Scottish tour companies have reported a surge in the amount of North American visitors coming to Scotland to get a glimpse of the sets used on the TV series Outlander, which has become a huge hit across the Atlantic.

Based on the books by Diana Gabaldon, the Sony Pictures Television show, which is shot in a studio in Cumbernauld,and across locations in Doune Castle and Culross, has provided a major boost to tourism in the region. Tourism board VisitScotland have revealed that the Outlander section on its website has been visited 175,000 times since August 2014 and bookings for Outlander themed tours are up 500%.

Mike Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland, said: “Scotland is the land that inspired Outlander, and it is great to see the television series has already had such a positive impact on Scottish tourism. With 40% percent of visitors to the UK inspired to come here after seeing a location on film or on television, a major TV series being shot on location in Scotland carries huge potential benefits for the tourism industry.”

Film & television location tours have also spiked in England, with a report for Creative England by Olsberg SPI showing that 36.1% of all international tourists and 11.6% of all domestic tourists surveyed on site at six popular on-screen locations were defined as core screen tourists – i.e. a screen production was the primary motivator for their visit.

Screen tourism effects are proven to be very long-lasting, depending on the longevity and renown of the production. Productions such as The Sound of Music – which still has a tour – annually attracts around 300,000 visitors to the region.

Outlander’s recent form in attracting visitors to Scotland replicates what Game of Thrones has done to the economy of Northern Ireland, where most of the award-winning show is filmed. Thrones can still claim a wider impact, also boosting tourism in Spain and Croatia.

After its debut season Outlander has been renewed for a second season run of at least 13 episodes. For more in-depth information on the show visit Production Intelligence.