Angus and the Mearns could be set for a further tourism boost following the success of the animated film Brave.
Disney Pixar’s Brave shot to the top of the box office on release and has been nominated for best animation in the Oscars and is also up for a Bafta.
Now Disney are said to be planning a sequel to the fairytale cartoon which could give another welcome shot in the arm to the Angus tourism sector.
Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven was the ‘home’ of the heroine Merida after the film team trekked all over Scotland looking for the perfect castle before starting work on the film.
Most famously, it was at Dunnottar that a small garrison held out against the might of Cromwell’s army for eight months and saved the Scottish crown jewels from destruction.
Dunnottar becomes DunBroch Castle in the film which stars Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald as the voice of Princess Merida, Billy Connolly, Robbie Coltrane, Craig Ferguson and Kevin McKidd.
McKidd said he wanted the follow-up to have a happy ending with a royal wedding.
He said: “I feel bad for young MacGuffin that he didn’t get the girl, but it may be in the sequel.
“Young MacGuffin, even though he can’t be understood by anyone, his heart is in the right place. He’s very sincere. He’s kind of socially awkward and shy, but he would be the right pick for Merida.
“At one point in the second year it was on the cards that Merida was going to pick him and that she saw in him something that she really liked, and they were going to walk off into the sunset at the end of the movie, but then that all changed.”
Scores of film fans have descended on scenic spots in Angus and the Mearns following the success of the animated film.
Keen to cash in on the feature’s success, Disney created a nine-day family trip to the area including visits to Dunnottar Castle and Glamis Castle near Forfar.
Film director Franco Zeffirelli previously brought Dunnottar to silver screen acclaim when he chose it as one of the main locations for his movie Hamlet, featuring Mel Gibson.