Overall visitor numbers to some of Scotland’s most popular attractions are still 16 per cent lower than pre-pandemic numbers despite a surge last year after Covid restrictions eased. Sites across the nation recorded more than 48.6 million visitors – up 53.5 per cent from 2021 as many venues ended restrictions such as advance bookings, according to figures from Glasgow Caledonian University.
Edinburgh Castle saw a 217.6 per cent surge in visitor numbers, jumping to 1.3 million in 2022. Also in Edinburgh, the National Museum of Scotland remained the number one free attraction with numbers increasing 198.7 per cent to 1.9 million visitors.
But overall numbers are still 16 per cent down on pre-pandemic levels. Paid entry attractions saw 15,053,896 visitors across Scotland in 2022, up 63.2 per cent on the previous year.
