Infamous body snatchers Burke and Hare were with us this month – or at least the actors of a new movie based on their exploits. As our pictures show it was truly amazing how the film crew transformed parts of the castle to recreate the looks, sounds and even the smells of 19th-century Scotland. We had Highland cattle and horses plodding and clopping over the cobbles, while crowds of extras milled about in period garb.

Then there were the stars. We were delighted to welcome Simon Pegg, from Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, who plays William Burke and Andy Serkis, Gollum from Lord of the Rings, who is his accomplice William Hare. In charge of the whole affair was Hollywood director John Landis, who made The Blues Brothers and Thriller. This new film, appropriately titled Burke and Hare, is a black comedy about the grim pair who found a lucrative business providing cadavers for an Edinburgh medical school.

The part of the filming which attracted perhaps most laughs came when comedy veteran Ronnie Corbett filmed his role as Captain McLintock. Seeing him marching through the castle in full uniform, accompanied by a pair of hopeless, lanky privates, muskets swinging from their shoulders, was great fun. And certainly the castle made a superb set.

The movie, which has the tagline “No Job Too Small. No Body Too Big. No Questions Asked” is expected to be released in 2011. For more information see the IMDb website.