Lara's school days on big screen

Lara Croft was a keen shooter at Gordonstoun

Cyber heroine Lara Croft is to star in a campaign to advertise the royal Gordonstoun school - the place where she "discovered" her love for adventure.

The Tomb Raider character was a pupil at Gordonstoun in her fictional background and now the school is set to capitalise on her fame.

Lara's creator, Eidos, has given the school free access to use the image in a marketing campaign to coincide with the UK opening of the film.

Angelina Jolie plays the big screen Lara Croft

The adverts will be shown in cinemas before the screening of Tomb Raider.

It is something of a coup for the Scottish school to secure the image free-of-charge.

Shooting

Lucozade is reported to have paid in excess of £1m to use the cartoon in its advertising campaign.

Lara's fictional biography has her as a former sixth-form pupil at Gordonstoun, taking a particular liking to outdoor pursuits, high-energy activities and shooting.

Eidos never sought permission to use the name of the school and allowing the school to use its most popular creation is its way of saying thank you.

Gordonstoun has taught three generations of Royal children including Prince Charles.

Endurance

The advert features two real adventure-seeking alumni - Pollyanna Murray and Rebecca Ridgway.

Both came from the sporty Windmill House and have undertaken stern endurance tests since leaving school.

Ms Murray, 27, became the first Scot to climb Mount Everest while Ms Ridgway, 33, canoed single-handed around Cape Horn in South America.

Prince Charles is a former Gordonstoun pupil

School director of development, Angela Harkness, called the deal "the ad bargain of the century".

She said: "We approached them to see if there was any way we could use the image on a limited basis, and they were very generous.

"The whole Lara phenomenon has been worth well over a million pounds in free advertising to us."

Spokeswoman for Eidos, Susie Hamilton, said the deal was a one-off.

She said: "Gordonstoun staff were very helpful to us when a TV documentary on Lara was being filmed there.

Abseil

Lara Croft: Began life as a computer game character

"I hope that the Lucozade people are OK about it, but it is a special one-off arrangement.

"I wouldn't like them to think we have just given the image away."

During the three-minute ad Lara is seen kicking down a door, abseiling down a wall and bursting onto the screen.

Her face then is replaced by both the real women climbing and canoeing.

At the end the three girls are pictured together, and Lara blows a kiss to the audience as the narration booms 'three amazing girls, one incredible school'.