SEVERAL streets in Culross will be closed this week as a big budget American TV series begins filming in the village.

The best-selling fantasy novel series Outlander is being adapted into a TV drama by premium American cable network Starz and the West Fife village has been chosen as the location for one of the episodes.

No traffic will be allowed on West Green, Lower East Sandhaven, Back Causeway, Mid Causeway, Wee Causeway and Tanhouse Brae until 22nd November, and no vehicles will be allowed to park on Sandhaven or Low Causewayside.

Letters sent by filming company Left Bank Productions (LBP) to residents and businesses in Culross stated that the scenes filmed were set in the 1740s and would focus around the Mercat Cross area.

In the letter, LBP’s location manager, Miglet Crichton, said, “Our scenes are set in 1743, so we will be removing and disguising some of the contemporary street furniture from around the Mercat Cross.

"We are mindful that Culross is a quiet, rural community and as such we will treat it with the greatest respect.” American author Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series has spanned seven novels, the first published in 1991.

It focuses on 20th century nurse Claire Randall, who time travels to 18th century Scotland and finds adventure and romance with the dashing James Fraser.

Scottish actor Sam Heughan, formerly of Doctors and River City, and Irish actress Caitriona Balfe have been cast as the programme’s two main characters.

It is not the first time Culross has been chosen as the location for a major production, in 2011 it played the part of wartime Norway in Captain America: the First Avenger, and in 1971 Michael Caine was brought to the village to film Kidnapped.

Anna Rathband, filming manager for the National Trust for Scotland, has no doubts about why the West Fife village is continually chosen as a filming location.

She said, “Culross is the rarest of things, a virtually intact, living, breathing 17th century port graced with cobbled streets, a traditional whitewashed townscape and beautifully painted interirors.

“The atmosphere of the past is palpable and filmmakers have long recognised this.” The buildings around Mercat Cross have been painting for the filming of Outlander but will be return to their usual state by spring 2014.

Filming is set to take place next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and news of the production has been welcomed in the village.

Former community chairman, Martin McNair, said, “If it is handled right then it can benefit the village.

"As long as there is contact between the production company and the community council or other community groups then it will be a very good thing.”