A host of famous Scots have backed a major new National Trust for Scotland membership drive

Famous Scots are backing a National Trust for Scotland bid to increase its membership by more than a third to over half a million.

Film stars Brian Cox and Gerard Butler, six-time Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy and tennis coach Judy Murray have all contributed to a new film about what people love and hate about Scotland.

It turns out Sir Chris Hoy hates potholes but loves how Scots can be the best in the world. Brian Cox hates having to work so far away from Scotland but loves how Scots all have a sense of home. Gerard Butler loves mountains, glens and lochs and naturally, Burns, but hates midges and smirr! With a nod to her passion for tennis, Judy Murray hates when ‘rain stops play’ but she loves our national treasures.

The film entitled For the Love of Scotland debuted on STV on Sunday 29 April, taking over the whole of a prime-time ad break. At three minutes, this is thought to be the longest Scottish TV advert ever made.

Scotland manager Alex McLeish, international rugby players Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell, TV presenter Andrea McLean and musician Evelyn Glennie also take part.

The stars were joined by a host of less well known National Trust for Scotland supporters from across Scotland as they revealed not only what gets them down about Scotland but what fires them up about the country.

Mark Bishop, director of customer and cause at the National Trust for Scotland said: “The National Trust for Scotland isn’t just here for a lovely day out, it stands for something much bigger than that.

“We’re about coastlines and castles, art and architecture, wildlife and wilderness. We’re here to protect our natural and national treasures for everyone to enjoy.

“We’ve set ourselves an ambitious target to do two things – firstly to help people better understand what we do and why we do it and secondly to protect the trust for the future by increasing our members, donations and visitors.”