Anger after Outlander star Balfe dubs Shotts 'an armpit'

The star of hit TV show Outlander has sparked anger in a North Lanarkshire town after dubbing it "an armpit".

Caitriona Balfe, who played Clare Randall in the popular time-traveling romantic drama, said Shotts would win the award for "worst location shoot".

She made the comment while answering questions alongside co-star Sam Heughan.

Locals told BBC Scotland News the description was insulting and did not reflect the people in the area.

Outlander, which concluded earlier this year, focused on the relationship between Balfe's character - a nurse in the present day - and Heughan, who played Jacobite Jamie Fraser.

The show has been praised for boosting Scotland's tourism but Balfe's comments are unlikely to send any tourists heading towards Shotts in the future.

When asked the worst location to film in during the eight seasons the show aired, the Irish actress replied: "We filmed at a place in season eight... I think it's called Shotts. An armpit - very sorry."

Afterwards Heughan, who is from Dumfries and Galloway, joked: "Sorry Scotland".

Margaret McSeveney, the chairperson of the Spotlight Shotts community group, told BBC Scotland News the flippant comment was hurtful to people in the town.

She said: "I was a bit horrified. It's a pity someone has come out based on one experience and blanketed the whole town.

"It is hurtful. Support from influential people like Ms Balfe can really lift up a community, but cheap criticism does not do much for places that are already undervalued and underfunded.

"There are a lot of good things about Shotts, it's produced a lot of good people and it's a great community where people look out for each other. There has just been a lack of investment since some major employers have left."

The Daily Record reported filming in Shotts had been taking place in a factory unit in the town.

However a source claimed the shoot was disrupted by gangs of youths, who stole a quad bike and set it on fire.

The production also had problems with the ground being impenetrable.

Spotlight Shotts are involved in restoring the town's old Henderson Theatre, while trying to bring more arts and culture to the area.

McSeveney added: "The problem has always been having constructive activities for young people.

"That's what we are trying to provide with things like a youth theatre, and creating something different for young people with drama classes.

"Maybe Ms Balfe would have been interested in that if she'd known about it."

The Daily Record reported former Shotts MSP Alex Neil had suggested Balfe visit the town again and be properly shown around it.

He said: "I think she's pretty ignorant of what Shotts is really like and I'm happy to enlighten her.

"Far from being the 'armpit' - which suggests the place stinks - the people are actually lovely people in Shotts. She is probably totally ignorant of its history."

Balfe's agent and publicist were both contacted, but did not reply to BBC Scotland's request for comment.