Scotland takes on Shakespeare to turn Macbeth into tourist draw
Photo Credit: Glamis Castle, where Scotland tourism officials announced the launch of Macbeth Trail. Flickr / Edward Simpson
Skift Take
With the exception of the silly use of QR codes, the campaign is a very creative way to lure visitors to a place they may not otherwise consider by piquing their interest with a bit of controversy.
He was the Scottish king immortalised in one of William Shakespeare's plays as a murderous man driven by a lust for power which led him to guilt, madness and an ignominious death by beheading.
Now a campaign in Scotland aims to rehabilitate the 11th-century ruler's tarnished image, arguing that Shakespeare fictionalised the Scot's reign and misrepresented the truth in the eponymous play.
On Friday at Glamis Castle in Angus – an appropriate venue as Macbeth was afforded the title Thane of Glamis by Shakespeare – details of the Macbeth Trail will be unveiled in a bid to attract tourists to Scotland's north-east while educating the public about the country during the Middle Ages.
The tourist route will highlight places from Shakespeare's play that were significant to the real Macbeth, including Glamis, Lumphanan – an Aberdeenshire
