Glamis Castle bosses are thanking “The Crown effect” for a rise in the number of visitors to the top Angus attraction.
The childhood home of the Queen and birthplace of Princess Margaret has seen a 5% rise in people coming through its Queen Mother Memorial Gates between 2017 and 2018.
Management at the family home of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne are putting it down in part to the effect of Netflix smash The Crown, a historical drama about the reign of the Queen Elizabeth II.
Helen Buchanan, general manager, said the programme had sparked an interest in the region.
She said: “We have the history and the heritage and the association with the royal family. That, combined with the popularity of programmes such as The Crown, has added to the attraction of our splendid location.”
She also paid tribute to the marketing work done by agencies Visit Angus and Visit Scotland.
“Their digital marketing has had a huge effect,” she added.
Her comments come as new figures confirm a rise in tourism numbers across the county.
Visitor numbers are up 8% on 2017 and a 37% increase since 2010, according to annual tourism trends research done by Global Tourism Solutions (UK) Ltd.
The research shows tourism generated £240 million in the local economy through visitor and business expenditure – up 4% on the previous year.
Councillor Braden Davy, Angus Council’s economic development spokesperson, said: “It’s great to see that 2018 was another successful year for tourism in Angus.
“While we were expecting to see an increase during the year with the return of The Open to Carnoustie and the opening of the V&A Dundee, there is so much more that Angus has to offer.
“I’m delighted to see industry working together to promote the area and identify ways to meet the needs of current and future visitors.
“The increase in both visitor numbers and spend highlights the importance of tourism to the Angus economy. The expenditure and activity of visitors to the area also supports almost 4,000 full time equivalent jobs.”
Independent Carnoustie councillor Brian Boyd – who also runs a holiday letting business – said the Angus figures were to be welcomed but were largely down to the Open at Carnoustie.
He said: “The Carnoustie cash cow helps Angus Councillors balance the books year in and year out.”
The Crown follows the reign of the Queen from her early years to the present day. Streaming service Netflix has commissioned six series of the critically-acclaimed programme.
