Courier Country gets £5m boost from film-related tourism influx ECONOMY: Films and TV shows include Outlaw King and Outlander

Popular TV programmes and films shot in Courier Country have injected around £5 million into the local economy, according to a new report.

Tourism bosses say visitor numbers in Tayside and Fife have been boosted by productions such as Outlander and Outlaw King.

The Outlander series and the new Netflix movie about Robert the Bruce have both attracted a huge following of fans eager to visit the filming locations and some of the historic places depicted on screen.

Media productions in the region have also created jobs and business opportunities in areas such as accommodation and catering, as well as promotion for local activities, services and products including golf, windsurfing, and food and drink.

The figures have come from TayScreen, the screen office for the local authorities of Dundee, Angus, Fife and Perth and Kinross, which works to bring production crews into the region.

SNP councillor Lynne Short, convener of the Dundee City Council city development committee, said: “It’s fantastic to see the region’s popularity for film and TV growing year on year.

“With heads of terms on the Tay Cities Deal recently being signed, TayScreen is a great example of all four councils working together through a longstanding collaboration that brings together the region’s amazing diversity and strengths.”

The screen office’s latest report shows that from 2017-18, the economic benefits to the region added up to double those of the previous year.

Fife and Perthshire were cited as favourite areas for productions, from drama to factual programmes.

The popular TV show Victoria was set at Blair Castle Estate, while Falkland and Culross in Fife are among a series of locations across the region that have hosted Outlander.

Filming for Outlaw King took place at Dunfermline and Tullibardine.

The region has also benefited from major broadcast events, such as the Biggest Weekend at Scone Palace.

And even the most unlikely locations can take on a global appeal. The Restenneth waste recycling facility in Angus played host to environmentallyminded fashion designer Stella McCartney’s autumn to winter 2017 collection photo shoot.

It’s fantastic to see the region’s popularity for film... growing year on year

Chris Pine stars in bigbudget Outlaw King, the story of Robert the Bruce, while Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heugan, from Outlander, are shown against the striking backdrop of the Scottish countryside.