Press release -
Outland about in Edinburgh!
Award-winning family business Mercat Tours – which also holds a five-star Quality Assurance rating from VisitScotland has launched the Edinburgh Outlander Experience, a walking tour that takes in locations featured in the bestselling books by Diana Gabaldon.
Mercat guides Lara Benne and Jason Martin dressed as literary heroes Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser, played by Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan in the television series, for the launch of the tour on the Royal Mile.
VisitScotland, the national tourism organisation, last week reported a huge surge in popularity in Outlander tours, among American visitors in particular, since the show premiered in the US in August 2014.
Edinburgh plays a big role in the hugely popular books, and on the new tour visitors will visit:
They will also hear stories of witchcraft, the Jacobites, the Royal Stuarts, curses, clans and how the fictional story of Jamie and Claire intermingles with the true history.
Kat Brogan, Managing Director of Mercat Tours, said:
“Claire and Jamie have captured the imagination of people across the world and Scotland’s stunning landscape is a breathtaking backdrop to their adventures. We’re delighted to reveal the sites featured in the historical drama and share the true stories of turmoil and romance during the Jacobite rebellion.”
Manuela Calchini, Regional Director at VisitScotland, said:
“Diana Gabaldon’s books enjoy a massive global following and the launch of the television series has sent Outlander’s popularity into the stratosphere. We know that 40 per cent of visitors to Scotland are encouraged to visit this country after seeing it on film or on television, and Mercat Tours’ new Edinburgh Outlander Experience will give fans a fantastic opportunity to learn about the capital’s fascinating history, while following in the footsteps of their favourite fictional characters.”
John Donnelly, Chief Executive of Marketing Edinburgh, said:
“With the immense international success of Outlander encouraging new visitors to Scotland, it’s the perfect opportunity for businesses to develop exciting new packages that link the popular TV series with our amazing history, landscape and heritage. Edinburgh is the gateway to Scotland that the majority of tourists will visit on their Outlander pilgrimage. I’m sure the new Mercat Outlander Experience Tour will be the perfect start to their Scottish adventure.”
Historical fantasy series Outlander, which launched in the UK on Amazon Prime last Thursday (March 26), follows the story of Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe), an English combat nurse, who is mysteriously transported from 1946 back to the 18th-century Scottish Highlands. There she meets handsome young warrior Jamie Fraser, who is portrayed by Scottish actor Sam Heughan.
The series, produced by Sony Pictures Television, has already been commissioned for a second series in the United States, where it was named “Most Exciting New Series” in the Critics’ Choice Television Awards.
At a premiere screening of the first episode in Glasgow last week, Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore described the series as “a love letter to Scotland” during a live video link-up with fans.
The Edinburgh Outlander Experience by Mercat Tours will be at 11:00am every Saturday from April to October 2015. Lasting 2 hours, tickets are £14 adult, £12 concession. For more information, visit www.mercattours.com
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- edinburgh
- film tourism
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors
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- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation has three key roles:
- To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, the tourism economy supports 270,000 jobs in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the tourism economy contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
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Year of Food and Drink 2015
- 2015 is the Year of Food and Drink, a celebration of Scotland’s natural larder and the role that food and drink plays in shaping our economic success.
- Scotland generates over £2.5m per day through food and drink tourism.
- A series of themed months will create an appetite for key areas of Scotland’s food and drink industries – from seafood and whisky to berries and high-quality meat
- For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/tastescotland
