It's known for its glorious scenery, the Titanic and its troubled past but Northern Ireland is quickly becoming one of the world's most popular tourist destinations thanks to Game Of Thrones.
The country's coastline, mountains and estates provide the backdrop for the HBO fantasy drama series, while Titanic Studios in Belfast is home to the Iron Throne and the location of scenes including series three's infamous red wedding.
Northern Ireland had to fight off 14 other countries, including Scotland, to secure its prestigious role in the popular show, which is based on the books of George RR Martin.
However, its scenery and coastline gave it the edge and have now provided the country with a wealth of tourist attractions for Game Of Thrones fans.
A spokesman for Northern Ireland Screen says: "It is no secret we hope Game Of Thrones will do for Northern Ireland what Lord Of The Rings did for New Zealand and what Wallander and the Millennium trilogy still do for Sweden. It is possible the series will deliver the widest media exposure that Northern Ireland has ever received outside politics and the troubles."
The series, which began filming in Northern Ireland in 2009, is now broadcast in more than 70 countries and has brought an estimated £80 million into the Irish economy. It has also provided a boost to employment and infrastructure, helped by the creation of two new sound stages.
The show, which has featured a number of Irish actors including Michelle Fairley (Lady Catelyn Stark) and Jack Gleeson (King Joffrey), has created 941 full-time jobs since it began filming and provided work for a variety of companies, including Steensons Jewellers, which creates the house sigils (magic symbols), crowns and jewellery used in the series.
Rosie McNally, who has worked at Steensons for 19 years, has created a number of pieces including the mockingbird brooch worn by Petyr Baelish, aka Littlefinger. She said: "We're putting together a new line of products based on our Game Of Thrones designs. It's very rewarding work."
It's a fantastic return on the £10.9 million the country has given HBO to help secure filming and its impact is set to become even bigger as the tourism industry embraces the Game Of Thrones phenomenon.
Causeway Coast and Glens, Mourne Mountains, Castle Ward Estate, Downhill Beach and Inch Abbey have all featured during key scenes in the show and are now must-see locations for fans. The Northern Ireland Tourist Board has even begun using some of these locations in its advertising in a bid to attract fans.
A variety of tours are already on offer, including a McComb's coach tour conducted by a guide who appeared as an extra in the show. There are also plans to launch a Quinn's Game Of Thrones bus tour and a Stones And Thrones trip, while those keen to explore by themselves can use the Causeway Coast and Glens' self-drive itinerary.
However, a new tour at Castleward, which doubles as Winterfell in the show, aims to give fans a new immersive experience by combining visits to key filming locations with a taste of what life would have been like in the Stark stronghold.
The 1000-acre Castleward Estate is home to at least nine locations used in the show, including Winterfell, while Tollymore Forest Park is the scene of the first sighting of the White Walkers and the location for the discovery of the dire wolf pups.
As well as giving fans the chance to take a cycle tour of these locations, the Winterfell Day Tour will also allow them to enjoy a re-enactment of King Robert's Winterfell arrival banquet in a replica Stark camp tent. Visitors will also be able to test their archery skills on the range where Jon Snow taught Bran how to shoot and try on official replica costumes and armour.
A spokesman for Clearsky Adventure, which is involved in the Winterfell Day Tours, said: "The Winterfell Day Tour will let you immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and mood of the North."
Game Of Thrones has turned Northern Ireland into a must-see destination for fans and with the announcement that two more series of the show have been commissioned, things are definitely looking bright.
GETTING THERE
Flybe has return flights from Glasgow to Belfast from £109. Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Glasgow from £73 one way.
Prices for Winterfell Day Tour from £39 for adults and £30 for under 16s.
WHERE TO STAY
Rooms at the Belfast Hilton are priced from £124 per night. Visit placeshilton.com/belfast.
OTHER INFORMATION
The Dublin Winterfell Day Tour launches on Monday. The Belfast tour begins on June 8. Visit gameofthrones tours.com. For more information on the Game Of Thrones self-drive itinerary visit causewaycoast andglens.com/game-of-thrones-itinerary.t1163.aspx.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article