Homegrown holidaymakers must enjoy the Kelpies and Scotland's other attractions responsibly

The £124,000 campaign, which looks to counteract some of the issues seen as a result of a new, home grown audience of visitors discovering and enjoying Scotland’s countryside will call on people to respect, protect and enjoy Scotland

It includes a responsible tourism film and script which will be broadcast across radio, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram alongside billboard and outdoor digital screen advertising in all of Scotland’s main cities.

This work will be supported by a dedicated responsible tourism page on visitscotland.com, dedicated itineraries created for travel trade and information and advice for the tourism sector on the corporate website.

As more people enjoy the outdoors as the weather improves and the plan for lockdown restrictions to be lifted towards the end of April, VisitScotland’s campaign will reinforce the importance, as visitors, we should be aware of the consequences of our visits on our stunning landscapes, wildlife and communities.

Vicki Miller, VisitScotland director of marketing, said: "This campaign is hugely important particularly at this time, as we are all enjoying outdoors more due to restrictions to other sections of the tourism industry.

"It is imperative we realise the impact of our visits on these areas and our individual and collective responsibility to care for Scotland. We want to protect the stunning landscapes and wildlife that Scotland is famous for and the local communities that are such an important part of our culture.

"We are asking everyone to help keep Scotland special by ensuring we protect our natural resources by being responsible and respectful when out and about. We have a unique opportunity to positively engage audiences to enjoy the outdoors responsibly and come together to develop a Scotland-wide strategic and coordinated approach to help protect what’s there for future visitors and aid the recovery of our rural economy.”

The national tourism organisation’s campaign is part of the Visitor Management Strategy and Steering Group, led by the Scottish Government and VisitScotland and includes three workstream groups with focuses on Education and Marketing, Investment and Infrastructure, and Prevention, Regulation & Reassurance.