Perthshire Advertiser

Blair Castle features in ‘ScotSpirit’ film

- Iain Howie

A video campaign designed to entice genealogic­al tourism to Perth and Kinross and Scotland has been launched, with scenes shot in the Big County taking centre stage.

Tour guide Ian Walker was asked by VisitScotl­and to be part of its‘#ScotSpirit’ campaign and he called in Blair Atholl and Pitlochry as part of the video shoot with tourists.

The Dumfries-shire born genealogis­t makes a living from guiding visitors from around the world and Scotland to places where their forebears may have been.

In the film, Ian (51) talks about visitors ‘coming home to Scotland’and allowing them to‘walk in the footsteps of their ancestors.’

The story starts at the ScotlandsP­eople Centre in Edinburgh and takes viewers to St Bride’s Kirk in the grounds of Blair Castle, and then on the historic battle site at Culloden.

Doug Wilson, VisitScotl­and regional director said:“Through VisitScotl­and’s Spirit of Scotland global campaign and ‘#ScotSpirit’social movement we aim to raise the profile and reputation of the region as an outstandin­g place to visit, and to invest, live and work in.

“Ancestral tourism is an industry worth £101million to the Scottish economy and 2017 as the Year of History, Heritage and Archeology is the ideal opportunit­y to delve into the past and discover more of Scotland’s fascinatin­g stories at some of the fantastic events taking place across the country.”

Ian’s film is the latest in a series of online short documentar­ies produced as part of the £4.25million Spirit of Scotland campaign which launched in February 2016.

To view Ian’s film, visit: https://youtu.be/ wtxX55rLzD­0 The grounds of Blair Castle feature in the new VisitScotl­and campaign

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In the frame

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