ASVA – the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions – has announced that visits to its member sites rose in 2016. It has 249 members and they received almost 30 million visits last year.
Last year well over 4 million people visited the historic sites that are managed by Historic Environment Scotland.
1,964,118 visitors flocked to attractions fromApril to July cared for by Historic Envronment Scotland, an increase of more than 169,000 on the same period in 2015.
Scotland’s number one paid for tourist attraction, Edinburgh Castle has recorded a record breaking summer for visitors.
As the Forth Bridge is put forward to become a UNESCO World heritage Site, Adrian finds that museums are closing and re-opening; the head of Visit Britain leaves and the Cutty Sark becomes a theatre.
In celebration of St Andrew’s day in a fortnight’s time, Historic Scotland is offering you the opportunity to enter their 35 properties for nothing. The rules are that you have to apply online at a special website, www.ticketgiveaway.co.uk, to gain entry for two adults and up to three children.
Kids are flocking to museums this half term break in favour of thrill seeking attractions
June commemorates the 450th anniversary of the death of Mary of Guise, the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots. Why so important an anniversary?
Because after the death of her husband, James V, at the end of 1542, she was the ruler of Scotland up until her death. It was she who maintained the Catholic cause against Protestant reformers. It was she who outwitted the Scottish nobles albeit with French money and it was her brother who captured Calais from the English during the time of Mary I.
The figures for what we visited last year have been released by ALVA, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. Between their 42 members, they are responsible for nearly 1,600 different attractions. But not every attraction is a member and not every member provides figures so there could be more popular places around.
Last year more of us visited their attractions than ever before. The figures were up by nearly 11% over 2009 which may not be that surprising given that 2009 was a year when more of us holidayed at home.
Rather obviously, those that didn’t make an entry charge filled the top 5 positions with the British Museum being the leading attraction in the country with over 5.5 million visits.
