For the expanse of Highland water featured in the movie "The Water Horse — Legend of The Deep" is actually the sea — Loch Fyne in Argyll — and not the freshwater home of Nessie.

However, the film is gearing up to be one of the biggest hits in the United States telling the story of a young Highland boy who finds an egg which hatches to become a water-loving creature which he releases into Loch Ness when it becomes too big for the family's bath.

Tourism chiefs still anticipate a flood of interest in Loch Ness if the film makes a big an impact.

And next week Loch Ness expert Adrian Shine will fly to New York to meet the American media at the first press screenings of the film.

Alex Etel plays Angus MacMorrow, the young lad at the centre of the action in 'The Water Horse — Legend of The Deep'.

His job will be to give an understanding of the links between the fantasy of the film and the reality of the landscape around Loch Ness. "I will share a fascination for the real Loch Ness and will talk about some of the differences to the sea loch that the film shows," he said.

Amanda Millen, the screen and broadcasting industries development manager for Highlands & Islands Enterprise, was confident audiences would still want to visit this region and not Argyll. "Visitor numbers to Stirlingshire and the Wallace Monument rose exponentially after 'Braveheart', although it was shot in Ireland," she said.

VisitScotland will launch a major marketing campaign in the United States to coincide with the film's launch.

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