Tour operators from eight different countries will be visiting the Highlands next week to see where the James Bond movie Skyfall was shot.
The group will be taking part in a luxury tour of Bond-related locations organised by VisitScotland to encourage them to bring more overseas tourists to these shores.
The tour operators from the USA, Russia, Canada, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, China, Denmark and Germany will be taken to Glencoe House at Glencoe in Lochaber, where Skyfall, starring Daniel Craig, was filmed.
In the film, the secret agent’s iconic Aston Martin DB5 is seen in Glen Etive and driving on the A82 Inverness to Glasgow road, near the peak of Buachaille Etive Mor.
The overseas visitors will also stay at the Isle of Eriska Hotel at Benderloch, Argyll, where they will learn how to make a Vesper Martini cocktail as featured in Casino Royale.
They will also be taken on a boat trip to Duart Castle, on Mull, which is the former home of Fitzroy Hew MacLean, who is said to have been a major influence for Ian Fleming in the creation of James Bond.
Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland’s chief executive, said familiarisation trips were an essential way of fuelling the imagination of overseas tour operators, giving them ideas of how to package Scotland for their customers. And he pointed out that the character of James Bond had a long association with Scotland, including Sean Connery’s first outing in Dr No.
VisitScotland regional director Scott Armstrong said: “Glencoe’s unforgettable appearance in Skyfall – easily one of the best James Bond films of recent years – has had a fantastic effect on the region.
“Seeing stunning Highland scenery on the silver screen brought film fans here in their droves, with figures showing a 42% increase in the number of visitors last year compared to 2012.
“This Bond-themed familiarisation trip – part of our 2014 expo trade show – is a fantastic opportunity to showcase this region to tour operators from all over the world and will hopefully encourage them to create Highland holidays that will leave their customers shaken and stirred!”