As Screen Machine Take 2 tours the Highlands and Islands, Screen Machine 1 is certainly not parked-up at the great truck wash in the sky. The original Screen Machine is standing in for Eden Court’s Riverside Theatre whilst they are closed for a major refurbishment. Situated at the aquadome at Bught Park, Inverness, the pioneering vehicle is screening a diet of the best independent and arthouse movies. Refreshments are also available at the adjacent Floral Hall.


To find out what’s showing at Screen Machine 1, click here and how to find it click here.

The prototype Screen Machine I was launched in 1998, and has proved the demand for cinema from some of the most rural communities across the region.  20,000 tickets were sold for films show at Screen Machine I in 2003, and Screen Machine has one of the highest per-seat average attendance figures of any cinema in Scotland.

However, being a prototype, Screen Machine I had its technical limitations.  A long setup time of four hours meant that the mobile cinema often needed to stay in one community for up to three days at a time, and was therefore limited to serving larger villages or central locations to ensure the best accessibility.  Screen Machine: Take Two has no such restrictions, and will be able to visit smaller villages.

As for Screen Machine I, this prototype machine is a long way from retirement.  From June 2005, the machine will be working with Eden Court in Inverness to provide the theatre’s film programme whilst the venue is closed for its major redevelopment.