Dougray Scott found life tough in the jungle after going down The Crow Road, as he tells John Millar

Dougray Scott stars in The Place of the Dead

Scots hunk Dougray Scott had to get as fit as his football heroes ... to survive a TV hell.

The star of The Crow Road and Soldier, Soldier faced his most physically demanding role for tonight's true life drama, The Place Of The Dead.

He lined up with Sense And Sensibility star Greg Wise and former Brookside favourite John McArdle to reconstruct the story of how an army expedition got lost in the Borneo jungle.

It meant a gruelling time in front of the cameras for Dougray - who as a boy wanted to be a footballer, like his dad Tom, who played for Queen's Park.

Dougray told me: "This was the most physically arduous job I have ever done because we had to do a lot of the things the soldiers went through.

"That meant trekking for miles every day on location in Queensland, where we shot a lot of this film.

"And we also climbed Mount Kinabulu, the highest peak in south-east Asia. It was pretty tough going.

"To get fit enough, I started working out while I was in South Africa filming Soldier, Soldier.

"And when I got back to Britain, I was in the gym every day to get to peak fitness.

"That was essential because, apart from the trekking and climbing, I had to do a lot of chin-up exercises in the TV role."

Conditions were tough on both film locations in Australia and Borneo.

Dougray said: "It was freezing on the mountain slopes and very hot in Queensland. When you've got your body in shape, you can cope with those sort of extremes. Apparently, there were also a lot of snakes around but, fortunately I never came across any."

Dougray, acclaimed as one of the Scots screen's latest sex symbols, is cast as Lance Corporal Richard Mayfield in The Place Of The Dead.

And he told me he had the best possible preparation for the role.

Through army contacts made while filming Soldier, Soldier, Dougray managed to meet the man he portrays on screen.

Dougray said: "I went to his home in Plymouth and spent about four hours talking with him and taping our conversation.

"I asked what was going through his head during certain points of the mission in the Borneo jungle.

"He is a fascinating and very brave young man. I liked him and came away with tremendous respect for him."

Tonight's ITV drama was sandwiched between two years of non-stop work for Dougray.

Apart from The Crow Road, which is tipped to collect top awards, he filmed Twin Town, a movie from the team behind Shallow Grave and Trainspotting.

He said: "I play a bent cop involved in a drugs deal in Swansea, which is a wonderful location for film work.

"I like Wales because I went to college there."

There are great hopes for the movie, which is expected to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

So now the Scots star is red hot, with lots of job offers coming his way.

THE PLACE OF THE DEAD Today, ITV, 9.00pm

Copyright 1997 Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail Ltd.

Thanks to Missy for the find!