The inspiration for this film arose out of Craig Ferguson's desire to make a cheerful film that celebrates Scottishness, as opposed to the epic nature of films like Braveheart (1995) and Rob Roy (1995), and the downbeat quality of Trainspotting (1996) and Shallow Grave (1994).
It took the casting director about 5 weeks to fill all 70 roles in the film.
Much of the inspiration for the character of Crawford Mackenzie came from a roommate of Craig Ferguson's during his rise to popularity as a comic.
Warner Brothers was the only studio prepared to immediately greenlight the film. A fast turnaround was required so it could be shot while star Craig Ferguson was on hiatus from
The Drew Carey Show (1995).