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Scotland has seen visitor numbers rocket since the release of blockbuster movie The Da Vinci Code.

Tourism officials say the fact that Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian appears in the movie has contributed greatly to increased tourism and has helped to generate a lot of money.

Figures show that the number of people visiting the chapel alone has increased to around 160,000 this year - a five-fold increase.

'The Da Vinci Code raised awareness of Rosslyn, which was already on the ascendancy as a destination that many find attractive for a raft of different reasons,' said chapel director Stuart Beattie.

The film was a huge hit across the world and it is estimated by Scottish tourism chiefs that the use of Scotland in the movie equated to £6m worth of publicity.

'By working in partnership with a major international player like Sony Pictures, we have benefited from world-wide exposure for Scotland that we could not have achieved alone,' said Ben Carter of VisitScotland.

'Tourism businesses have also taken the initiative themselves and reaped the benefits of tapping into the global interest in the movie.'

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