The annual survey of more than 700 of the country’s paid and free attractions reveals tourism across Scotland was up by 5 percent last year.

Alongside the National Museum of Scotland, the Top Ten Free Attractions include the Scottish National Gallery, West Dunbartonshire’s Loch Lomond Shores, Glasgow’s Riverside Museum, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Edinburgh’s St Giles Cathedral, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Gretna Green’s Famous Blacksmith’s Shop, and the National War Museum and the Regimental Museum of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (both based at Edinburgh Castle).

Joining Edinburgh Castle in the Top Ten Paid Attractions are Edinburgh Bus Tours, Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Zoo, Urquhart Castle, Glasgow Science Centre, The National Trust for Scotland’s Glenfinnan Monument, The Royal Yacht Britannia, Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, and Scottish Seabird Centre.

Professor John Lennon, Moffat Centre Director, said:

Two Scottish visitor attractions welcoming more than two million visitors for the first time is a sure sign of the enduring appeal and strength of the sector. Edinburgh and Glasgow continue to dominate the country’s tourism industry but regional performance across Scotland is also buoyant and encouraging.

As a destination, Scotland continues to benefit from the lower value of Sterling against the Euro and the US Dollar, ensuring tourists receive value for money as well as a high-quality experience. Demand has been further buoyed by a resurgent domestic ‘stay-cation’ market as Britain faces economic uncertainty and the reduced purchasing power of Sterling.

Chair of Glasgow Life and Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, Councillor David McDonald, said:

Almost 4 million people have visited our 9 world-class museums over the last year. As this report confirms, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and Riverside have retained their crown as the top attractions to enjoy in Glasgow. With both achieving annual visitor figures of more than 1.3 million during the last year, citizens and visitors to the city alike have ensured another record-breaking year for Glasgow Museums.

Such a commendation promotes great pride in the civic collection owned by the people of Glasgow and the award-winning venues in which they are housed and with extensive investment in both The Burrell Collection and Kelvin Hall our aspiration to ensure Glasgow remains Scotland’s cultural powerhouse moves forward apace.