TOURIST attractions around Scotland are gearing up to benefit from the Mary Queen of Scots effect, as a new movie about the tragic Scots Queen is released across the UK this Friday.

The film, which stars Saoirse Ronan as Mary, Queen of Scots and Margot Robbie as her cousin Queen Elizabeth I – is expected to feed an increasing fascination with Scottish history and provide yet another boost to Scotland’s growing film tourism industry.

READ MORE: These Scottish locations have key links to Mary Queen of Scots

The film had its world premiere in November but will be shown in Scotland for the first time at a special Edinburgh screening tomorrow. Ronan and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon are among those expected to attend. Tourists from both across the UK and overseas are expected to flock to both film locations and historic sites associated with the tragic Scots Queen, who spent much of her life in exile in France. Many properties and heritage businesses are planning special events to make the most of the film’s ripple effect.

Scotland’s film tourism success has until now been largely attributed to historical fantasy series Outlander. Last year tourism bosses pointed to the influence of the TV drama while announcing increases of 14% in overseas visitors and 10% in domestic tourism.

Commentators claim the show has driven an interest in the real stories of Scottish history. Last year Netflix filmed the historical action movie Outlaw King – which had a reported budget of some £70.6 million – in Scotland.

Meanwhile Mary Queen of Scots, directed by theatre veteran Josie Rourke, and scripted by Beau Willimon – one of the writers of the US remake of House of Cards – is expected to drive tourists to new locations. Many will be highlighted by VisitScotland on a new online map also released this Friday.

Set in the late 1500s, when England is ruled by Elizabeth I, it opens as her cousin Mary Stuart – who has been living in France – returns to Scotland at the age of 18 to reclaim the Scottish throne.

Likely additions to the tourist trail include filming locations in Aberdeenshire and East Lothian, Stirling Castle and the often overlooked town of Linlithgow.

Mary spent the first few years of her life in the town’s Linlithgow Palace in the hands of her guardian Lord Erskine from 1543 until 1548, when she was moved to Dumbarton Castle and eventually shipped to France.

Ellie Hair, of Eeek Escape Rooms in Linlithgow, opened last weekend with a Mary Queen of Scots themed room to celebrate the town’s links to the historic Queen. Each puzzle in the room is based on historical fact and allows game players to save the doomed figure from her fate by finding solutions.

“We are hoping the film will have a really positive effect on our town,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful place but I think often people don’t realise just how easy it is to get to. Plans include proposals for the special window displays on the High Street, and themed tours.”

In the Borders, managers of Borthwick Castle, now only open for special events, are planning a high-end history tour and banquet. The castle was built by Sir William Borthwick in 1430, who was granted a charter by James 1 – Mary’s great-great-great grandfather – as a token of gratitude for helping him to escape imprisonment in England. Mary stayed at the castle several times.

Johanne Falconer, general manager of Borthwick Castle, said guests would get a special insight into the time Mary spent in the castle. The package includes a tour of the state room where Mary’s bed chamber would have been – the font where she would have prayed is still there – by the castle’s historian and Mary’s Meanders tour guides before the feast in the banquet hall.

“We get a lot of American guests,” added Falconer. “They have a great interest in Scottish history and landscape. Outlander often brings them in and then they want to learn the real history.”

Jenni Steele, film and creative industries manager at VisitScotland, said: “Scotland’s history and culture is a huge driver for visitors from across the globe, with the life of Mary Queen of Scots a fascinating part of that.

“We’re excited to see Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie take on the iconic roles of Mary and Elizabeth in this latest big-screen interpretation of Mary Stuart’s life, especially as Scotland’s landscapes and built heritage appear on screen.

“Film tourism is booming in Scotland with the upcoming release of Universal’s Mary Queen of Scots and the arrival of Netflix’s Outlaw King last year, not to mention US TV series Outlander.” and its Scottish filming locations. Film and TV productions not only showcase the unique mix of stunning landscapes, rich heritage and fascinating stories Scotland offers but can inspire set-jetting fans to visit, with research showing that one in five visitors come here after seeing Scotland on the big or small screen.”