Film promotes Da Vinci 'set-jet'

The Da Vinci Code is set for its big screen release

A short film produced to exploit the tourism spin-offs for Scotland from the Da Vinci Code movie has been given its first screening in New York.

The Rosslyn Enigma was commissioned jointly by VisitScotland and Scottish Screen at a cost of £50,000.

In it, a US student visits the 600-year-old Rosslyn Chapel.

The chapel near Edinburgh featured in Dan Brown's blockbuster book about the Holy Grail, the film of which stars Tom Hanks and comes out next month.

Tourism officials want to cash in on the trend known as "set-jetting" where fans flock to shoot locations around the world.

The documentary was shown at the Anthology Film Archives in New York during Tartan Week.

Code locations

A trailer will be available on VisitScotland's website and the film will be shown as part of a £1.3m marketing campaign in the agency's key European markets in Germany, France, Holland, Spain and Sweden.

Three strands to the campaign have been developed to tie in with the Da Vinci Code movie, with tourists encouraged to visit a variety of locations on the same theme.

Scotland in film and TV: Includes St Andrews (Chariots of Fire); Pennan (Local Hero) and Laggan (Monarch of the Glen)

Literature: Robert Burns House, Dumfries; Sir Walter Scott's House, Abbotsford and Edinburgh's literary tradition

Mysteries and legends: Rosslyn Chapel; Scotland's "most haunted" castle at Glamis; Loch Ness and Rob Roy.

A partnership has been formed for the first time by VisitScotland, VisitBritain and Maison de la France to promote the countries in the Da Vinci Code.

The short film paid for 50/50 by VisitScotland and Scottish Screen was produced by Tern Television and focuses partly on the work being done to maintain Rosslyn Chapel, which has seen visitor numbers rocket because of its inclusion in the book.

Rosslyn Chapel has provoked curiosity for centuries

Part of the film is shot at Newbattle Abbey, Dalkeith, which offers short courses allowing students to make critical analyses of claims made in the Da Vince Code.

In it, a statement made by a lecturer is challenged by another "expert" in a sequence which executive producer David Strachan described as important in depicting the conflicting views and theories on the subject.

"The guides will tell you that there are thousands of people with thousands of theories and Rosslyn doesn't want to close down any of them. They don't want to say 'that one's bunk and that one's good'," he said.

"If you want to believe that there's a musical code then there's a musical code. If you're a Mason and you want to link Masons and Templars, then feel free."

Scotland has so much more to offer for film production than you would imagine Ken Hay Scottish Screen chief executive

Peter Lederer, chairman of VisitScotland, told guests at the screening that studies had shown between 10% and 30% of all visitors to Scotland had been influenced in their choice of destination by the films they had seen.

Scottish Screen chief executive Ken Hay said: "The reason we got involved is that it was demonstrating that Scotland has so much more to offer for film production than you would imagine.

"Our interest is in saying you can come to Scotland, you get the best production crews, locations and the best services from public and other authorities."

The Da Vinci Code will open the Cannes film festival on 17 May, two days before it is released worldwide.

Rosslyn Chapel was closed for a week last autumn while filming took place.