The Haunted Landscape of the Uncanny North: Scott Graham’s <i>Shell</i> (2012) and Gordon Napier’s <i>1745</i> (2017)

Focussing on the spatial dimension of historical haunting, this article analyses depiction northern scenery in contemporary Scottish cinema, to highlight a shift from romanticised landscape figurations identity territory haunted both by nation’s past traumas and its dark secrets. I examine Scott Graham’s film Shell (2012) Gordon Napier’s 1745: An Untold Story Slavery (2017) demonstrate how, while they reference sublime aesthetics politics conventionally attached representation north cultural construction Highlands, these films also interrogate relationship between history landscape. 1745 consequently point an ambivalent definition belonging, made more complicated specific political references rooted The is unveiled as uncanny territory, where sense belonging based established national narratives replaced subversive (re)possession less visible stories that continue haunt it: legacy Highland Clearances Scotland’s involvement Empire slavery 1745.