Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein Filming Locations

This autumn, a novel written over 200 years ago is putting Gothic travel destinations in the spotlight.

Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein is one of 2025's most anticipated movies. And fans of all things Victorian gothic are already wondering where it was filmed.

In this post, we'll look at some of the most dramatic and imagination-grabbing Guillermo Del Toro Frankenstein filming locations.

You might just find some travel inspiration and fall in love with set-jetting. I.e., travelling to the destinations in your favourite films, books, and TV shows.

Guillermo Del Toro Frankenstein Filming Locations

Del Toro has built a cult following with classics like Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, which showcase his masterful storytelling and visual brilliance. His latest film launch, an adaptation of Frankenstein, offers a contemporary take on the timeless tale of ambition, obsession, and what it means to be human.

Frankenstein was shot in various locations, with much of the filming taking place in Scotland. Each place was carefully chosen to capture the Gothic atmosphere of Mary Shelley's story.

Here's where Del Toro's team brought this classic tale to life.

Star in your own Gothic tale: Visiting Edinburgh? Trace Del Toro's Frankenstein scenes with your own film-location trail. Stay connected as you explore with a Scotland eSIM; perfect for maps, tickets and sharing those cinematic street shots.

Edinburgh, Scotland

A colour photograph of Edinburgh Castle sitting on a red/brown cliff. It shows the building's walls and outhouses and underneath some greenery in the summer time, including trees and bushes. The sky in the background is a clear blue with some white clouds. To illustrate a blog post entitled 'Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein Filming Locations.'

Few cities capture the Gothic spirit of Frankenstein like Edinburgh. Its castle towers over the city from volcanic rock, while cobbled streets and shadowy wynds wind below / Adobe Free Stock / L Galbraith

Guillermo del Toro chose Edinburgh for Frankenstein with good reason. The city already looks like a ready-made Victorian film set. Its steep cobbled streets and walkways, weathered stone and Gothic spires need little dressing.

Crews worked through the night to capture the city at its most atmospheric, using fake snow, horse-drawn carriages, and period props to transform Edinburgh's busiest streets into 19th-century Europe.

Follow Del Toro's Frankenstein Trail in Edinburgh

Filming for Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein took over the city's Old Town, with key scenes shot in the following places:

Parliament Square: The scenes featuring Victor Frankenstein's university days were shot in this historic public space in Edinburgh's Old Town.
Signet Library: This neo-classical event venue, also home to a society of writers, served as the backdrop for the ballroom scenes with Victor and Lady Elizabeth.
Bakehouse Close: Enclosed and atmospheric, this brick close was transformed into a butcher's alley and courtyard for filming.
Canongate: One of Edinburgh's main streets, Victor Frankenstein was pictured walking down an adapted Canongate in the movie.

Top tip: If you're seeking a slice of Frankenstein in Edinburgh, be sure to book afternoon tea at Signet Library.

Dunecht House, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Dunecht House in Aberdeenshire, a filming location for Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, features Victorian Gothic architecture and sweeping Scottish parkland / Wikimedia Commons / Ian Sutherland

Aberdeenshire is a beautiful region of Scotland that deserves your time on a visit to the country.

On its edge lies Dunecht House, a stately 1820s home with Victorian grandeur, turrets, sweeping parkland and a landscape that feels haunted by design.

It was used in the scenes featuring the library of Victor Frankenstein's family home. Specifically, the production team transformed the grand hall into the Victorian library for the film.

Del Toro reported staying in the area during filming and shared an unnerving experience from his hotel room on social media:

The atmosphere in the room is oppressive and I am not gonna spend much more time there [...] something is in that room with me.
- @RealGDT on X, 22 August 2024

Whether that haunted room was inside Dunecht House itself remains unconfirmed. But the story only deepens the Gothic allure of the estate and the surrounding Aberdeenshire countryside.

Glasgow Cathedral, Scotland

A colour photo of an historic Glasgow cemetery, the Necropolis, which sits on a hill outside of Glasgow Cathedral. In the image are elaborate and decorative grave sites in brown stone, marked by centuries of weather and wind. In the background the sky is blue with white clouds sitting across it. To illustrate a blog post entitled 'Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein Filming Locations.'

The Glasgow Necropolis, overlooking the cathedral, where Victorian monuments rise like a Gothic skyline straight from Frankenstein / Adobe Free Stock / EyesTravelling

Glasgow Cathedral's medieval Gothic architecture makes it one of the most atmospheric landmarks in Scotland. Its shadowed naves, vaulted ceilings and echoing stone saw it selected as a Frankenstein filming location.

The cathedral can be spotted in the scene where Victor Frankenstein hides in a booth to listen to Elizabeth's confession. The crypt was chosen for this part of the film due to its low, claustrophobic ceilings, which helped create a tense atmosphere.

You can visit the cathedral for free and wander through the main nave and crypt to admire centuries of craftsmanship. Afterwards, step outside to see the Necropolis, a sprawling Victorian graveyard of weathered monuments and statues, which couldn't be a better stop on a Frankenstein pilgrimage.

Traveller Tip: Don't forget to bring your camera or free up plenty of space on your phone for pictures of Glasgow Cathedral. The detailed stonework, shadowy corners and light filtering through the stained glass are pure cinema for your camera roll.

Glencoe, Scotland

A colour photograph showing a desolate but beautiful whitewashed cottage in sitting in at the foot of a snow-capped peak. In the foreground is yellowing grass and a dirt path and in the background the sky is grey with dramatic grey clouds hanging overhead. The area is Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands. To illustrate a blog post entitled 'Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein Filming Locations.'

Glencoe's misty peaks, stone cottages and raw Highland drama proved the perfect Gothic landscape for Del Toro's Frankenstein / Unsplash / Mike Smith

The rugged Highland landscapes of Glencoe featured in the exterior shots of Frankenstein.

Capturing Scotland's wild beauty, the region's dramatic peaks and isolated cottages have appeared in a whole host of other films, from Skyfall to Harry Potter.

Glencoe's raw, untamed landscape perfectly matches the emotional intensity of Mary Shelley's story. The towering peaks and deep valleys create a sense of isolation that mirrors Victor Frankenstein's psychological state.

And if you want to experience this wild natural beauty for yourself, Glencoe is made for atmospheric road trips. You can also visit the area without a car by taking a train to Fort William or travelling by bus from cities such as Glasgow.

Once there, you can explore Glencoe via its extensive footpath network and check out top spots such as Loch Leven, the Lost Valley, and the Devil's Staircase.

Arbroath, Scotland

A color photograph showing the beautiful but choppy waters off the Scottish coast at Devil's Head in Arbroath, Scotland. It shows a towering red sandstone sea stack at Seaton Cliffs and colourful blue and pink sunrise. To illustrate a blog post entitled 'Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein Filming Locations.'

Appreciated by filmmakers as well as travellers, the dramatic coastlines of Arbroath fit the Frankenstein aesthetic perfectly. / Adobe Free Stock / cliff

Hospitalfield House, a striking 19th-century mansion in Arbroath on the edge of the North Sea, was used as the home of the character Henrich Harlander in Frankenstein.

Coastal exteriors were also filmed in the area. Arbroath's red sandstone cliffs, rugged shoreline and historic architecture capture both the natural beauty and period authenticity Del Toro's films are known for.

If you're visiting Arbroath, it's worth lingering a while. Explore the dramatic Seaton Cliffs Coastal Path for sweeping sea views, visit Hospitalfield House on one of its public art tours, and stop by the Arbroath Abbey ruins for another piece of Gothic grandeur.

Between the salt air, red sandstone cliffs, and weathered architecture, you'll experience exactly why it made the cut as a Del Toro Frankenstein filming location.

Stay Connected On Your Set-Jetting Adventures

Whether you're sharing photos from Edinburgh's Royal Mile or navigating Glencoe's winding roads, reliable internet access will keep your adventure on track.

A Scottish eSIM from Airalo removes the need to buy local SIM cards, hunt down free Wi-Fi or worry about surprise roaming charges. Perfect for when you're following in Frankenstein's footsteps across the country's dramatic landscapes.

Stay Online in Scotland: Head to the Airalo store to choose your Scotland eSIM for a cinematic journey, minus the drama.

FAQs - Guillermo Del Toro Frankenstein Filming Locations

1. When does Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein premiere?

Its world premiere was at the Venice International Film Festival on 30 August, 2025. Select theatres began screening it from 17 October and it will be released globally on Netflix from 7 November.

2. Where was Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein filmed in the UK?

Many of Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein filming locations were in Scotland. Specifically around Edinburgh's Royal Mile, Glasgow Cathedral, Dunecht House in Aberdeenshire, Glencoe, and Hospitalfield House in Arbroath.

3. Who stars in Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein?

Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi appears as the Creature, Mia Goth plays Lady Elizabeth Harlander and Christoph Waltz steps in as Henrich Harlander.

4. Is Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein a horror film?

Not exactly - it's categorised as a Gothic science fiction film. Guillermo Del Toro has described his Frankenstein adaptation as an "incredibly emotional" story, focusing on the classic themes of the novel, rather than solely on horror.

5. Can I visit the filming locations featured in Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein?

Yes, many of the filming locations in Scotland are open to the public, including Edinburgh's Royal Mile, Glasgow Cathedral, and Hospitalfield House in Arbroath. Glencoe is a National Nature Reserve and hiking trails run through the Dunecht House estate.

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