A red telephone box on the Isle of Mull, made famous by the 1945 romantic comedy I Know Where I'm Going!, has been spared from removal after a campaign by film enthusiasts and local officials. The Category B listed structure, located beside a waterfall at Carsaig, had been threatened by BT's network rationalisation programme before Argyll and Bute Council successfully petitioned the telecoms operator to retain it.
According to a local directory entry, the phone box has previously been rescued from destruction by movie fans, suggesting this is not the first time admirers of the film have mobilised to protect the landmark. A separate report from Herald Scotland states plainly that the box was preserved specifically for the benefit of film fans, underscoring how central cinematic tourism has become to the debate over its future.
Why does this phone box matter to film fans?
The box sits beside a waterfall that features in a memorable comic moment in the film, where Roger Livesey's Royal Navy officer character struggles to hear a phone call because of the rushing water nearby. The setting has become a pilgrimage site for devotees tracing the Mull filming locations used in the picture, which was shot on the island and at studios in Buckinghamshire during 1944 and 1945, in the midst of the Second World War.
What is the film and why is it significant?
I Know Where I'm Going! was made by director Michael Powell and writer-producer Emeric Pressburger, the duo behind other acclaimed works including The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus and A Matter of Life and Death. The story follows an Englishwoman, played by Wendy Hiller, who is journeying to the fictional island of Kiloran to wed a wealthy businessman but becomes stranded on Mull during a storm, where she falls for Livesey's naval officer character.
The film has drawn praise from a string of notable admirers over the decades, including director Martin Scorsese, who has long championed the work of Powell and Pressburger, as well as actress Tilda Swinton and Scottish filmmaker Bill Forsyth.
What has the council said about keeping the box?
Argyll and Bute Council leader Jim Lynch argued that retaining the phone box carries benefits beyond nostalgia, pointing to its power to draw visitors to the area long after production wrapped.
"The Carsaig phone box is a brilliant example of the power of film. A memorable location can inspire people to travel and spend time in our communities - sometimes decades after the cameras stopped rolling."
Lynch also linked the episode to the wider appeal of Argyll and Bute as a filming destination, noting the role of the council's Film in Argyll service in promoting the region to production companies.
"Through Film in Argyll, we want to make it as easy as possible for productions to discover the incredible locations we have here - and for local people and businesses to benefit from the opportunities filming can bring."
How does this fit into a wider pattern?
The preservation of the Carsaig box reflects a broader trend of red phone boxes being valued as screen landmarks rather than purely functional relics. Research from the British Film Institute notes that the traditional British phone box has repeatedly served as a recurring visual icon in film and television.
Scotland's filming locations have shown similar staying power elsewhere. A feature on the enduring draw of Local Hero, published four decades after its release, illustrates how Scottish settings used in cinema can continue generating cultural and tourism interest for generations, according to a national broadcaster's report.
The episode also arrives amid continued Hollywood interest in Scottish landscapes more broadly. Stars including Henry Cavill, Karen Gillan and Russell Crowe have recently been filming a Highlander remake across the Scottish Highlands, engaging with local communities and supporting charitable efforts in the process.
Key Facts
- The Carsaig phone box on Mull is a Category B listed structure.
- It featured in the 1945 film I Know Where I'm Going!, directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
- BT's network rationalisation plans had threatened the box with removal before Argyll and Bute Council intervened.
- The film's admirers include director Martin Scorsese, actress Tilda Swinton and filmmaker Bill Forsyth.
- The council's Film in Argyll service aims to promote the region to production companies.
