Filmmakers have always had a love affair with Scotland. From the early 1930s when Alfred Hitchcock came north to pursue John Buchan’s dashing hero Richard Hannay around the Highlands for The 39 Steps, to Skye’s forthcoming appearance in the latest big screen version of Macbeth, our stunning scenery has always created movie magic.

With this in mind, news that a new map highlighting Scotland’s most memorable cinematic locations has been produced for visitors to be warmly welcomed.

The Highlands and Skye movie map features 50 locations and covers movies including Skyfall, Harry Potter, The Wickerman and 2001: A Space Odyssey, and landmarks such as the Glenfinnan viaduct, Eilean Donan Castle and Glen Coe.

The boost to tourism in Scotland provided by the film industry should not be underestimated, and anything that makes it easy for visitors follow the trail of their favourite flicks is likely to be a hit with hotels and restaurants as much as cinemagoers.

The tourist industry has long been able to capitalise on Scotland’s reputation as the home of golf and whisky. It’s great to see our creative industries catching up, as this new movie map and Glasgow City Music Tours, set-up recently by a group of respected music journalists, highlight.