VisitScotland hopes its recent tourism boom can be prolonged a major new television series set in the country, which is being billed as Scotland’s answer to Game of Thrones.

The much-anticipated adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books was treated to a glittering red carpet premiere in California last month, and VisitScotland believes the series could turn the country into a magnet for fans of the show, building on the large fanbase of the bestselling novels. The runaway success of the Game of Thrones TV series, shot in Northern Ireland, led to a significant tourism boost for the country, which was quick to produce a complementary marketing campaign.

To capitalise on the following of the Outlander books and the starring role that Scotland plays in the TV series, which was filmed almost entirely on location, VisitScotland will be undertaking a number of PR campaigns over the coming months to encourage potential visitors to enjoy an Outlander-style adventure in Scotland.

This activity began by inviting a group of leading American travel writers to premiere screenings of Outlander in San Diego and New York to highlight the real Scottish places and historical events behind the stories. In addition, the national tourism organisation secured a spot on the red carpet in San Diego to interview the stars about filming in Scotland to create a short film which will support future promotions.

Filming of the 16-part series began last October, in locations including Glasgow, Perthshire, Fife, Edinburgh and West Lothian.

“While in America, I have personally seen queues for Diana Gabaldon book-signings disappear round the block. The television series is potentially huge for Scotland and could well be our answer to Game of Thrones,” said VisitScotland chair Mike Cantlay.

“Scotland really is the star of Outlander and its focus on stunning scenery, romance, adventure and ancestry make it a fantastic advert for Scotland. Research has shown that around a fifth of visitors to Scotland are inspired to come here after seeing it on television or on film and, that being the case, we are hoping for big things from Outlander.”

Dating back to 1991 with the release of Outlander (published as Cross Stitch in the UK) Diana Gabaldon’s series of eight Outlander books have sold more than 20 million copies. The most recent, Written in my own Heart’s Blood, was published earlier this summer.

Scotland is fast-becoming a favourite destination for the film and television industry, with recent big-budget movies shot there including Skyfall – which boosted visitor numbers to Glencoe by 40 per cent, Prometheus and The Dark Knight Rises.

Game of Thrones at the forefront of Northern Ireland tourism push