ASVA Visitor Trend Report, October 2015 Dashboard Summary, October 2015

Usable data was received from 223 sites. The total number of visits recorded in October 2015 Total Visitor Numbers was 2,155,066; this compares to 2,035,082 in 2014 and indicates an increase of 5.9%. Excluding Country Parks Month of October 2,155,066 5.9% p ASVA's Commentary and Observations for October 2015 Year-to-Date 23,015,318 3.8% p Please note that figures can only be used when there is comparable data for both years, so if you submitted figures for 2015 and do not see these in the listing, this is the reason. Including Country Parks The increase of 5.9% shown (excluding Country Parks) is encouraging with 69% of respondents noting an increase (thus Month of October 2,803,238 6.0% p 31% noted a decrease!). Per Region ‘The Outlander’ effect appears to be diminishing although some sites are still enjoying increased visitor numbers This report was including: Culloden Battlefield, and Castle. Looking at the dashboard summary, all regions show Northern Scotland 183,637 16.9% p increased visitor numbers. Northern Scotland continues to show above average increases and most sites there taking produced for ASVA by Eastern Scotland 1,174,321 4.2% p part in this survey note increased visitor numbers including: Highland Folk , Highland Wildlife Park, Talisker Southern Scotland 75,193 17.1% p Distillery, Nevis Range, Urquhart Castle and two others who requested confidentiality. Western Scotland 1,370,087 5.6% p

Across the rest of the country a number of larger sites show meaningful increases which in turn will have had a positive influence on the overall figure: Edinburgh Bus Tours, , Edinburgh Zoo, Galley of Modern Art, Kelvingrove, Per Attraction Category , Scottish National Gallery and St Giles Cathedral. The weather (see following paragraph) appears to have helped encourage more visits to Country and Forest Parks where an increase of 5.9% on the previous year can be Heritage/historic seen. property/stately 495,657 9.3% p

house Weatherwise, October was fairly settled with high pressure in control for most of the month. Temperatures were near & Galleries 948,137 4.9% p average with few extremes – but on October 1st, Braemar recorded the highest temperature of the month in the UK 22.7C Zoo/wildlife/safari after an overnight low of -1.8C! Most places had a dry October with few seeing over 100ml of rainfall. The Edinburgh 114,739 9.3% p park/aquarium area was driest with just 21mm. After the dull summer, Scotland enjoyed 115% of average sunshine with the sunniest Sports & activities 13,785 35.9% p place in the UK being Kinloss with 129 hours. Forest park/regional 648,172 6.2% p park/country park Gardens 78,227 9.3% p Science Centre 82,826 1.1% p Distillery/whisky 84,417 12.2% p related Visitor Centre 110,544 -6.1% q Boat Trip/Marine 106,587 3.1% p Other 120,147 6.1% p

Spend per Ticket SPV1 Retail SPV Catering SPV ticket sold2 4.87 (107) 8.47 (64) 1.59 (65) 1.84 (8) 32.2% p 12.6% p 3.8% p -22.9% q

For further information, contact ASVA at: Confidential information for ASVA members only e-mail: [email protected] Please do not further distribute this report without permission from ASVA Tel: 0141 229 0923 Any commentary to press will be managed by ASVA

2

Year-on-Year

Visitor Numbers Visitor Numbers

Month

Latest 5.9% p

2,155,066

2,035,082

3,827,114

3,489,432

2,558,823

2,552,800

2,256,235

2,387,225

2,155,066

1,511,228

1,304,108

1,363,347

1,131,847 973,287

Nov 14 Dec 14 Jan 15 Feb 15 Mar 15 Apr 15 May 15 Jun 15 Jul 15 Aug 15 Sep 15 Oct 15 Oct 15 Oct 14

Additional Comments Ticket SPV Retail SPV Catering SPV Ticket Spend

Auchindrain A tolerable end to a generally dismal year. 32.2% p

Chatelherault Country Park Warmer weather with successful Halloween events may have contributed to increased visitor numbers. Retail Spend £4.87 3.8% p

Floors Castle Last month before closing for season, weather too always plays its part. £3.68

Catering Spend

Mclean Museum & Art Gallery Low numbers of people visited during the October school holiday week. -22.9% q

£2.38

£1.84 £1.59

National Museum of Rural Life The total visitor numbers noted here takes into account National Trust visitors and those who only visit the museum café. £1.53

New Lanark Visitor Centre At the beginning of October we hosted the inaugural Book Festival. We also ran Daily Tours and Autumn Craft Workshops during the October week which were both well attended. At the end of the month we hosted our day of Spook-tacular Halloween events including activities for children during the day, and sell-out ‘Spooky Tours’ Oct 15 Oct 14 of the village in the evening. The significant drop in our Visitor Figures from October 2014 to October 2015 can be attributed to the fact that in 2014 we displayed the Great Tapestry of Scotland from 20 October – 21 November.

This free exhibition drew in a substantial number of visitors, circa 13 thousand within the 5 week period.

£8.47 Smith Art Gallery and Had to close to the public for one day to accomodate BBC4 filming. Spend per Museum ticket sold

£7.52 12.6% p

______1 Ticket spend per visitor (Ticket SPV) divides the total ticket revenue by the number of visitors from ticket-revenue submitting sites. Oct 15 Oct 14 2 Spend per ticket sold divides the total ticket revenue by the number of tickets sold. 3

Site-specific report October 2015

u Responses for October 2015 were received from 223 sites. u 7 sites requested confidentiality, and although their numbers have been included in the calculations, they do not appear in the tables below. u 10 sites have not submitted results this month last year and thus do not appear in the tables below.

October October 2015 2014 Y-o-Y 2015 2014 Y-o-Y Aberdour Castle 792 688 15% Dallas Dhu Distillery 259 293 -12% Aberlour Distillery 1090 1117 -2% Dalwhinnie Distillery Visitor Centre 4828 3972 22% 675 473 43% 286 721 -60% Almond Valley Heritage Trust 11414 8092 41% Dawyck Botanic Garden 4434 3286 35% Arbroath Abbey 708 922 -23% Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery 3430 3217 7% Arduaine Garden 708 436 62% 1798 1556 16% 's Lodgings 2410 2847 -15% Discovery Point 5309 5891 -10% Auchindrain 313 335 -7% Doune Castle 5341 3709 44% Bannockburn 4813 5298 -9% Drum Castle, Garden & Estate 1730 23 7422% 216 111 95% Drumpellier Country Park 66589 64350 3% Benmore Botanic Garden 5205 4453 17% Dryburgh Abbey 1089 1093 0% Black House 531 401 32% Dumbarton Castle 1045 744 40% Blackness Castle 1377 959 44% & Camera Obscura 1343 981 37% Blair Athol Distillery Visitor Centre 7119 6410 11% Cathedral 1278 2119 -40% Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway 5902 4369 35% Science Centre 7205 6936 4% 574 361 59% Dundonald Castle 2002 807 148% Branklyn Garden 34 52 -35% 699 601 16% Brodick Castle 2154 1767 22% Dunstaffnage Castle 737 813 -9% Brodick Garden & Country Park 3937 2608 51% Edinburgh Bus Tours 56300 49377 14% Brodie Castle 1627 1316 24% Edinburgh Butterfly & Insect World 6737 7099 -5% Broughton House & Garden 868 928 -6% Edinburgh Castle 129296 116559 11% Museum 2960 2628 13% Edinburgh Zoo 58946 55299 7% Caerlaverock Castle 2744 2531 8% Elgin Cathedral 606 577 5% Callendar House 2457 2012 22% Falkland Palace & Garden 3126 2915 7% Caol Ila Distillery Visitor Centre 1158 1137 2% Floors Castle 1654 1630 1% Cardhu Distillery Visitor Centre 727 501 45% FC Scotland - Clatteringshaws Visitor Centre 4945 3850 28% Castle Campbell 736 457 61% FC Scotland - Glenmore Visitor Centre 9018 9336 -3% Castle Fraser, Garden & Estate 1133 969 17% FC Scotland - Glentress 27069 21687 25% Chatelherault Country Park 51385 42004 22% FC Scotland - Kirroughtree Visitor Centre 6524 5654 15% Centre for Contemporary Arts 33341 31126 7% FC Scotland - Glentrool Visitor Centre 4024 3285 22% 6000 4642 29% FC Scotland - The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre 14094 11382 24% and Art Gallery 3343 2844 18% Fort George 3435 3384 2% Clynelish Distillery Visitor Centre 401 417 -4% Fyvie Castle 996 1278 -22% Cragganmore Distillery Visitor Centre 756 593 27% Gallery of Modern Art 56664 49689 14% Craigmillar Castle 1492 1190 25% Geilston Garden 764 661 16% Crarae Garden 614 389 58% Georgian House 3133 3587 -13% Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate 3060 2661 15% Gladstone's Land 2872 2620 10% Culloden Battlefield visitor centre 8553 7316 17% Glasgow Cathedral 23231 20900 11% Culzean Castle 6378 4872 31% Glasgow Museums Resource Centre 1112 1564 -29% Culzean Country Park 14064 9722 45% Glasgow Science Centre 39616 39165 1% 4

October October 2015 2014 Y-o-Y 2015 2014 Y-o-Y Glen Ord Distillery Visitor Centre 1940 1728 12% Melrose Abbey 3331 2694 24% Glencoe 2129 2218 -4% 1377 997 38% Glenfinnan Monument 1396 1360 3% Mugdock Country Park 48741 48687 0% Glenkinchie Distillery Visitor Centre 4087 3207 27% Museum of Childhood 20141 21904 -8% Glenlivet Distillery 3901 3844 1% 7137 7535 -5% Grampian Transport Museum 2919 2547 15% National Mining Museum Scotland 5254 6796 -23% Greenbank Garden 2306 1055 119% National Museum of Flight 6584 6427 2% Haddo House 27 375 -93% National Museum of Rural Life 7722 6587 17% - Newtonmore 7278 5341 36% National Museum of Scotland 136703 140668 -3% Highland Wildlife Park 13984 11255 24% 51936 49694 5% Hill of Tarvit Mansionhouse & Garden 632 624 1% The Nelson Monument 1107 1157 -4% Holmwood 255 332 -23% Nevis Range 11656 7927 47% House for an Art Lover 843 491 72% New Abbey Corn Mill 298 225 32% House Of 220 485 -55% New Lanark Visitor Centre 5715 9774 -42% House of the Binns 91 78 17% New Lanark World Heritage Site 34322 40958 -16% Hugh Miller Museum & Birthplace Cottage 249 222 12% Newhailes 220 23 857% Huntingtower Castle 389 484 -20% Oban Distillery Visitor Centre 5733 3826 50% Huntly Castle 671 567 18% Our Dynamic Earth 36005 35813 1% Inchcolm Abbey 2052 1569 31% Palacerigg Country Park 38146 36095 6% Inchmahome Priory 1282 921 39% The People's Story 4611 5323 -13% Inveraray Castle 5643 5834 -3% Pitmedden Garden 209 68 207% Inveresk Lodge Garden 145 49 196% Pollok House 4101 4135 -1% Inverewe Garden & Estate 2530 2046 24% Preston Mill 35 12 192% Iona Abbey 2877 2499 15% Priorwood Garden 928 401 131% J M Barrie's Birthplace 11 266 -96% Provand's Lordship 7508 6579 14% Jedburgh Abbey 1692 1135 49% Queensferry Museum 486 456 7% John Gray Centre 17001 16373 -8% Riverside Museum 102520 89851 14% Johnstons of Elgin 15422 15594 -1% Robert Burns Birthplace Museum 12615 22911 -45% Kellie Castle & Garden 1026 944 9% Robert Burns Centre 2484 2547 -2% Kelpies Tours 3057 5378 -43% Robert Burns House 904 1178 -23% Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum 115010 92585 24% Robert Smail's Printing Works 266 291 -9% Lagavulin Distillery Visitor Centre 1706 1330 28% Rosslyn Chapel 12101 11480 5% Lauriston Castle 6931 6548 6% Rothesay Castle 742 674 10% 4569 4094 12% Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 58213 57001 2% Loch Leven 1371 649 111% Royal Burgh of Culross 736 785 -6% Logan Botanic Garden 1910 1495 28% Royal Lochnagar Distillery Visitor Centre 1629 1264 29% Low Parks Museum 2062 8057 -74% Scotland Street School Museum 6927 6611 5% Macduff Marine Aquarium 5445 5186 5% ScotlandsPeople Centre 1173 1761 -33% Mackintosh Queen’s Cross 1189 1152 3% The Scott Monument 7015 5553 26% Malleny Garden 227 196 16% Scottish Crannog Centre 2447 2599 -6% Mclean Museum & Art Gallery 3143 3986 -21% Scottish Dolphin Centre 8634 7623 13% Mcmanus Galleries 11303 12915 -12% Scottish National Gallery 115796 109542 6% 5

October 2015 2014 Y-o-Y Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 33732 30386 11% Scottish National Portrait Gallery 27071 25799 5% Scottish Seabird Centre 20993 18538 13% Skara Brae 2469 2321 6% Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum 2423 4259 -43% St Andrews Castle 4402 3826 15% St Andrews Cathedral 1780 2093 -15% St Giles' Cathedral 93015 78107 19% St Vigeans 38 30 27% Stanley Mills 1226 782 57% 31927 30064 6% Strathclyde Country Park 406602 391779 4% Strathisla Distillery 1333 1048 27% Sweetheart Abbey 487 376 30% Talisker Distillery Visitor Centre 6092 4482 36% 3252 2824 15% Tenement House 1288 1443 -11% The Black Watch Castle and Museum 1260 1196 -7% The 13787 13018 6% The Falkirk Wheel 47137 46201 2% The Famous Grouse Experience 7118 5768 23% The Glasgow School of Art 733 500 47% The Hill House 2211 2415 -8% The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery 17771 19188 -7% The Museum of the University of St Andrews 2689 3437 -22% The People's Palace Museum 31788 30810 3% The Real Mary King's Close 20038 19015 5% The Royal Yacht Britannia 29151 28243 3% The Scotch Whisky Experience 26499 26367 1% The Scottish Parliament 22846 36965 -38% The St Mungo Museum of Religious Life And Art 11924 10369 15% The Tall Ship at Riverside 17888 19089 -6% The Willow Tea Rooms 13423 13959 -4% Threave Castle 1309 940 39% Threave Estate 2869 3246 -12% Tomatin Distillery Visitor Centre 2521 2319 9% Tormiston Mill 921 1075 -14% Tullibardine 752 1162 -35% Urquhart Castle 22483 18814 20% 689 1295 -47% Weaver's Cottage 12 19 -37% Writers Museum 3772 3937 -4%