ramnee Hotel in Forres.
- For Findlater Castle and Sunnyside Beach – Zen Cottage in Cullen, 36 Sandend Village or The Cullen Bay Hotel.
Where is the Moray Coast in Scotland?
The Moray coast runs east from Inverness towards Peterhead in the north east of Scotland.
The coastline is home to some of Scotland’s most picturesque harbour villages, including Pennan, Crovie and Gardenstoun. The town of Cullen, built on a cliff above its beach, is the source of Scotland’s best soup – Cullen Skink – and Pennan with its red telephone box made famous by the film Local Hero.
Read more – how to visit the Moray Firth coast
A suggested two-day Odyssey filming locations route
You could visit all three Odyssey filming locations in Scotland in one day, but why rush? There are so many other great places to visit nearby! Here is a recommended two day or weekend itinerary:
- Day one – start day one with a visit to Culbin Forest doing the Hill 99 loop, climbing up the tower for a view out over the beach and forest. In the afternoon, history fans will love the pink hued Brodie Castle, whisky fans will love the tour at Benromach Distillery, and beach fans will love Findhorn with its eco-community and huge beach.
- Day two – today’s intineray includes Findlater Castle and Sunnyside Beach. In the afternoon head to Cullen, home of Cullen skink, to warm up in one of the cafes. Just along the coast is Portsoy, a the oldest fishing harbour on the Moray Firth and the filming location for Todday in the 2006 remake of Whisky Galore! You could also visit the strange rock formation at Bow Fiddle Rock.
Other locations connected to The Odyssey in Scotland
- Burghead – was used for logistics rather than as a headline set, but Damon and Holland were spotted here boarding boats before heading out toward Culbin by sea, and the harbour is worth the detour on its own. The Bothy Bistro does a great lunch
- Buckie – the harbour was dressed as a Greek port, with large wooden warships docked for an ancient naval invasion sequence, and alongside them the Draken Harald Hårfagre, a full-scale working Viking longship, the largest built in modern times, standing in as Odysseus’s vessel. Matt Damon was spotted using a local gym and was gifted a Buckie Thistle FC shirt while he was in town.
- Portsoy – filming was reported to have taken around Portsoy, the 17th-century harbour is one of the loveliest on this coast.
Frequently asked questions
Where was The Odyssey filmed in Scotland?
Christopher Nolan filmed at three main locations on the Moray coast: Findlater Castle, Sunnyside Beach and Culbin Forest. Burghead, Buckie and Portsoy were also used, mostly for harbour scenes and logistics. All three main locations sit within about 50 miles of each other, so you can visit them comfortably over a weekend.
Can you visit Findlater Castle?
Yes, and it’s free. There’s an informal car park in a field at Barnyards of Findlater, signposted off the A98 between Cullen and Sandend, and a half-mile grassy path to a walled viewpoint on the cliffs. You can’t go inside the ruins themselves — the structure is unstable and the site is protected — but the view from the platform is the one you want anyway.
How long is the walk to Findlater Castle?
About 15 minutes each way from the car park, on grass that gets muddy after rain. If you’d rather make a proper walk of it, the coastal route from Cullen is roughly 8.7km return and takes two to two and a half hours.
You might also like:
- The complete guide to exploring the Moray Firth coastline
- Things to do in Speyside (that aren’t just whisky)
- How to drive the North East 250 (NE250)
Kate – love from Scotland x
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