David Weinczok's book, 'The History behind Game of Thrones: The North Remembers' explores the Scottish inspirations behind the programmes and books.

From red headed Wildings right down to the castle designs, Mr Weinczok believes there are direct Scottish inspirations for many characters and places in Westeros.

Meanwhile the author of 'Game of Thrones Winter is Coming', Professor Carolyne Larrington, says the medieval connections are much wider.

Professor Larrington says the characters in the North before the wall are reminiscent of the Anglo-Saxon, English society, dependent on personal bonds between banner men and the people they protect.

Both agree there are many things which could derive from Scotland - The Ice Wall which began life as Hadrian's Wall, the Iron islands hailing from the Outer Hebrides and its Viking history and the North/South divide.

The idea behind the themes, Professor Larrington and Mr Weinczok say, comes from author of 'Game of Thrones' George R. R. Martin taking history and 'dialling it up to 11' mashing it all together to produce something similar to real history but with obvious fantastical twists.