Heritage and film locations see surge in visitor numbers
The National Museum of Scotland remained the top free attraction.
Heritage attractions in Scotland saw a rise in visitor numbers last year as tourists were drawn to the country’s historic sites and filming locations.
Visitor attractions across the country recorded 49,708,483 visits last year, up 3.9% on 2023, according to data from the Moffat Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University and the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA).
Edinburgh Castle, which appears as a backdrop in Netflix’s version of One Day, remained in the top spot as Scotland’s most popular paid-for attraction, with visitor numbers rising 4% to 1,981,152 in 2024.
The number of people visiting Culloden Visitor Centre rose 42.8% to 374,443, while visitor numbers to Stirling Castle increased by 14.8% to 594,938, with both attractions charging for admission.
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.”
The National Museum of Scotland remained the number one free attraction with numbers increasing 5.9% to 2,314,974.
Michael Golding, chief executive of the 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.”
The overall number of visitors to paid-for attractions increased 2.4% to 17,849,139.
There were 31,859,344 visits to free attractions in 2024, up 4.8% on the previous year.
“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.
“We will continue to work hand in hand with the sector to continue this upwards trend. In the Scottish Budget, we’ve allocated an additional £2million to VisitScotland to help spearhead growth, benefiting attractions and businesses.”
