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A filming location for the legendary James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service has inspired a new book by bestselling author Ruth Kelly.
Kelly’s new novel, The Ice Retreat, sees her reimagine the Blofeld’s Lair setting from the film, which was released in 1969 and stars George Lazenby in his only screen appearance as the legendary spy.
In fact, the location isn’t the only impressive location to have featured in Bond films over the years, as a number of unusual and impressive locations also appear on set.
Continue reading below to see some of the most impressive sites that were used as filming locations for James Bond films.
Piz Gloria, Switzerland (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service)
The first site on the list is home to a revolving restaurant on the 2,970 m (9,740 ft) summit of the Schilthorn in Switzerland’s Bernese Alps.
Australian actor George Lazenby playing James Bond during a scene from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, released in 1969.
The first site on the list is home to a revolving restaurant on the summit of the 2,970 m (9,740 ft) high Schilthorn in Switzerland’s Bernese Alps, which can only be reached by cable car.
This location was used by Her Majesty’s Secret Service as a base for Spectre’s boss, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, played by Telly Savalas.
The place, which looks like an allergy clinic to outsiders, is disguised so it can be secretly used as a training base for the biological warfare “angels of death,” which Bond visits to investigate.
The filmmakers helped contribute to the final stages of construction of the building so that it was complete and available for use in the film.
Fast forward to today and the site is still used as a tourist destination with a 007 exhibit.
Looking for a location for her book that would be “sinister and chilling” for readers, Ruth visited Piz Gloria and says she relived her “fear and terror of altitude and isolation within the pages” of her novel.
Atlantic Ocean Highway, Norway (No time to die)
An aerial view of the Atlantic Ocean Highway in Norway, featured in No Time To Die
In No Time To Die, the road was used in a thrilling chase scene using a Vintage Aston Martin V8.
Originally proposed as a railway line in a plan that was later abandoned, this five-mile-long route connects a series of Norwegian islands.
In No Time To Die, the road was used in a thrilling chase scene using a Vintage Aston Martin V8.
Built in 1989, the venue now welcomes more than 250,000 visitors each year and is often used by car companies to film television adverts to promote the launch of new vehicles.
According to The Guardian, Norway gave producers a £4.2 million tax break to convince them to film there.
Villa Balbianello, Lake Como (Casino Royale)
The town functioned as a Franciscan monastery since the 13th century and is open to the public.
Overlooking Lake Como, this magnificent villa is famous for its extensive terraced gardens and has appeared in numerous films along with Casino Royale.
Overlooking Lake Como, this magnificent villa is famous for its extensive terraced gardens and has appeared in numerous films along with Casino Royale.
In his first appearance as James Bond, Daniel Craig is able to recover enough from the defeat of Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelson) to decide to risk it all for Vesper (Eva Green), which unfolds before spectators on the magnificent grounds of the Villa Balbianello. .
The town functioned as a Franciscan monastery since the 13th century and is open to the public.
The villa would also be recognized by avid Star Wars fans, as it was used for the lake retreat scenes in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, released in 2002, with computer-generated imagery used in place of the actual exterior of the building.
Taj Lake Palace, India (Octopussy)
In Octopussy, the splendid palace serves as the grand home of the main character, a jewel smuggler and cult leader played by Maud Adams.
Roger Moore is seen entering the palace in a golf cart in Octopussy
Two different ancient royal palaces, both over 300 years old, were used in the Octopussy filming sequence: the Jag Mandir and the Taj Lake Palace in Lake Pichola, Udaipur, India.
In the film, the splendid palace serves as the grand home of Octopussy, a jewel smuggler and cult leader played by Maud Adams.
However, after Roger Moore’s Bond manages to infiltrate the palace, he successfully seduces Octopussy.
Today, the Taj Lake Palace serves as a luxury hotel, with former notable guests such as Queen Elizabeth II and United States First Lady Jackie Kennedy.
Hemingway House, Florida, USA (License to Kill)
This place did not become famous for appearing in a Bond film, but for being the residence of the famous American author Ernest Hemingway.
License To Kill was the second and final Bond film starring Timothy Dalton as the famous spy.
Located on the island of Key West in Florida, this place did not become famous for appearing in a Bond film, but for being the residence of the famous American author Ernest Hemingway.
In License to Kill, the house is used as a base for MI6, and Bond also meets M on the property’s terrace and resigns as an agent, with M revoking his “license to kill”.
The house and adjoining museum are open to the public to visit, and visitors can see more than 60 six-toed cats that have an unusual link to the film.
All of these cats are descendants of Hemingway’s pet cat, and some of the unusual creatures are also visible in License To Kill.
Phang Nga Bay, Thailand (The Man with the Golden Gun)
The island is so well known for its use in The Man with the Golden Gun that it is now often referred to as “James Bond Island.”
Roger Moore and Christopher Lee on the set of The Man with the Golden Gun
Located in the Andaman Sea, between the island of Phuket and the mainland of the Kra Isthmus in southern Thailand, a large section of the bay has had the status of Ao Phang Nga National Park since 1981.
Just off the coast of the bay there is a 20 meter high rocky island jutting out of the sea.
The island is so well known for its use in The Man with the Golden Gun that it is now often referred to as “James Bond Island.”
While it is now a popular tourist destination, it rose to fame as the evil lair of Scaramanga, the film’s title character, played by Christopher Lee.
Lee and Roger Moore, appearing as Bond for the second time, face off on the white sands of the beach at the end of the film before Moore seduces his lover Goodnight on a boat taking a trip across the bay.
Ocho Rios, Jamaica (Dr. No)
In Dr. No, the real location of Ocho Rios, a small town in the Jamaican parish of Saint Ann, is the setting for the fictional location of Crab Key.
In Dr. No, the real location of Ocho Rios, a small town in the Jamaican parish of Saint Ann, is the setting for the fictional location of Crab Key.
In Dr. No, the real location of Ocho Rios, a small town in the Jamaican parish of Saint Ann, is the setting for the fictional location of Crab Key.
The first James Bond film to be released features Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) as she goes shell hunting in Crab Key, the secret fortress of the film’s villain, Dr. Julius No.
Laughing Waters Beach is located about 10 km from the city, in the picturesque Oracabessa Bay.
Similar to the so-called ‘James Bond Island’ featured in The Man with the Golden Gun, the golden sands have become prominent for their role in the inaugural Bond film, and Laughing Waters is often referred to as ‘James Bond Beach’. James Bond’.