Rival Scottish and
English communities are laying claim to being the inspiration
behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula story, with one claimant
virtually telling the other: "hands off Dracula,
he’s ours."
At stake is the money brought in to the local economy
from visitors anxious to feel the chill brought on by
visiting the place where the Count, reputedly, rose regularly
from the grave to feast on the blood of unsuspecting victims.
Stoker’s book has inspired generations of filmmakers,
from silent Nosferatu, to full shock Hammer horrors
emerging from Bray Studios in the 1960’s. Screen
careers of stars like Bella Lugosi and Christopher Lee
were largely founded on their playing of the undead count.
Although the book is a classic and still a steady seller,
far more people are likely to know about the Count through
the screen, rather than the Victorian novel.
The Count’s Scottish credentials are being championed
by Aberdeen and Grampian Tourist Board. They say there
is indisputable evidence that the 17th Century
Slains Castle near Cruden Bay is the true inspiration
behind the legend.
In the opposite corner of the dispute, lies the North
Yorkshire fishing port of Whitby, which has portrayed
itself for years as the true home of Bram Stoker’s
legendary vampire, something Aberdeen and Grampian Tourist
Board strongly refutes. So convincing are their own claims,
they now intend to use the vampire lord as figurehead
to launch their latest marketing drive.
Marketing Manager Beverley Tricker says "It’s
very well documented that Slains Castle is the true home
of Dracula. Yorkshire Tourist Board has for years been
luring our potential visitors under false pretences. We
intend to sink our teeth into this fable and bring tourists
to the real home of Dracula."
The Grampian Tourist Board says early drafts of Stoker’s
novel show Dracula coming ashore at Cruden Bay and that
the author was inspired by Aberdeenshire’s towering
cliffs, jagged sea rocks and wild shores..
The dramatic clifftop castle may only be a ruin now, but
it is still a forbidding site.
Over a 17-year period, Stoker frequently holidayed in
the small fishing Hamlet of Whinnyfold, near Cruden Bay,
which is only a short distance from sinister Slains. In
1895, the Irish-born writer visited Slains as a guest
of its owner, the Earl of Erroll. Stoker’s classic
novel was published two years later.
The marketing drive is coming at a time when the rural
economy is being flattened by the foot and mouth epidemic.
Beverley Ticker believes that, with the Dracula connection,
she can hope to attract yet more visitors to an area reputed
to have more castles per acre than anywhere else in Britain.
She says, "From next week, Dracula is one of our
figureheads for our latest marketing initiative. In short,
we want out vampire back."
John Begg, managing director of Caledonia Heritage Tours
welcomed the Dracula push. He said, "Slains Castle
at dusk is a blood-curdling experience and you can easily
imagine the impact it had on Stoker’s chilling masterpiece.
It’s about time we laid the ghost to rest about Whitby
being the inspiration about Dracula."
But the Yorkshire Tourist Board say they have no intention
of relaxing their grip on the vampire legend, claiming
Stoker’s book clearly portrays the Count as being
washed ashore in the North Yorkshire fishing town following
a shipwreck.
Lesley Young, press officer for the YTB said: "We
are not aware of any strong connections that Dracula had
with Aberdeenshire. However there are indisputable links
with Whitby, which are well documented. Bram Stoker’s
character is large enough to benefit both regions and
as we have many Scottish visitors, we hope they will continue
to enjoy coming to Whitby."
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Rival Scottish and
English communities are laying claim to being the inspiration
behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula story, with one claimant
virtually telling the other: "hands off Dracula,
he’s ours."