A Moray couple believe a new attraction with links to one of Shakespeare’s most famous scenes will cast a spell on tourists.
The local authority has approved Karen and George Sutherland’s plans to spruce up an “unloved” mound near Brodie and build holiday chalets around it.
Macbeth’s Hillock was made infamous in The Bard’s play, as the spot where the tormented protagonist encountered the Three Witches who foretold his fate.
Mr and Mrs Sutherland lodged a proposal to erect five “camping pods” at the foot of the mound earlier this year.
The plans attracted no objections, and the couple were recently “delighted” to learn they had been approved.
Yesterday, Mrs Sutherland said she aimed to have the first of the huts in place by summer – barring any unforeseen toil and trouble.
She added: “We were delighted the plans were approved, though I think that now is the scary part.
“There are still things like building warrants to be sorted out, but it would be nice if we could get a couple of huts up by the summer.
“I’ve been amazed by the amount of interest we have had in them, everyone seems to think this is a great idea.”
The hill, near the A96 Elgin-Inverness road, plays a crucial part in William Shakespeare’s “Scottish Play” and is linked with some of theatre’s most notorious characters.
But Mrs Sutherland believes not enough has been done to promote the spot, and wants to highlight it.
She added: “Moray has been making a lot of its Macbeth connection, but an awful lot of people don’t know where the hill is or about its significance.
“It is quite unloved at the moment, so we have some tidying up and planting to do while we get ready to build the huts.”
Inside each tree-trunk clad chalet there will be a small kitchen, bathroom and shower and dining area, and space to sleep four.
Specialists have designed the pods to resemble 17th century houses with long sloping roofs.
A small car park and wooden boundary fences have also been included in the plans.
The Moray Speyside Tourism group credited last year’s Hollywood version of Macbeth with increasing visitor interest in the Forres area by 135%.