THE cultural jewels in the crown of the North Coast could be used to spark a tourism windfall claims an ambitious councillor.  

Millport man Todd Ferguson wants to see the creation of an Outlander-style history trail that he believes could bring a new influx of visitors.

Councillor Ferguson says local sites like Hunterston Castle have huge historical significance, with the remains of the famous Wallace Oak currently on display there, and believes the North Coast can tap into the huge growth in American interest in Scottish history, created by shows such as the Amazon Prime drama.

He explained: “There is so much history in this area that goes overlooked and there is a huge market for this kind of thing among tourists from America.

“This country gets thousands of people coming over ever year to see the sites that were featured in the show, and we need to try and capture that interest.

“We have hugely significant places and artifacts here that could deliver a boost to the local economy - and all it takes is a tourism push to tap into that.”

Cllr Ferguson believes Portencross Castle, pictured, which a former King of Scotland visited regularly throughout his reign in the 1300s, could be a focal point of the trail.

He said: “Portencross is hugely significant as one of the former abodes of Robert II.

“He signed up to eight charters in the castle, and he often based himself there.

“The Wallace Oak is now down at Hunterston, another key piece of Scottish history, and hugely significant to members of the independence movement.

“Whether it is the actual one remains to be seen, but people talk of the Braveheart effect of Scottish tourism and I don’t see why we can’t have a bit of that.”

As well as Portencross Castle, the forward-thinking councillor says Little Cumbrae could also be a stop on a future history trail.

He believes the trail could bring thousands of extra tourists to the area ever year.

Cllr Ferguson added: “We could create maps for people to follow to all the key sites.

“As well as Hunterston, you could have Ardrossan Castle, Diamond Hill near West Kilbride and the castle on Little Cumbrae as well.

“All of these local sites relate to hugely significant periods in history, and I don’t think their potential is being maximised.

“The history of Scotland is still one of our biggest footprints in terms of visitors - and we need a slice of that."