The nation’s official tourism agency published a map of inspiring bookish sights that left Wales ‘depicted as trees’ and Scotland guillotined

This article is more than 5 months old

This article is more than 5 months old

VisitBritain has apologised after publishing a map of British literature that appeared to suggest Wales’s only contribution to the literary history of the British Isles was a few trees.

Published on Wednesday on the Twitter account of Britain’s official tourism body, the map invited users to “explore the places” that inspired books including Dracula, Harry Potter and Wuthering Heights, “and sent British literature around the world”.

But followers in Wales and Scotland were quick to highlight the lack of any books inspired by Welsh or Scottish locations. Harry Potter, which JK Rowling wrote in Edinburgh, was linked to Alnwick Castle in the north of England, where parts of the Philosopher’s Stone and the Chamber of Secrets were filmed, while Sherlock Holmes, by Scottish author Arthur Conan Doyle, was linked to London.

The ‘full’ map. Photograph: VisitBritain

Instead, VisitBritain noted inspirations including William Wordsworth’s and Swallows and Amazons’ connections to the Lake District, Daphne du Maurier’s Cornwall and the Famous Five’s Dorset.

“When it came to Wales, there’s a hint of dragon’s tail – possibly related to the nearby Lord of the Rings pin – and everything else in the country is depicted as trees,” said Wales Online in response. “No mention of any of the great literary minds of Wales. And to add insult to injury, Roald Dahl is placed nowhere near Cardiff [where the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG was born].”

Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales East Delyth Jewell wrote: “I rather think the land of the Mabinogion and RS Thomas deserves more than bushes and trees. Don’t you?”

Welsh musician Cerys Matthews added: “You confuse Britain with England”, while TV presenter Huw Edwards wrote on Twitter: “Erm ... some rather important things missing from this ‘British’ list.”

VisitBritain subsequently apologised for the mistake, which it said saw the VisitEngland literary heroes map “tweeted from VisitBritain’s consumer channel in error”. The tweet has since been removed.

“VisitEngland’s literary heroes map of English literary locations was created to inspire domestic visitors to explore the destinations and literary attractions across the country brought to life through books,” it said in a statement to Scottish paper the National.

“Sherlock Holmes was included on the map as the character is based in London’s Baker Street and Roald Dahl was included as he lived in Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire for many years where there is a museum dedicated to the author.”