Heritage sites and film locations enjoy surge in visitor numbers
Scotland’s historic attractions enjoyed a surge in visitor numbers last year thanks to a rise in international visitors and booming film and TV tourism, new figures reveal.
Visitor attractions across the country recorded 49,708,483 visits, up 3.9% on 2023.
Data from The Moffat Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University and the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) shows Culloden Visitor Centre increased 42.8% to 374,443, Stirling Castle was up 14.8% to 594,938, and St Giles’ Cathedral enjoyed an 18.3% increase, to 1,742,147.
Overall, heritage centres were up 13%, historic churches saw numbers increase by 10.2%, and castles and forts recorded a 7.1% rise.
Edinburgh Castle remained in the top spot as Scotland's most popular paid-for attraction, with visitor numbers increasing 4% to 1,981,152.
The National Museum of Scotland remains the number one free attraction with numbers increasing 5.9% to 2,314,974.
The overall number of visitors to paid-for attractions increased 2.4% to 17,849,139. Free attractions racked up 31,859,344 visits in 2024, up 4.8% on the previous year.
Chris Greenwood, Senior Research Fellow at The Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: "Heritage and culture are a major attraction among our international visitors with castles, heritage centres and historic sites all performing well.
"Many of Scotland’s heritage sites are used as filming locations which encourages visitors to undertake “set-jetting” trips to experience their favourite film and television productions, such as Outlander.
“Growth in free attractions demonstrates the ongoing cost-consciousness among domestic visitors. Domestic audiences have been increasingly looking for free attractions and activities, shorter lengths of breaks and things closer to home.”
Michael Golding, Chief Executive of the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA), said: “The success of Scottish attractions is underpinned by a resolute commitment to providing high-quality experiences that captivate and inspire visitors. The continued rise in visitor numbers, particularly at heritage sites and filming locations, highlights the power of authentic and immersive storytelling in attracting visitors.
“We must however recognise the ongoing challenges facing attractions – evidenced through five of the top 10 having a reduction in visitors and we’re committed to working with the sector to see continued improvement in both quality of experience and visitor numbers.”
Scotland's Business Minister Richard Lochhead MSP said: “These figures hammer home the strength and breadth of Scotland’s tourism sector.
“I’m pleased that so many of the country’s much-loved attractions continue to attract more and more people through their doors. This is testament to the dedication of the thousands of people that work hard to create memorable experiences and showcase the best of Scotland’s history and culture to people worldwide."