A scottish Western

"The Scottish Highlands, sculpted by the Ice Age, shrouded in mist and mystery, 
remain virtually unchanged from the days when Robert Roy MacGregor crossed them into legend.
Almost three centuries later, an international company of artists and artisans ascended 
onto this rugged and windswept landscape to bring the story of ROB ROY to the screen.
Director and executive producer Michael Caton-Jones describes his film as a romantic epic, 
and, indeed, for the more than 200-member cast and crew, it was a production of 
epic proportions. The making of ROB ROY was a daily adventure of scaling the Highlands, 
outwitting the weather and recreating a lost and venerable culture."
The Making of ROB ROY - a true Scottish western!

For some locations, the cast and crew would be driven to a base camp, only to transfer to 
a fleet of four-wheel drive vehicles for the second part of the journey.
When they ran out of road, the crew would often hike the final leg, while little Scot Trac 
tanks powered the camera and lighting equipment to their destination. 
Where the terrain was too marshy or too rough, temporary metal roads had to be laid out on 
which the vehicles could drive.

A Scot Trac 2000R (Model of 2006).
The Scottish Highlands remain sparsely populated, wild and unpredictable, lashed by 
ever-changing weather, ferociously beautiful and overladen with haunting grandeur and 
squadrons of greedy midges (mosquitoes).
The Highlands breathed their own live into the film.
The beginning of 'Rob Roy' - Loch Leven.
The vast panorama of nature is unsurpassable.
Rob and his clan trace some rustlers through the Highlands.
Another heart-stopping vista.
Rob Roy (Liam Neeson) walks alone in the camp of the thieves.
Director of Photography Karl Walter Lindenlaub: "The sky and the clouds were ever-changing 
and the landscape was bigger than life. Sometimes the background would be in the shade and 
then it would shift in an instant. You could only hope for the best.
Sometimes we got lucky and sometimes we lost one." ('Rob Roy' pressbook)
Liam Neeson (Rob Roy), Eric Stoltz (Alan McDonald) and some Highland Cattles.
Rob returns home - Loch Morar.
The production was initially headquartered in the town of Fort William.
Other locations in Scotland were the Castle Tioram, Crichton Castle, Drummond Castle and 
Megginch Castle. The beautiful nature around of Glen Coe, Glen Nevis and Glen Tarbert.
A picnic with the family. Rob and his wife Mary (Jessica Lange).
Rob with his two sons.
On set in the Highlands of Glen Nevis - Wow, the sun is shining!
Director Michael Caton-Jones in T-Shirt and kilt (!) with Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange.
Director of Photography Karl Walter Lindenlaub (behind camera), Director Caton-Jones and 
the actors having fun on the set. Preparing the love scene.
Love Scene - Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange.
h
Filming in the Highland of Glen Nevis. Love is in the air...and sweat!
It wass not easy to bring the heavy equipment up here and keep it running.
Jessica Lange - Director Michael Caton-Jones - Liam Neeson
The leader and provider for the entire MacGregor clan, Rob Roy, arranges to borrow money from the Marquis of Montrose (John Hurt) to help them survive the harsh Highland winter.
However, his trust in less honorable men makes him a pawn in a ruthless plot that threatens to destroy everything he knows.
When honor no longer serves, it is love alone that can save him.
In the firm belief to protect his family he flees into the Highlands. 		The peaceful seclusion of the MacGregor home is suddenly shattered by the invaison of 
Montrose's soldiers, who sneak in under the veil of a thick morning mist.
The dense mist was generated by the SPFX crew with large dyna-fog machines.
A great fog bank over the Loch Morar. Excellent scene!
Cunningham (Tim Roth), the evil henchman of Montrose, raped Mary, the wife of Rob, 
and the soldiers burn his house.
Loch Morar comparison photo by Lynne Kirton.
Filming the burning home of Rob Roy. 
The house was faithfully reconstructed in the style and stone of the period on the edge 
of Loch Morar, the deepest lake in Scottland and one of the deepest in Europe (310 meters).
And in his deep lurks a mythical monster: The Morag!
Cunningham and his soldiers mob burning down houses and kill the cattle of the people.
Rob Roy and his clan want to strike back. Filmed at Rannoch Moor.
Alasdair (Brian McCardie), the young brother of Rob, has made a big mistake and killed 
a soldier. The clan members are trying to save themselves in the fog.
Filming in the freezing fog, 1994.
Alasdair was severely wounded. Rob tries to save him.
Rob Roy (Liam Neeson)
Michael Caton-Jones (Director), dressed in thick winter clothes, is talking with 
Tim Roth (Cunningham). 		Rob Roy hiding behind a rock.
Shooting in cold Highlands, 1994. 
Several (all?) of these prehistoric looking standing stones are just mock-ups.
Rob rams a soldier from his horse. Look at the crooked big stone...its a mock-up!
There it is again, on the 'Rob Roy' rubbish dump.
In the '70s they used wood and plaster but it is 1994 and the stones were made from fiberglass.
Filming a close-up of Rob as he flees on horseback. 
Behind of him, our crooked standing stone.
You can see the soldier (stuntman) and another crew guy (Vic Armstrong?).
The equipment will be protected with foil against humidity/fog, if necessary.
Apparently it's pretty cold and wet up there.
Movie Scene - Rob Roy
Filming the scene, 1994.
The dyna-fog machine is growling to cover the standing stone mock-ups in fog.
Beautiful weather today, Director Caton-Jones and Cinematographer Lindenlaub usually
had to contend with matching shots in a meteorological mosaic.
Liam Neeson is Rob Roy. Director Michael Caton-Jones
Cunningham has captured Rob and brings him to the Marquis of Montrose.
Cunningham: 'Broken but not dead, your Lordship, as you requested'.
The scene was shot on the old bridge next to the the Eas Chia-aig Falls, Loch Arkaig.
The Marquis wishes to hang Rob ... but Rob is throwing the rope around the neck of Cunningham 
and jumps off the bridge.
The scene is prepared. 
Close-Up of the guys with the saddle on a wooden beam in the foreground. No horse,
Next to the bridge is a structure visible ... 
Cunningham is in trouble. 
Rob Roy dangling in the wind. Behind him we see the Eas Chia-aig waterfalls.
Filming the scene. Eas Chia-aig Falls, Loch Arkaig, 1994.
Even for an experienced stuntman the creek is a little flat! That could hurt...!
Rob plunges into the river and into a deep, dark pool known as 'The Witch’s Cauldron', 
Eas Chia-aig Falls.
Rob Roy - Eas Chia-aig Falls.
Filming in the 'The Witch’s Cauldron' - Liam Neeson, 1994.
Divers on stand by for security reasons.
Rob hides in a cattle cadaver full of maggots.
Rob is on his way to an affair of honour.
With the help of the Duke of Argyll (Andrew Keir) Rob gets his desired duel with 
his arch-enemy Cunningham. 
Andrew Keir is riding on Triana, the beloved white horse of 'Rob Roy' Stunt Coordinator and 
Second Unit Director Vic Armstrong.
Vic Armstrong:'I taught a lot of the actors to ride before location shooting in 
Scotland, and Tim Roth turned up one day at our stables in a leather jacket, leather 
trousers and biker boots, smoking a cigarette. Oh my God, I thought, I've got to 
teach this guy to ride. Maybe if I put handlebars on the horse it might work. 
I brought out Triana, who'd taught so many other actors to ride, put him on and 
started showing him what to do. Obviously like anybody he took a little while to 
get really used to riding, but he had so much fun that before we knew it he was 
down at the stables all day, every day. He was just hooked, and picked up all the 
basics in about three days.' (from 'The true adventures of the world's greatest Stuntman', 
the book of Vic Armstrong).
 

What a great set and an engrossing scene.
Filming the scene with Tim Roth and Liam Neeson.
Rob: 'No quarter will be asked'.
Cunningham: 'Or given'
A fantastic location for the climactic sword fight.
Have you seen the skull up there?
Renowned swordmaster William Hobbs was responsible for training the actors for all the 
swordplay in the film. Whenever either had a break in his shooting schedule, he was 
dispatched to train with Hobbs.
William Hobbs choreographed the swordfight between Cunningham and Rob Roy.
The set has been specially built for the sword fighting scenes in a large barn / cowshed.
Sunshine passes through three hidden windows on the right...
Here we see the 3 windows. 
Large headlights illuminate the room from outside (mimic sunshine), and we see 2 small 
spotlights in the corners of the windows.
Director of Photography Karl Walter Lindenlaub, the guy with the Stargate Jacket, 
discusses the scene with his crew.
You will find more of Karl on my website about Special Effects Supervisor Kit West:
www.kit-west-spfx.com. 
They worked together on several big movie hits ('Universal Soldier'/'Stargate').
The great 'Swordfight Set', viewed from the outside, built in a large barn . 
You can see the 3 windows, the spotlights ... what a set, what a hassle.
The Duel Location Set was built in this barn/cowshed.
The Making of 'Rob Roy'.
Rob Roy - Buses, trucks, and caravans.
An extra on set in the Cowshed.
The Extras of Rob Roy. Who are these guys?
Obviously, it's a bit chilly here, the guys sitting in front of a gas stove. 
On the right side the delicious dinner, an apple and a banana!
A terrific and large painted scenic backing (artist?).
View to a window?
The sword fight between Rob Roy and Cunningham seems decided.
But the arrogance loses against honor.
Cunningham (outstanding played by Tim Roth) is dead.
Tim Roth on the swordfight: 'Making it look easy takes a lot of work. It's very physically 
demanding. It's like learning a ballet. You rehearse move by move and then put all the 
sequences together. And then there's homework...lots and lots of painful homework.' 
(pressbook).
Special Effects Coordinator Uli Nefzer and his boys ('Die Nefzers') were responsible for 
the special effects in Rob Roy. 
A famous german effects house with a long list of hits under their belt.
Rob Roy - A camp in Scotland in the 17th century. Think away the camera equipment.
The Highland Village was designed by Assheton Gorton (Production Designer).
Rob Roy - Camp of Caravans, 1994.
Rob Roy (Liam Neeson) shirt was $950 and is now only $350, as a Deal of the Week!
Sandy Powell (Costume Designer) created the wardrobe for Rob Roy.
Rob Roy - The crew had a classic Scottish lunch, Spaghetti!

www.moon-city-garbage.agency