Town coup for Stone of Destiny film

7:42pm Tuesday 30th September 2008

A Hollywood film about the theft of an ancient Scottish artefact is to get its first general release showing in the home town of the story's main protagonist.

The Stone Of Destiny will be shown at a 241-capacity screen at the independent Highland Theatre in Oban on Scotland's west coast.

The unusual destination was the choice of the octogenarian behind the theft more than half a century ago, who managed to talk round cinema bosses. Ian Hamilton, 83, who led the Christmas Day raid in 1950, said: "It was tougher to get the film here than it was to get the stone out of Westminster Abbey."

The film charts the tale of four students from Glasgow - led by Mr Hamilton, then aged 25 - who stole the artefact from the abbey.

It is directed by Charlie Martin Smith, and has an all-star cast including Charlie Cox as Mr Hamilton as well as Scots big screen stars Robert Carlyle and Billy Boyd.

Original plans by distributors envisaged releasing the film in a bigger Scottish city - but Mr Hamilton was set against the idea.

The grandfather said: "They wanted the first showing in either Glasgow or Edinburgh. I just stuck it out and said, 'Well, I'm not coming'."

Mr Hamilton, who lives in Lochnabeithe, a few miles from Oban, added: "It's my home town, it's the West Highlands, it's Celtic and the Stone of Destiny is Celtic. It's the right place to have it - it's coming home. I think it's wonderful."

The film has already had its world premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival and been shown at several other film festivals.

Mr Hamilton will appear at the Highland Theatre showing along with director Martin Smith.