2.3 million visitors for museum

MORE than 2.3 million people have visited the revamped National Museum of Scotland in the past year making it the most visited tourist attraction outside London.

The figures have been announced just days after the museum had received Lottery funding for eight new galleries.

The figure for the last year dwarfs the number of visitors to Edinburgh Castle – 1.3 million.

A spokesman for the Museums said: “It has been a memorable year, starting with the opening day itself, which saw 6000 people gather in Chambers Street to witness the launch and 22,000 visitors on opening day”.

Dr Gordon Rintoul, director of National Museums Scotland, said: “ This has been an astonishingly successful year for the National Museums of Scotland. It is now one of the greatest national museums of the world”.