ONLY a few decades ago the prospect of a Russian invasion would have been enough to have people heading for the hills in panic.
Now tourism chiefs are rubbing their hands in expectation of a lucrative influx of visitors from the former Soviet Union.
Last week, a camera crew from one of Russia's most popular TV shows headed west to showcase Scotland as an ideal holiday
location.
It is hoped the feature, which will be seen by up to 25 million viewers, will encourage big spenders from the country's burgeoning middle class to invest their roubles on luxury whisky and golf trips.
Travel presenter Dmitry Krylov, a star in his homeland, travelled from the Borders to the Highlands.
Highlights of his whirlwind tour will be broadcast in a special feature on the long-running series Neputevye Zametki (Travel Notes). Krylov was bowled over by his experiences of Caledonian hospitality
VisitScotland spokesman James Lakie was delighted by the endorsement. He said: "Being showcased in a major travel show which is watch by between 20 and 25m viewers is fantastic news.
"It will bring Scotland right to the forefront of Russian minds as an attractive holiday location. Because of this we are expecting to see a significant increase in the numbers of Russian visitors heading to Scotland in the coming years."
Krylov and his crew were taken on a VIP tour of the country in which they took in the traditional Common Ridings festivities and visited Sir Walter Scott's former home in the Borders, visited the eerie underground ruins of Mary King's Close in Edinburgh, and toured Glasgow, Stirling Castle, Loch Ness, Glencoe, the Falkirk Wheel and Eilean Donan.
Lakie said: "The feedback we got from Dmitry and the other members of his party was fantastic. They were particularly impressed by the friendliness of the people and the warmth of the hospitality that they experienced throughout Scotland."
The national tourism body is now tailoring its approach to appeal to those who have done best out of Russia's capitalist revolution.
"Russian tourists are some of the very highest spenders out of all the international visitors who come to Scotland.
"Our research shows that the Russian market has a strong affinity with golf and whisky and our five-star resorts like Gleneagles and St Andrews are already proving to be very popular."
Krylov pledged to share his fondness for Scotland with his viewers: "Scotland is a wonderful country and it has been a real pleasure to see exactly what it has to offer.
"From the history of the Borders, to the culture and heritage in Edinburgh, the fantastic scenery of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland really does have it all."
The veteran broadcaster also reflected on the similarities between the two countries.
He said: "Russians love whisky, are taught Burns in school, golf is increasing in popularity and I'm told Moscow even shares the same latitude as Edinburgh.
"The warm welcome and friendly people we have met during our trip have really added to our thoroughly enjoyable experience of Scotland."
VisitScotland recently launched its first Russian-language website.
Philip Riddle, VisitScotland's chief executive, said: "VisitScotland recognises and values the importance of emerging markets like Russia, China and India and as such has a dedicated team targeting potential visitors from these countries to promote what Scotland has to offer them for the benefit of tourism growth."
Last year alone Russian visitors accounted for 84,000 nights stay in Scottish hotels and spent more than £2.24m during their time here.
Travel routes between Russia and Scotland have been opened up through connecting flights from London, Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam.
UK tourism figures show that 42 per cent of Russians coming to Britain are here on business, although the percentage of tourists is rising year-on-year.
Last year VisitScotland held Scottish workshops in Moscow and St Petersburg in order to promote the country in Russia.
The full article contains 668 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
