A charity is one step closer to being able to put up a series of plaques to mark a Treasure Island trail around Bristol's harbourside.

The Long John Silver Trust has had talks with the city council to get permission to install seven plaques in the city, telling the story of Robert Louis Stevenson's 19th century novel.

In the story, treasure hunter Squire Trelawney comes to Bristol to buy a boat called the Hispaniola, and gets local tavern owner Long John Silver to run the galley on their voyage to find the treasure.

The trust wants to put the large plaques up in harbourside locations: outside the Llandoger Trow in King Street, by Cafe Che in Welsh Back, outside the Hole in the Wall pub in Welsh Back, Redcliffe Wharf, outside the Redcliffe Caves, by the Ostrich Inn in Lower Guinea Street, and another near the new Museum of Bristol. They will tell the story of Treasure Island and introduce the main characters.

The trust began in 2003, and initially wanted to put up a statue of Long John Silver in the city.

Plans have since grown to include the trail and six other statues to go alongside each of the plaques.

The Treasure Island inspired plaques are designed by artist Mike Baker, of Living Easton, and the trust hopes to have them made by Bristol-based sign-making company Wards.

The trust's secretary, Mark Steeds, said: "The idea is to put the plaques up to show that people would be interested in this kind of trail. Then hopefully we will be able to raise the money to put the statues up – one of Long John Silver would probably cost between £60,000 and £80,000.

"The plaques would cost £10,000, and we already have £4,000 of that money raised. We think it would be great for Bristol – the city has no statues of fictional characters and we think they would not only be great fun but also it might help to encourage kids to get into reading.

"It is a major project but we think if we can do the plaques everything else will follow."

Last year, the charity commissioned a wicker statue of the book's one-legged anti-hero, which they put on display at events across the country.