The Loch Ness monster isn’t the only mythological creature linked to Scotland. While the warm winds, Greek gods, and sparkling shores central to Christopher Nolan’s movie The Odyssey might seem straight out of the Mediterranean, much of the action actually took place right along Scotland’s Moray Firth coast.

Experts on the epic and its latest blockbuster adaptation are familiar with the Turkish ruins and Ionian islands that stood in for stops like Troy and Ithaca on Odysseus’s decade-long voyage. But the coastal cliffs and pine forests of North East Scotland featured in the film aren’t exactly common knowledge. To help fans retrace the route, local Scottish councils created a handy map highlighting the region’s key filming spots.

From the island home of the sorceress Circe to the forest full of unforgiving giants, here are the real-life Scottish locations featured in the film. Think of these castle ruins and remote beaches as a way to embrace Odysseus’s off-the-beaten-path philosophy—sans the emotional strife and loss of life.

1. Findlater Castle, Aberdeenshire
2. Sunnyside Beach, Aberdeenshire
3. Culbin Forest, Moray
4. Portsoy Harbour, Aberdeenshire

Findlater Castle, Aberdeenshire

Perched precariously on a 50-foot cliff overlooking the North Sea, these 14th-century ruins represent Aeaea. Fans of the film will recognize Findlater Castle and its surrounding craggy cliffs as the filming location for the famous scene where Circe turns Odysseus’s crew into pigs.

Having witnessed 13th-century Viking attacks and a siege by Mary, Queen of Scots, the seaside fortress is no stranger to epic drama. While modern mortals are forbidden from climbing into Findlater Castle themselves, a nearby cliffside viewing platform provides sweeping (and more importantly, safe) views of the Moray Firth. It’s the perfect spot to soak up a Scottish sunset without worrying about being transformed into swine.

Sunnyside Beach, Aberdeenshire

It wouldn’t be The Odyssey without a few shipwrecks. Tucked below Findlater Castle, the secluded sands of Sunnyside Beach helped bring the scene to life where Odysseus and his crew wash ashore. Located along the Cullen coastline, Sunnyside is home to wildlife, pristine white sand, and—once upon a time—a real-life WWI-era hermit named Charlie.

Getting to the shore follows the same footpath that leads to the Findlater Castle viewpoint. Accessible only via a steep cliffside track, Sunnyside is one of the most pristine and peaceful slices of North East Scotland. Just be sure to wear sturdy shoes for the descent; scaling that slippery trail is enough of a challenge without a sea god holding a grudge.

Culbin Forest, Moray

When they first arrive at this coastal pine forest, it seems like it could breathe life into Odysseus and his crew. That is, until it opens up to reveal the enormous armored soldiers otherwise known as the Laestrygonians.

The real Culbin Forest on the Moray Firth coast never housed cannibalistic giants, but it does have an unsettling history all its own. Though the pine-filled forest once bore the brunt of a sandstorm—and possibly a witch’s curse—in 1694, today, it remains a place of recreation. Birding and hiking are aplenty, with sandy trails leading to panoramic views of the water.

Portsoy Harbour, Aberdeenshire

Of the many harbor scenes in The Odyssey, Portsoy Harbour provides one of the film’s most picturesque backdrops. If its 17th-century stone piers and waterfront look slightly familiar, it’s because they also served as filming locations for Peaky Blinders and Whisky Galore!

Portsoy also marks the end of a 7-mile coastal trail that begins in Cullen and passes Sunnyside Bay and Findlater Castle along the way.