Edinburgh Castle: Visitor numbers soared over the Jubilee weekend.
Visitor numbers to Scottish tourist attractions were boosted by the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Historic Scotland recorded a total of 84,643 people at their venues across the country from Friday June 1, to Tuesday June 4 marking a 14% rise on last year’s bank holiday weekend.
Edinburgh Castle welcomed the most visitors with 30,769 passing through the gates over the five-day holiday.
A new record was set for the captial’s top attraction with more than 7000 people coming to the castle in just two days.
The figures come in a record breaking year for Historic Scotland with more than three million visitors to their 78 paid-for sites marking a rise of 7% on the previous year and bringing a 13% rise in income.
Numbers at Edinburgh Castle have increased by 10% to 1,314,975 while Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness also saw a 10% rise in visitors to 317,811.
Following the £12m restoration of Stirling Palace which was reopened in June 2011 visitors to the attraction have leapt up by 17%.
Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "These statistics speak for themselves and show that Scotland's historic visitor attractions continue to play a vital role in the country's tourism industry and the wider economy.
“Many visitors from all over the world come to Scotland to experience our rich, diverse and colourful history and Historic Scotland's properties provide our visitors with a unique experience to see our history up close.
"The rise in income is also to be welcomed as it allows Historic Scotland to continue reinvesting in the country's important historic environment and the visitor experience they provide.
“While we have seen major improvements in areas such as the retail offering, what has also been key has been the continued improvements in the interpretation of these sites, such as the major investment undertaken at Stirling Palace."
