Visitor numbers increase at Scottish attractions

February 20, 2018 at 9:00 am

Skara Brae has reported an increase in visitor numbers for 2017.

Visitor attractions in the North East of Scotland, including Orkney, saw a collective increase in visitor numbers of 12.8 per cent over the past year.

New statistics released by the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) also show that numbers at Orkney’s famous Skara Brae rose by 18 per cent and visitor numbers across Scotland rose by nearly 10 per cent, to 30 million, on the year before.

The Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) represents over 450 sites across Scotland.

The reported increase in numbers for Scotland comes on top of a 6 per cent rise seen the year before and a 3.4 per cent rise in 2015, as sites across Scotland enjoy a period of sustained growth.

Douglas Walker, Chair of ASVA said: “These figures demonstrate that the visitor attractions sector in the North of Scotland is in robust health. A number of elements seem to be driving this growth, including increased numbers of cruise ships visiting Invergordon, the continuing popularity of the North Coast 500 touring route, and the addition of new, direct flights into Inverness Airport.”

ASVA have also released a list of the most popular visitor attractions in Scotland, with the top sites being the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle, The Scottish National Gallery and the Riverside Museum.