Press release -
Outlander is new ‘Braveheart’ of tourism
VisitScotland Chief Executive Malcolm Roughead has hailed Outlander as the new ‘Braveheart’ of tourism with visitors from around the world flocking to Scotland to experience the landscape that inspired the series, the same way that thousands travelled to the country after the release of Braveheart in 1995.
Latest figures from the Moffat Centre’s Visitor Attraction Monitor* show the tangible effect the series, which is based on Diana Gabaldon’s famous novels, has had on attractions in Scotland with many reporting as much as a 92% rise in visitors.
Between 2014, when the series first aired and 2016, Doune Castle - which doubles as Castle Leoch in the popular show - has had an unprecedented 91.8% increase in visitors from 47,069 to 90,279.
Blackness Castle, which provides the setting for malicious Black Jack Randall’s headquarters has welcomed 85.5% more visitors since 2014, rising from 16,559 visitors per year to 30,053 in 2016.
Other key attractions which have seen a growth in numbers since Jamie and Claire first hit our screens include Glencoe Visitor Centre (+53%), Glasgow Cathedral (+35%) and Preston Mill (+18%).
Recent VisitScotland research has also shown the profound impact the series has had on visitors with Outlander being the most mentioned TV or film inspiration for people (especially those from the USA) wanting to come to the country, above Braveheart, Harry Potter and Highlander.**
The national tourism organisation’s Outlander locations map which features on VisitScotland.com has received hundreds of thousands of downloads since it was added in 2014 and over 24,000 hard copies of the map have been distributed in that time. Organic traffic to the Outlander page on visitscotland.com has risen 15% in the past 12 months.
Outlander returns to screens in the US (Sunday 10 Sept) and UK (Monday 11 Sept) for its much-anticipated third season. Based on the bestselling books by Diana Gabaldon, the Outlander television series is produced by Sony Pictures Television and shown in the UK on Amazon Prime.
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland said:
“We have been absolutely blown away by the response globally to the Outlander series and the direct impact it has had on visits is truly exceptional. In past research it is always Braveheart, Harry Potter or even the Da Vinci Code which was mentioned as film inspiration, but in recent times it is Outlander which is referenced above all others. And I’m not surprised, Scotland looks truly stunning in the series and I can see why fans of Jamie and Claire want to experience the land that inspired Outlander for themselves.
“Film tourism is hugely important for the Scottish economy and year on year we see more and more set-jetters coming to our country to experience for themselves the backdrops that feature in their favourite film or movie. This is not a trend that will go out of fashion, so whether it’s heading to Lewis to see where Katie Morag’s adventures began or unlocking the mysteries of the Holy Grail at Rosslyn Chapel, we hope many more will continue to come to Scotland to see the real life movie sets.”
Scottish locations to have benefited from their association with movies or television shows include:
Braveheart (1995) – the Wallace Monument in Stirling saw visitor numbers leap from 30,000 a year to nearly 200,000 in 1996.
The Da Vinci Code (2006) – Dan Brown’s 2003 novel had a huge effect on Rosslyn Chapel. Visitor numbers increased by 72 per cent, from 68,603 in 2004 to 118,151 in 2005. In 2006, following the release of the film directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, visitor numbers reached 175,053.
Skyfall (2012) – the 23rd film in the James Bond franchise was great news for Glen Coe. Statistics from the National Trust for Scotland revealed that 114,298 people visited the region in 2013/14 - up 41.7 per cent on 2012/13.
For more information on Outlander and Scotland, go to www.visitscotland.com/outlander
*Moffat Centre Outlander Attractions Visitor Numbers 2013 – 2016
**Scotland Visitor Survey 2015 – 2016
OUTLANDER ATTRACTIONS % INCREASE 2014-2016
| Category | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2014 - 2016 |
| Doune Castle | 38,081 | 47,069 | 68,518 | 90,279 | 91.8% |
| Preston Mill & Phantassie Doocot | 2,298 | 1,872 | 2,383 | 2,217 | 18.4% |
| Glencoe Visitor Centre | 114,284 | 130,006 | 133,444 | 199,327 | 53.3% |
| Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway | 68,306 | 68,329 | 73,830 | 77,856 | 13.9% |
| Highland Folk Museum | 53,364 | 54,065 | 66,251 | 64,078 | 18.5% |
| Aberdour Castle | 12,518 | 13,184 | 14,107 | 15,392 | 16.7% |
| Linlithgow Palace | 66,500 | 63,274 | 66,324 | 74,428 | 17.6% |
| Blackness Castle | 15,197 | 16,559 | 21,556 | 30,053 | 81.5% |
| Muiravonside Country Park | No Data | 117,099 | 124,229 | 132,941 | 13.5% |
| Callendar House | 36,060 | 32,514 | 45,491 | 34,981 | 7.6% |
| Dean Castle (Closure of parts of the site) | 29,827 | 22,806 | 24,767 | 21,778 | -4.5% |
| Glasgow Cathedral | 233,172 | 219,947 | 182,205 | 296,062 | 34.6% |
| Gosford House | 1,023 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,600 | 6.7% |
END
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- outlander
- year of history heritage and archeology
- film tourism
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
- This will be supported by five overarching strategies: Marketing, Events, Quality and Sustainability, Inclusive Tourism, International Engagement.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). This represents about 5% of total Scottish GDP
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
2018 Year of Young People
- The Year of Young People (YoYP 2018) will inspire Scotland through its young people aged 8 to 26, celebrating their achievements, valuing their contributions to communities and creating new opportunities for them to shine locally, nationally and globally
- Central to YoYP 2018 will be a celebratory events programme that puts young people at the heart of its development and delivery, creating new and valuable experiences for young Scots and the wider public, with links to the inaugural 2018 European Championships.
- Over 200 young people throughout Scotland are currently being recruited to become YoYP 2018 Ambassadors. Ambassadors will ensure that people and organisations in their communities know about what’s happening and will lead on projects and activities to create events and opportunities to celebrate young people.
- The Year of Young People will have six themes which were developed in co-production with young people themselves:
- Participation – looking at how young people can influence public services and decisions which affect their lives
- Education – creating a stronger role for young people in shaping their learning
- Health and Wellbeing – supporting young people to lead healthier, active lives and have opportunities to learn about and improve their mental health and resilience
- Equality and Discrimination – broadcasting the value of young Scots, challenging negative perceptions of young people, and supporting young people to take leading roles in challenging discrimination in all its forms.
- Enterprise and regeneration – celebrating young people’s role in innovation, entrepreneurship and the Scottish economy as well as making Scotland a greener and more pleasant place to live
- Culture – celebrating young people’s talent and contribution to Scottish culture and arts.
- Further information on what’s happening and how people can get involved can be found on the new website www.yoyp2018.scot or @YOYP2018 on Twitter.
