The Vanishing is a Mystery thriller based on a true event. In 1900, three keepers who were supposed to be manning the lighthouse on the Flannan Isles on Eilean Mòr off the west coast of Scotland disappeared without a trace. This mystery remains unsolved to this day, but the movie ‘The Vanishing’ does a great job of encapsulating one version of events in the depiction.
Starring Gerard Butler, Peter Mullan, and Connor Swindells, the 2018 film follows the lives of the Guardians – Donald, James, and Thomas – who take a nasty turn when a ship washes up with a suspected dead man and a wooden chest. ashore. With the ominous gray skies and rough seas in the background, the film does a great job of drawing the audience into the spectacle of a chilling narrative. Now, know about The Vanishing movie filming locations.
Where Was The Vanishing Movie Filmed?
The Vanishing film was filmed in the Flannan Islands on the west coast of Scotland, the production crew actually used four different lighthouses in the Land of Pies to create scenes from different angles, which are actually only set in one lighthouse in the film.
Formerly titled ‘Keepers’, cameras began rolling on ‘The Vanishing’ in mid-April 2017, officially kicking off the filming process.
Along with four distinct lighthouses, the film was shot along the beautiful Dumfries and Galloway coastline and Port Logan harbor.
Scotland
Dumfries and Galloway, located in the western part of the Southern Highlands, is the rugged backdrop for The Vanishing. Gerard Butler posted a video on Facebook expressing his delight at returning to his homeland to film a movie. In the video, he is heard saying: “Welcome to Dumfries and Galloway, near Portpatrick, where I am filming my next film, Keepers. It’s about three lighthouse keepers on an island, how they all slowly went crazy.”
The producers and crew praised the locals and the Scottish administration for their warm welcome. Expressing their admiration, they said: “Filming in one of the most dramatic and picturesque parts of Scotland was an absolute pleasure. We searched long and hard for the right landscape to set our story in and found it here in Dumfries and Galloway.
With the warm Scottish welcome we received on day one and the great local talent we’ve engaged both in front of and behind the camera, it’s made for a truly exciting experience and a film we’re all very proud of.”
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The production caught the attention of many local residents who were excited to see the film filmed on their property in Dumfries and Galloway. The first lighthouse is the Mull of Galloway, which served as the main location of the film and received a lot of attention. Locals and tourists alike enjoyed getting up and meeting the cast and crew in person.
Located in Wigtownshire, this lighthouse was used for instant exterior shots, interior shots of the cottage, exterior gardens, and the island boundary as shown in The Vanishing film. It offers a breathtaking view of the countryside as well as the open waters. Most interestingly, the Mull of Galloway is the southernmost point of Scotland and many tourists consider it a paradise.
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The walled garden and headland at the Mull of Galloway were chosen as locations for the film, and the three Lighthouse Holiday Cottages were reserved for exclusive use during production in March. Filming took place on the Mull of Galloway, where the lighthouse and peninsula served as Flannan and Eilean Mor Lighthouse in the Outer Hebrides.
A very antique Lightkeepers’ Cottage complete with bakelite switches, dark paint, and bunk beds was created using the Kittiwake House Holiday Cottage as a set. The cast and crew used the Lightkeeper’s Cottage and Puffin House as “green rooms” for rest between takes, preparation, and refreshments.
In the southwest region of Scotland, there is a second location — Killantringan Lighthouse near the picturesque village of Portpatrick. It was used to depict the staircase that leads the three guards to the top of the tower in the thriller. The side garden of the lighthouse was also filmed for a few select scenes in ‘The Vanishing.’ The lighthouse has been decommissioned since 2005 and is privately owned.
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The third lighthouse location is Corsewall, which served as the backdrop for many of the cliff sequences as well as only one indoor sequence. This majestic lighthouse is located in Kirkcolm in Dumfries and Galloway and towers above the North Channel of the Irish Sea. This lighthouse was converted into a hotel after it was decommissioned in 1994. People can visit and stay at the lighthouse hotel for a 19th-century experience.
As the Cloch Lighthouse is no longer in use but has been well preserved, it was chosen for the interior sequences of the light room. Located in the Firth of Clyde, it is one of the oldest lighthouses in the region, having been in operation since 1797. It is still operational, although it was built fully automated and stands unmanned.
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The first few sequences of The Vanishing film, where the three guards board a boat for a shift, were filmed at Port Logan, a village in Kirkmaiden that shares many features with the port on the Isle of Lewis, from where the men would actually set sail for the Flannan Islands.
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