Record breaking year for Stirling Castle as visitor numbers rise

Stirling Castle is amongst a string of Scottish tourist attractions that had a record-breaking 2015, according to figures released by The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) today, Monday 7th March.

ALVA reports a 5.48% increase in visitors to its member sites across Scotland, with Historic Environment Scotland confirming a 4.1% increase in footfall – a total 458,932 visitors – to Stirling Castle last year.

Liz Grant, Executive Manager of Stirling Castle, said: “It’s great to hear that Scottish tourism had such a good year – it was certainly a busy one for Stirling Castle. Visitors flocked through the doors to see the Great Tapestry of Scotland starting at the beginning of February, and they never really stopped!

“It was particularly good to see an increase in members visiting us, demonstrating that Scotland’s iconic heritage attractions continue to captivate both new visitors and our members alike. In 2016 we’re looking forward to welcoming even more members, old and new, in another busy year which will see us hosting a renaissance fashion show, theatrical performances, and a whole range of other events.”

The castle is amongst several Historic Scotland sites to experience record visitor figures. Others included Edinburgh Castle and Urquhart Castle.

Bernard Donoghue, Director of ALVA, commented: “2015 continued to be a record year mainly due to our members continuing to show how diverse the UK is to both domestic and overseas visitors. More people visited Stirling Castle, Kelvingrove, the Riverside Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Glasgow, combined, than visited New Zealand.”