VisitScotland publishes new report on hit TV series and screen tourism
The impact of TV phenomenon, Outlander, remains strong and is providing vital support for Scotland’s heritage, according to the latest analysis of the Outlander Effect by national tourism organisation, VisitScotland, published today (9 October).
It comes as recent data shows that, during the current run of Outlander prequel series, Blood of My Blood (which concludes tomorrow, 10 October), online views of Outlander content on visitscotland.com spiked.
They increased by 8.4% in August, when the series premiered, compared to the previous month.
This week, Screen Scotland’s report, The Economic Value of the Screen Sector in Scotland in 2023, valued visitor expenditure on screen tourism activities in Scotland at £161.4 million.
The "Outlander effect", which has been revamped and updated by VisitScotland, examines the impact of the hit literary and TV franchise, and the wider implications of screen tourism on Scotland.
The report gathers visitor insights and figures from VisitScotland, VisitBritain, and the Moffat Centre, with commentary from attractions and industry professionals.
It details the visitor numbers of a selection of attractions that have appeared in Outlander, spotlighting a few notable impacts. It also touches on the impact of other major big and small screen hits, Braveheart, The Da Vinci Code, and Shetland.
Screen tourism is the trend used to describe the tourism impact of TV and film productions on a destination. Often referred to as "set-jetting", the trend sees visitors (set-jetters) inspired to travel to a location after viewing it on-screen.
Outlander premiered in 2014 and the eighth, and final, season is expected to be released next year.
Over the past ten years, filming locations and visitor attractions associated with the time-travel romance have seen huge visitor numbers.
It was why, in 2019, Outlander author Diana Gabaldon was awarded a special International Contribution to Scottish Tourism award at the tourism and events industry awards, the Scottish Thistle Awards.
Historic Environment Scotland manages many of the heritage sites used as Outlander filming locations. These sites now include references to their part in the series, including an audio guide at Doune Castle voiced by Sam Heughan, recounting his experiences filming at the location.
The "Outlander effect" reveals:
- seven in ten UK leisure visitors have visited a film or TV location in the past ten years (Screen Tourism, VisitBritain)
- one in five visitors are inspired by film, TV, and books that feature Scotland, when choosing a trip to Scotland, rising to 36% for European visitors and 37% for long-haul visitors (Visitor Scotland Survey, VisitScotland)
- those who are inspired by film, TV, and literature are more likely to visit a historical building, such as a castle (78%), cathedral (65%), or stately home (62%), whilst on their trip (Visitor Scotland Survey, VisitScotland)
- Outlander filming locations and a 12-day Outlander itinerary are the most popular Outlander pages on visitscotland.com, with more than 55,000 pages having been viewed over 12 months and most users having come from UK, USA, Australia, and Canada
- many filming locations have seen visits more than double over the past ten years, such as Blackness Castle, which appeared in the first season, having seen a 367% increase in visitors between 2014 and 2024
Emma Filgas, founder of the award-winning historic tour guide, Mary’s Meanders, is quoted in the report. She calls screen tourism a "gateway" to Scotland and describes the impact Outlander has had on her business.
Read more about the Outlander effect