James Bond, or 007 as many know him, could be seen as the archetypal English gentleman. It’s how he comes across in the various novels and movies, but there has always been some suggestion that there is Scottish influence involved. And, author Sir Ian Fleming is the man who decided to weave in some Scottish origins after seeing Sean Connery in action as the world’s most famous secret agent.

Sean Connery, the first man to portray James Bond in movie form, hailed from Edinburgh. Sir Ian Fleming was said to have been compelled to bring the Scottish element into play because of Connery’s portrayal of 007 on the big screen. And,  because of the Scottish accent and secret agent vibe, maybe that’s why 40% of UK women would gladly choose Bond over any other British film icon.

Sir Ian Fleming, who introduced Bond as having Scottish heritage via his father, Andrew Bond, of Glencoe, was born in London. However, akin to Bond, both Fleming’s father and grandfather hailed from north of the border. So, it’s easy to see how Scottish influence grew organically and quickly from the get-go.

Further Scottish influence came from Fleming indirectly. It was put to him to switch 007’s side weapon from the Beretta M418 to the Walther PPK by Geoffrey Boothroyd, a Glaswegian firearms expert. And the move proved to be the correct one when you consider how famous the Walther PPK has become where Bond is concerned.

So, there is definitely Scottish influence on James Bond via author Sir Ian Fleming and 007 star Sean Connery. Sticking with the latter, we have seen other Scots take up acting roles over the years in Bond flicks. Robbie Coltrane, for example, starred as Valentin Zukovsky in both GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough, with Robert Carlyle playing villain Renard in the latter. Alan Cumming, Gerard Butler and Anthony Dawson have made appearances too.

And, now that Daniel Craig’s stint as 007 is over, there is talk that it could be a Scot who takes over the role, with Martin Compston, star of hit TV show Line of Duty, and Richard Madden, of Game of Thrones and The Bodyguard fame, both being touted as potential successors.

It’s clear to see that there is more Scottish influence on James Bond and the movies starring him than meets the eye. And we will wrap up with a quick mention of the Bond theme songs that are iconic with the film series. A couple of Scottish artists, Lulu and Shirley Manson, have sung them, and there is scope for there to be more in the future.

We have seen how Scotland and Scottish heritage have influenced Bond, and it’s also fair to say that Bond has influenced things. For example, 007 goes beyond the movie screen. We have seen video games take inspiration from the character and film series, and even video slots, which are available to enjoy at PartyCasino, Entain’s popular UK online casino site. The influence works both ways, and perhaps this is what makes James Bond iconic.