John Hannah on the underrated beauty of Scotland and why Greece is the perfect holiday destination

John Hannah, the Scottish actor, recalls an epic cycling journey across Europe, the eeriest filming location and accidentally ending up in Las Vegas. 

I’ve been travelling non-stop

I didn’t even get a proper holiday last year and have been travelling for work the past couple of years. I’ve been to Vancouver three times, Los Angeles, Belfast, Dublin, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Greece is the perfect holiday destination

I love Greece for the food, the people and the cost.  I have been to many Greek islands and can’t wait for our summer break in Halkidiki. The last time we were there, my kids (14-year-old twins Astrid and Gabriel) did their junior PADI (scuba-diving certification). There’s lots of sports activities to keep them occupied, which is great.

I always try to avoid crowds

There’s nothing worse than a bunch of rowdy, noisy drunk people whenever I’m travelling.

My kids had been around the world twice...

...by the time they were five. Sadly, they’ll probably not remember much about all the cool places they used to visit me on set, like Los Angeles, Montreal, Shanghai, and Auckland. It was much easier for them to travel with me before they went to school. I don’t like taking them out of their classes now.

I take my bike everywhere I travel

It’s a great way to explore an area or city, like Los Angeles or Auckland. Ireland and the US state of Maryland in particular have beautiful trails. I used to be a good golfer, but I lost my golfing bug when I was in New Zealand filming Spartacus. I’d been dead keen to get out on one their beautiful courses, but could never manage to get away from work to do it. Now if I’ve got a few hours, I’d rather get out on my bike.

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I did a gruelling journey across Europe

I cycled for 800km for the Lawrence Dallaglio’s Cycle Slam, a charity which fundraises for disadvantaged youth. I flew to Venice and started in Udine, in north-east Italy, down through Slovenia and along the Adriatic coast, which was absolutely gorgeous, and we ended up in Split in Croatia.

There’s so much of Scotland I’ve yet to explore

Despite being Scottish, there’s so much I haven’t seen of its beauty. I want to explore more on my two wheels, especially the islands of Arran and Bute, which are easily accessible by ferry. There’s a lot of beauty on our own doorstep that can get overlooked.

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Montreal has such a buzz

It’s one of my favourite cities. The winter can be pretty harsh, but there is just so much to during the rest of the year, especially the summer months when there’s the jazz and comedy festivals. I love the area around the old port, where old world history meets the New World. There’s fantastic restaurants and nightlife.

I was warned to look out for bears

They can be found in Sault Ste. Marie, which is 700km north-west of Toronto on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. It’s a beautiful historic town with canals and a nature reserve. I was there in 2015 filming The Love Of My Life with Anna Chancellor and Hermione Norris. There was still snow lying on the ground as I explored around Lake Superior on my bike. I only ever got to see two of them as I was on my way back to the airport.

I once ended up in Las Vegas by mistake

My wife and I were heading out to the west coast of the US. We got our days and dates mixed up and showed up to the airport on the wrong day. We had to re-route through Vegas in order to make our onward connections.

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I only travel with hand luggage

I like being able to travel light. Most people end up taking way too much with them. My travel companions on the charity bike ride laughed at me when they saw how little I’d brought when they all had big stuffed suitcases.

My most unusual filming location

An abandoned nuclear bunker for my new film Genesis with Olivia Grant, set in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world. It was isolated in the middle of woods, the type of place you could easily disappear in and no one would find you. It was so creepy and made me think if there’s actually going to be a war, I’d rather go and face the bomb than hide out there.

Japan is on my travel bucket list

I’d love to take my whole family. We’ve never been and the kids are really into animé [Japanese animation]. I’m a big fan of the Japanese author Haruki Murakami. But who knows when I’ll be able to fit it in.

Win a luxury holiday worth up to ￡80,000

Genesis, a new flim from Lionsgate UK starring John Hannah, is out now. 

Interview by Sarah Ewing