Black Isle-raised designer Siobhan Mackenzie<\/a> on the show, is credited in the report with helping \u2018sell\u2019 the franchise to the United States audience with his \u201ctheatrical and dramatic approach against a rich backdrop of Scotland\u2019s heritage and scenery\u201d. It says the very significant US visitor market to Scotland is driven by \u201cthe promise of immersive, story-rich experiences like those portrayed in The Traitors.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Traitors franchise \u2014 including the UK, US and Celebrity editions \u2014 has generated an estimated \u00a321.8 million boost in GVA to Scotland\u2019s economy since filming began in 2022. The report, which includes contributions from VisitScotland and Screen Scotland, highlights the show’s role in promoting opportunities for the industry in Scotland and also highlights that for every \u00a31 of GVA directly generated by the production, a total of \u00a36.84 was added to the Scottish economy overall.<\/p>\n
Producers have faced calls to employ more people from Scotland in the production, which has helped stoke global interest in the country as a visitor destination. BBC Scotland director Hayley Valentine hinted at plans to grow the number of Scottish crew working on the production and there has already been local outreach to help open the eyes of local young people to possibilities of careers in film and TV.<\/p>\n
To date, nine series have been produced with four more in the pipeline for 2026. The production period for next year will increase to 26 weeks, thanks to the additional US version. The report says the franchise has supported 750 jobs in Scotland in total.<\/p>\n
The report states: \u201cAs a high-profile production, the show has had a wide range of impacts, raising the profile of Scotland as a production location, boosting Scottish tourism, showcasing its dramatic landscapes and heritage to a global audience and stimulating local economies through job creation and increased demand for hospitality and production services.\u201d<\/p>\n
The report states: \u201cThe show has also had an impact on screen tourism. Its dramatic setting and themes of mystery and intrigue have increased interest in the Highlands from visitors from the UK and abroad, particularly the United States. Tour operator EvanEvan reported a 44 per cent rise in searches for Edinburgh-related content and a 27 per cent rise in Scotland-wide searches in the first three weeks of January 2025, following the release of series 3 of BBC The Traitors and Expedia reported a 190 per cent increase in searches for the Highlands following the release of series two.\u201d<\/p>\n
It states that Ardross Castle itself has seen a fourfold increase in event enquiries \u201cand many local businesses report increased interest in their services\u201d. The show has also sparked interest in fashion and lifestyle trends, it continues \u2014 both Winkleman and Cumming frequently favour statement outfits that have viewers scurrying for details.<\/p>\n
The report cites data from Trainline showing a 69 per cent rise in bookings to Inverness \u2014 the nearest city to Ardross \u2014 since filming began.<\/p>\n
Clare Piggot, film locations officer for Screen Highland, says: \u201cIt provides a guarantee for us that we\u2019ll have one big project a year at least that they will be filming here for a good chunk of time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat area of the Highland wasn\u2019t really used that often for filming and suddenly it\u2019s become a lot more popular. It\u2019s shown that large productions can come here and film here \u2014 it\u2019s not impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Philippa Tougher of Arnold Clark is quoted in the report describing \u201chuge potential for more productions like The Traitors in the Highlands: \u201cWe already support several film crews a year and with attractions like the North Coast 500, the region is ready for even more.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Councillor](\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg)
Councillor John Edmondson.<\/p>\n
Contacted for comment, Cromarty Firth ward Councillor John Edmondson, who has lived in the area for years, said he believed the show is a positive thing for the Highlands and a better relationship has been built up with the local community.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThey have used local businesses and local accommodation providers. I go past the gates of the castle almost every day \u2014 it has been part of my life for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
A tiler to trade, he has in the past done work inside the castle and was able to admire it while watching an episode of one of the earlier series.<\/p>\n
He said he would like to see even greater opportunities for local young people to get involved in the film and TV business.<\/p>\n
The Celebrity Traitors will return for a second series on BBC One and iPlayer. Made by Studio Lambert Scotland and with Claudia Winkleman once again at the helm, the now iconic Ardross Castle will host a new group of star-studded schemers in 2026 as the ultimate game of trust and treachery returns.<\/p>\n
Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, said Studio Lambert had done \u201can outstanding job as The Celebrity Traitors has well and truly captivated the nation\u201d, adding: \u201cWith news of the positive contribution The Traitors brand has made to Scotland\u2019s economy, there is plenty to celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here<\/b><\/a> to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A globally successful reality TV show centred on a Ross-shire castle is chipping millions into the Scottish economy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":568120,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5009],"tags":[748,51,5554,4884,609,1501,712,5006,16,15,5900],"class_list":{"0":"post-568119","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scotland","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-community","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-human-interest","13":"tag-latest-news","14":"tag-scotland","15":"tag-tourism","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom","18":"tag-update-me"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115543706483074941","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=568119"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/568119\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/568120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=568119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=568119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=568119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}