Naman Shrestha
Based on the real-life terrorist attack on the 1988 bombing of Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, Netflix’s ‘The Bombing of Pan Am 103’ is a British period thriller drama series created by Jonathan Lee. The narrative revolves around the tragedy and how it leads to the partnership between the Scottish and US governments as they seek to identify the perpetrators behind the bombing and bring them to justice. In the aftermath of the explosion, hundreds of families are devastated by the loss of their loved ones.
Meanwhile, the investigators search for clues and evidence in Scotland, making it the largest murder investigation in the history of Scottish policing. Featuring compelling performances from Connor Swindells, Patrick J. Adams, Tony Curran, Eddie Marsan, Merritt Wever, and Phyllis Logan, the six-part drama series also explores the 2000 trial at Camp Zeist and the 2022 indictment, with most of the tale unfolding in Scotland, the USA, and Malta.
The Bombing of Pan Am 103 Filming Locations
‘The Bombing of Pan Am 103’ was filmed in Scotland, Ontario, and Malta, particularly in Lockerbie, Glasgow, Hamilton, Prestwick, Beith, Toronto, Valletta, and Birgu. From what we can tell, principal photography for the historical show commenced in early 2024 under the working title ‘Lockerbie’ and seemingly wrapped up around September of the same year. During a conversation with the BBC, Connor Swindells, who portrays DS Ed McCusker, was asked about the most memorable part of filming. He responded, “Every day was interesting, there were always new things I was learning about what actually happened with the case – the ways in which they uncovered the truth and the great ‘hive mind’ that came together to get it done.”
Lockerbie, Scotland
To depict the 1988 terrorist attack on Pan Am Flight 103, the production team decided to set up their primary base on location in Lockerbie in the south-western part of Scotland, within the picturesque council area of Dumfries and Galloway. Many spots in and around the town proved an ideal backdrop for showcasing the events that unfold when the tragedy transpires in the narrative. In the two days that the team was in Lockerbie, they made many decisions out of respect for the townfolk and the history attached to the place. Therefore, apart from a few spots, they did not record footage in and around the town.
In a conversation with the BBC, director Michael Keillor opened up about how they shaped the filming schedule to remain sensitive to the subject matter. “We were very sensitive to the fact that the people of Lockerbie have already been through this and they don’t need to go through it again. We therefore, of course, didn’t film any of the aftermath scenes in 1988 in or around the town,” he said. Located west of Lockerbie, Dryfesdale Cemetery was chosen as one of the shooting locations. In particular, they filmed at the Garden of Remembrance, a memorial site honoring the 270 lives lost in the attack, featuring a memorial wall, memorial stones, and a Remembrance Room.
Alongside the cemetery, a few scenes were taped at another memorial site of the 1988 bombing — Tundergarth Church, a 1900 Gothic church that lies east of Lockerbie. Filming on location enabled the team to ensure authenticity while adding emotional intensity and historical significance to the sequences. The cast and crew were also spotted filming at Lockerbie Town Hall, a municipal establishment on High Street in the heart of the town. The actors and crew members had a lot of fun bringing ‘The Bombing of Pan Am 103’ to life. Patrick J. Adams, who plays FBI Special Agent Dick Marquise, highlighted the same while detailing his experience filming in Scotland. He told BBC: “I love working in Scotland, it was my first time being here as an adult. It’s been fantastic, with incredible people.”
The actor continued, “I missed my family, but much like Dick Marquise he went through the same thing; he hardly saw his wife and kids because he was on the road so much. Even in that there is a sort of tether between us, this is the sacrifice of working on something that matters so much to you.” Interestingly, Patrick had never been to Lockerbie, so he was naturally quite excited to shoot there. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to stroll through the town and unfurl its history while donning the garb of Dick. “Getting to walk around, to go to Sherwood Crescent and have Dick and Tom talk me through what they found when they first arrived at the scene, especially Tom who was there within the first few days, that was one of the most profound experiences and like a pilgrimage of sorts,” he explained.
Glasgow, Scotland
A significant chunk of ‘The Bombing of Pan Am 103’ was reportedly shot in and around the city of Glasgow. For instance, Glasgow City Chambers at 82 George Square stands in for the Swiss courtrooms, while the Mitchell Library on North Street in the Charing Cross area doubles as numerous international locations, such as cafés in Bo’Ness and Lockerbie and Washington’s Capitol Building. During the aforementioned interview, the director Michael Keillor also revealed, “…we mainly shot based out of Glasgow and the surrounding areas. We had to try and find buildings that were of the period between 1988-1990 and actually there was much more of that around Glasgow that we could piggyback into for our locations.”
Other Locations in Scotland
For the purpose of shooting, the cast and crew members of the British miniseries also traveled to other parts of Scotland, including the town of Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. You can spot the Hamilton Townhouse at 102 Cadzow Street, dressed up as the US Consulate, in several scenes. To tape the scenes set in Lockerbie Ice Rink, where the victims’ remains are placed after the explosion, the filming unit set up camp in and around the Hamilton Ice Rink on Off Muir Street. They also utilized the premises of Glasgow Prestwick Airport, located near the town of Prestwick, as it doubles for three international airports in the show, including London Heathrow, New York’s JFK airport, and Malta airport.
Lockerbie’s Whitehorse Pub, where the locals enjoy a Christmas drink at the time of the explosion, is actually the Gateside Inn in the Scottish town of Beith. The town of Bathgate also reportedly features in ‘The Bombing of Pan Am 103.’ Connor Swindells shared his experience of filming in Scotland, stating, “It’s been a dream, the people have been so brilliant and welcoming to me. I love Scotland and I spend a lot of time up here, my partner is from here. It’s a place that’s familiar to me and a place I feel at home.” The director, Michael Keillor, also talked about the scale of the production.
He revealed how he collaborated with the production designer, Anna Pritchard, “to build an entire street (which we did in Bathgate in Scotland) in order to show the devastating impact the bombing and crash had on the houses below.” He added, “It was very important to me to get the veracity of the show absolutely right. All the research that was done was to check the accuracy of what we were doing. And we were on location all the time, just to give that texture and to make it feel as real as possible.”
Toronto, Ontario
Several pivotal sequences for ‘The Bombing of Pan Am 103’ were also lensed in Toronto, which mainly doubled as Washington DC. In the scene where DS Ed McCusker is driving through Washington DC, you can spot the Whitney Block at 23 Queen’s Park Crescent East, the Jackman Law Building at 78 Queen’s Park, and the West Tower of the MaRS Discovery District at 661 University Avenue in the backdrop. Furthermore, York University at 4700 Keele Street in the North York district stood in for the FBI Headquarters, while a building at 25 King Street doubled as the Capitol Building.
Malta
Additional portions for the historical drama miniseries were shot in the Republic of Malta. To be specific, the cast and crew members took over the Grand Master’s Palace on Saint George’s Square in Valletta, as it depicted the Auberge De Castille, the government building in Malta. To shoot the scenes involving the Malta Police Headquarters, they set up camp in and around the Armoury of the Knights of Malta in Birgu. During the same BBC interview, Merritt Wever, who portrays Kathryn Turman, was asked about her most memorable scene to film.
She stated, “I remember two days where there was a real energy on set. They happen to be two days where large groups of the cast were gathered. We were shooting some of the gravest material, and I think that happens sometimes when you are shooting some of the heavier stuff, that’s the most important to get right. I remember the actors finding a sense of camaraderie with each other and I think that makes sense given where we were at that point in the story as well.”
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