Screen stars Kelly Macdonald, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd and Craig Ferguson took to the red carpet for the European premiere of Brave in Edinburgh on Saturday.
The Disney/Pixar animation is set in the Highlands and First Minister Alex Salmond said he expects it to boost Scotland’s tourism industry by £140 million.
VisitScotland are spending £7 million on a campaign to promote the film.
It topped the US box office last weekend, taking in more than $66 million, and has been tipped to top the UK charts when it’s released here in August.
The premiere closed this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival. It was introduced by Mr Salmond, who eschewed a kilt in favour of tartan trews.
He said: ”This is a fantastic film it’s great fun and a terrific showcase for Scotland across the world. It features an incredibly talented cast, many of them Scots themselves.
”Millions of people are going to see Brave and they’re going to see for themselves an animated vision of our beautiful country.”
Brave tells the story of a Scottish princess, a crack-shot at archery, who unleashes a curse on her mother the Queen so she doesn’t have to marry any of her three suitors.
Princess Merida is voiced by Macdonald, with Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson playing her mother and father, King Fergus and Queen Elinor.
Coltrane, McKidd and comedian Ferguson are the other clan leaders, while Julie Walters plays a mischievous witch.
Although the film is animated, it features real Scottish landmarks and landscapes, including Dunottar Castle, the Callanish standing stones on Lewis and the Cairngorms.
The film’s kilt-wearing director, American Mark Andrews described the country as ”awesome”.
Arguably the movie’s biggest name, Connolly, was not in Edinburgh for the premiere.
However Elgin-born McKidd, a star of Trainspotting and Rome, said working on the film had been a fantastic experience.
He said: ”I was asked about three or four years ago by Pixar to be involved in it and as soon as I heard the word ‘Pixar’ I just said ‘Yes, I don’t care what it is, I’ll do it’ because I’ve been a fan of their movies since they started making films.
”I feel very blessed and honoured to be part of this. I think it’s definitely going to have a big effect. I’m very proud to be Scottish and I’m always telling people to come and visit.”
Harry Potter star Robbie Coltrane lived up to his irascible reputation.
Asked by fans to pose for photographs after the screening, he told them no, then spun on his heels and strode off.
Photo by David Cheskin/PA Wire