OSCAR-NOMINATED actress Saoirse Ronan has said it was “very important” to be able to hold the UK premiere of her new film The Outrun in Edinburgh.

The film is based on Amy Liptrot’s 2016 memoir of the same name, which documents her experience recovering from alcoholism in her childhood home in Orkney.

We previously told how the film received critical acclaim following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

The film opened the 77th Edinburgh Film Festival on Thursday evening and Ronan said it was “very special” to be able to attend the event in the Scottish capital.

Speaking at the premiere, Ronan said: “Just even the mention of the Fringe and the theatre festival, it’s such a culturally-rich time for Edinburgh in particular and Scotland and the Scottish arts scene.

“And you know it’s an event, the Fringe in particular, it’s one that I try and dip my toe into every year that I can.

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“So to be able to premiere our film here which is so Scottish in its identity and not only that, Orcadian in its identity and being able to share that with Scottish folk first is very special it was very important for us that it came here first.”

Speaking about the film itself, Ronan said she was “very aware of the responsibility” to play a character who represents a real person.

“Trying to realise that as fully as you can and make it as authentic and layered as you can takes I think even more consideration than it usually would,” she said.

“You sort of owe your performance to someone in particular and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing.”

The Outrun is set to be released in cinemas fully across the UK on September 27.

Ronan has already picked up four Oscar nominations, with her last coming in 2019 for Little Women with her new film being touted as a potential contended at next year’s awards.