Has a TV series or film inspired you to travel recently? You’re not alone. ‘Set-jetting’, or screen tourism, is on the rise, and Scotland has become one of the world’s major destinations. Rebecca Crowe reflects on her own travels through cinematic Scotland and reports on the growing trend.
There is a historic castle in Scotland that recently saw a 378 percent increase in visitors. Impressive? Definitely. Unsustainable? Potentially. But such is the power of ‘set-jetting’, or screen tourism, a growing travel sector inspiring viewers to visit the locations of their favorite film and TV shows in real life. In the case of Blackness Castle, the drawcard was the setting for Outlander’s frightful Fort William.
Set-jetting isn’t necessarily a new thing. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first Lord of the Rings film, The Fellowship of the Ring, and the beginning of Hobbiton-inspired tourism in New Zealand’s rolling green Waikato region. Stepping into The Shire continues to be one of the country’s top attractions, drawing over 600,000 set-jetters just last year.
Across the world, travelers continue to take selfies on Carrie Bradshaw’s Sex and the City brownstone steps, and flock to Sicily in search of luxe White Lotus settings. According to a 2026 travel report, 53 percent of travelers say their desire to take a set-jetting trip has increased in the past year, and Gen Z and Millennials are leading the way, with 81 percent planning getaways inspired by the screen.
However, one region is capitalizing on the set-jetting trend like no other. Scotland has served as the backdrop for Braveheart, James Bond, Harry Potter, and Outlander, to name but a few. Add in the incredible success of The Traitors—a competitive murder mystery-style reality TV show set in a castle and hosted by Claudia Winkleman (UK version) and Alan Cumming (US)—and screen tourism in Scotland is thriving.
But why have our Highland friends found themselves the beneficiaries of a booming sector; and what are they doing, if anything, to prevent these sites being negatively impacted by thousands of boots on the ground?
It’s not only a show set in the Highlands, but Highland culture and history, like the Jacobite Uprising and the Battle of Culloden, are central to the plot—a character all of its own.
There’s a romanticism and mysticism to Scotland. Traversing through the narrow lanes of the Isle of Mull, its rolling hills and expansive lakes always transport me back in time. Such is the beauty and power of Scotland’s Highlands and Islands.
It’s also a place where the lines blur between fiction and reality. A recent Visit Scotland study found that 62 percent of UK adults associate Scotland as being a nation of poets, authors and writers, from Rabbie Burns to Nan Shepherd to J.M. Barrie. So is it any wonder that its fantastical landscapes and narratives have caught the imagination of not only Hollywood but travelers from around the globe?
One in five visitors say they are inspired to visit Scotland because of film, TV or literature. Economically, this has translated to an estimated spend of USD$218.8 million (£161.4 million) in 2023. No small amount considering ‘set-jetting’ is still being deemed a travel trend.
Outlander has had a profound effect on Scottish tourism, with local tour companies and heritage sites receiving much-needed funds and attention. The series is centered around Claire Fraser (Caitríona Balfe), a wartime nurse who passes through Scottish standing stones to travel back in time to Highland Scotland, with romance, war, and heartache ensuing. It’s not only a show set in the Highlands, but Highland culture and history, like the Jacobite Uprising and the Battle of Culloden, are central to the plot—a character all of its own. And since the series debuted in 2014, these locations have been drawing a travel crowd.
Emma Filgas, founder of tour company Mary Meanders, already had walking tours related to Mary Queen of Scots, however, when it became apparent how big Outlander had become, she pivoted.
“We spotted the filming taking place around our town and after a bit of research it showed there was huge potential due to the size of [the show’s] fan base,” Filgas says. “We developed our tour in consultation with the UK-based fan club, but the majority of our clients are females, aged over 45 from America, Canada, Australia, Germany and Scandinavia.”
Central to the set-jetting economy in Scotland are TV and film-specific tours that take intrepid fans off the beaten path to far-flung filming destinations. The Traitors exploded in popularity, sparking numerous spin-offs and adding over USD$29.5 million (£21.8m) to Scotland’s economy between 2022 and 2025. The show is filmed in the opulent Ardross Castle and estate in the Scottish Highlands; however, other Highland estates and hotels have capitalized on the show’s popularity with their own Traitors-inspired breaks.
“We’ve seen a noticeable uplift in enquiries from guests referencing The Traitors, particularly those looking to base themselves within reach of the filming locations while exploring the wider North Highlands,” says Phil Scott, managing director of five-star luxury hotel Links House at Royal Dornoch.
“Rather than leaning into any one production directly, we’ve focused on curating experiences that reflect that same sense of place,” he says. “Our ‘Highland Stage’ package celebrates the castles, coastlines and cinematic landscapes of the North… It’s about translating intrigue on screen into something tangible and authentic on the ground.”
It’s even impossible to wander around Scotland’s major cities, such as the capital, Edinburgh, and not notice film locations. Many of the historical closes in Edinburgh have been used for shows like Outlander, Rebus, and even in the Avengers. As I meander around a typically cold and gloomy Old Town, I’m half expecting Jamie Fraser or the Scarlet Witch to step out onto the misty cobblestones.
“We see this as a fantastic opportunity to encourage visitors to go beyond the screen, explore the landscapes, castles and coastlines for themselves, all while supporting local businesses, craftspeople and food producers along the way.”
- Kenny McMillan, Highland Coast Hotels managing director
While this is all well and good in terms of numbers and revenue, is there a downside to having mass tourism pick up on attractions that may not be prepared for an influx of visitors?
Historically, some communities around popular screen tourism spots have been negatively impacted. Most notably, Maya Bay in Thailand, featured in the movie The Beach, had to be closed for several years as visitors left rubbish, the water became cloudy and polluted, sand began washing away, and boat anchors wiped out roughly 50 percent of Maya Bay’s delicate corals. The site has since undergone eco rehabilitation and has now opened to visitors again, with much stricter tourism rules.
Similarly, Dubrovnik has become incredibly overtouristed with visitors outnumbering locals by 27 to one. Part of this surge in popularity is due to Dubrovnik’s Old Town being the location for Kings Landing in Game of Thrones. As such, many fans have made the pilgrimage and there are a ton of themed tours attracting travelers.
Overtourism in unprepared locations with low levels of infrastructure can be a serious problem, but Scotland foresaw this. In 2018, the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) was established. This aimed to improve the visitor experience in rural parts of Scotland, including providing extra facilities to meet visitor needs, dispersing visitors from hotspots, and creating lower-impact visits.
In Doune, home to Doune Castle, a popular Outlander location, this fund helped refurbish the public toilets in the village and extend the path between the village and the castle for visitor ease.
This is part of a larger push by VisitScotland and the Scotland Outlook 2030 strategy which aims to make Scotland a “global leader in 21st-century tourism, creating a ‘must-visit, must-return’ destination while ensuring sustainable, inclusive, and responsible tourism.” The national tourism body is also committed to making a full contribution to the Scottish government’s goal to become a net-zero society by 2045.
In many cases of set-jetting in Scotland, the focus is on rural communities and natural spaces. Even visiting the historic castles and estates used in Outlander or that inspired The Traitors, Harry Potter, or James Bond require stepping away from the resources and infrastructure of Scotland’s major cities.
Kenny McMillan, managing director of Highland Coast Hotels who run Traitors-inspired tours, sees screen tourism as a way of supporting locals on a more grassroots level, outside major cities and attractions.
“What we have found particularly exciting is how this global interest can translate into a meaningful boost, “ says McMillan. “We see this as a fantastic opportunity to encourage visitors to go beyond the screen, explore the landscapes, castles and coastlines for themselves, all while supporting local businesses, craftspeople and food producers along the way.”
While the set-jetting trend seems to be on an upward trajectory, Scotland has been making the most of its picturesque and historic status for years now. Could it be a blueprint for a more responsible screen tourism industry? It seems so, and with more major films having just been shot in Scotland—the new Spiderman and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey—we hope so.
As I look out the window, leaving behind the bustling motorways to wind around the tree-lined bends of Loch Lomond, it’s easy to feel like the main character when the scenery is so cinematic. A large bird of prey soars above the lake, the sun glints off the water just so, and when you think it can’t get any more perfect, the wind blows, sending a cascade of colorful leaves across the windscreen. Could Nolan frame a shot as beautiful as this? Possibly. But in Scotland, the movie magic is inherent, no editing needed.
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Rebecca Crowe is a freelance travel writer specializing in adventure and budget travel, based in Liverpool, UK. She can often be found halfway up a climbing wall, searching for tacos, or procrastinating by looking for flight deals. Rebecca has been featured in National Geographic, Lonely Planet, The Independent, Time Out Travel and many other publications.
