Macbeth movie costumes on show in Moray

COSTUMES and props, including jewellery, daggers and armour from the latest film version of Macbeth are now on show in the real king’s heartland of Moray.

The costumes will be on show at four locations across the region.

Lady Macbeth’s banquet dress — as worn by leading lady Marion Cotillard — Lady MacDuff’s coronation dress, Macbeth’s boots and shoes and one of the witches’ costumes will be on show at Elgin Museum, the Falconer Museum in Forres, Brodie Castle and Johnstons of Elgin until the start of November when all the costumes will move to the Moray Art Centre, Findhorn.

Macduff and Lady Macduff’s banquet dress and riding outfit together with accessories will be on display at Elgin Museum.

Johnstons of Elgin will have Lady Macbeth’s Inverness banquet costume and Macbeth’s tunic and wool blanket. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s coronation costumes will be added to the Johnstons display in the next week or so, following a show in London.

Macbeth’s battle costume, as worn by Michael Fassbender the posters advertising the film, will be on display at Brodie Castle as well as Lady Macbeth’s dress and cloak in which she delivers the "Out damned spot" speech.

In Forres, a location long associated with Macbeth’s meeting with the witches, the Falconer Museum will also have one of the witches’ costumes, as well as the costumes of Duncan, Banquo and Fleance.

All of the above are free to the public to view the costumes. While there is normally a charge to visit Brodie Castle the costumes have been displayed just inside the entrance where they can be viewed for free.

The costumes have been loaned by film distributor Studio Canal as part of a partnership agreement with VisitScotland to promote Scotland on the back of the film’s release earlier this month.

Prior to the film’s release a new online guide, Macbeth: the Man, Myth and Legend, was launched by VisitScotland to allow visitors to follow in the footsteps of Macbeth through the film locations, Shakespeare’s Macbeth or the real 11th century monarch.

"This wonderful new movie has helped shine a light on the man, myth and legend of Macbeth, which of course have strong links to Moray," VisitScotland’s regional partnerships director Scott Armstrong said.

"I’ve no doubt that film fans up and down the country will relish the opportunity to see costumes that not only appear in this new film, but are also worn by some of its biggest stars.

"It’s fantastic to see local tourism businesses capitalising on this outstanding opportunity and I hope that the film will lead to even more visitors coming to the Highlands and Moray to tread the same ground as one of Scotland’s most famous kings."

Esme Saville, assistant tourism operations manager at Moray Speyside Tourism also welcomed the loan of the costumes, bringing a little of the magic of the movies to Moray.

"We hope that it will bring people to the towns to appreciate their history and culture," she added.

"This is a superb film which brings alive Shakespeare’s Macbeth and I do urge people to go and see the film when it comes to Inverness but also to appreciate their own history and see the places the real Macbeth would have known."

Macbeth: the Man, Myth and Legend can be accessed at www.visitscotland.com/macbeth

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