Why Scotland should be proud of attraction visitor numbers - Scotsman leader

There can be a tendency for Scotland to be modest about some of its achievements, but we should rightly be banging the drum about the nation’s most loved attractions.

The latest annual Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) members' visitor figures out today make for great reading – and show Scotland outperforming much of the rest of the UK.

The statistics show Scotland had six of the 30 most visited attractions in the UK last year, compared with just five for the rest of the UK outside London.

Those leading destinations include the National Museum of Scotland – the nation's most visited attraction in 2023 with more than two million going through its doors. Edinburgh Castle and National Galleries Scotland were not far behind in the rankings.

New exhibition spaces dedicated to showcasing Scottish art treasures opened at the National Gallery in Edinburgh in September. Picture: Neil Hanna

Overall, Scotland enjoyed a 21 per cent boost to its visitor attractions last year.

It is a timely reminder of exactly what Scotland has to offer and, with the local economy still recovering from the Covid pandemic, they are treasures we shouldn’t be afraid to shout about to the world.