ASVA VISITOR TREND REPORT

JANUARY -MARCH 2009/2010

OVERVIEW

Comparable data for January – March 2009/2010 was received from 161 sites. 8 sites requested confidentially, and although their numbers have been included in the calculations, they do not appear in the tables below. There were also 4 sites for which there was no directly comparable data all 3 months both years. They appear in the tables for information below but have not been included in the calculations. Where a site is open on specific days only or for pre-booked parties, those figures have been included as the comparison is like for like.

From the usable data, the total number of visits recorded in January-March 2010 was 2,370,911, this compares with 2,499,243 in 2009 and indicates a decrease of -5.1% for the first quarter of the year.

Weather-wise, the year began with cold, snowy conditions across the country and throughout January the low temperatures and icy conditions brought disruption including widespread delays to rail & air travel, power supplies and road closures. Altnharra recorded a temperature of -22C . Despite a thaw in the second part of January, February saw largely similar conditions as the previous month with snowfall and high winds causing drifting. As a result once again there was considerable disruption across much of the central and northern parts of the country causing road closures, travel delays and power cuts. Temperatures remained lower than average with -19C recorded at Braemar. March was month of two halves. The first half was mainly dry and fine although remaining cold. But the latter part of the month saw much more changeable weather with widespread precipitation – falling as snow on higher ground – and high winds. Again the inclement weather brought widespread disruption to transport and power supplies. http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/hi/uk_reviews/default.stm

January-March 2009 January-March 2010 % change SE AREA (129) 2,328,189 2,211,784 -5% HIE AREA (33) 171,054 159,127 -7% TOTAL (161) 2,499,243 2,370,911 -5.1% Table 1 – Scotland January-March 2009/2010

SE AREA

In the first quarter of 2010 (January – March) there were 2,211,784 visits recorded, compared to 2,499,243 during the same period in 2009, a decrease of -5.1%. 56% of respondents noted a decrease. Such extreme weather conditions as described above, therefore means that many sites, especially those who are weather dependent, saw decreases in footfall. In Glasgow & Edinburgh, there was a mixed picture with some sites noting meaningful increases and others close by seeing reduced numbers.

Site name Jan-March 2009 Jan-March 2010 % change Abbey Sanctuary 159 85 -46.5% Aberdour Castle 1364 1290 -5.4% 65 0 -100.0% Arbroath Abbey 1398 1210 -13.4% Argyll's Lodgings 1390 892 -35.8% Bannockburn 4759 6914 45.3% Barry Mill 0 25 Blackness Castle 1725 1863 8.0% Blair Atholl Distillery 924 657 -28.9% Bothwell Castle 1075 1226 14.0% British Golf Museum 440 564 28.2% Brodick Country Park 22 0 -100.0% Brodie Castle 1267 1272 0.4% Broughton House 79 100 26.6% 4542 5066 11.5% Burns Birthplace 34320 34407 0.3% 43332 40037 -7.6% Caerlaverock Castle 2709 2846 5.1% Callendar House 4964 3530 -28.9% Camera Obscura & World of 21608 Illusions 21006 -2.8% Cardoness Castle 167 159 -4.8% Castle Campbell 1942 1515 -22.0% Castle Fraser 120 33 -72.5% Castle Semple Centre 14595 17205 17.9% Chatelherault 134689 138254 2.6% Clatteringshaws Visitor Centre 1642 2113 28.7% Corgarff Castle 46 23 -50.0% Cornalees Centre 348 745 114.1% Craigmillar Castle 2930 2164 -26.1% Craignethan Castle 492 334 -32.1% Crathes Castle 1512 1014 -32.9% Culzean Country Park 15462 15669 1.3% 508 1063 109.3% Dirleton Castle 1913 2003 4.7% Doune Castle 2640 2844 7.7% Dryburgh Abbey 1450 1416 -2.3% Dumbarton Castle 1055 1509 43.0% Dunblane Cathedral 70 2281 Dundee Science Centre 12541 10009 -20.2% Dundrennan Abbey 94 98 4.3% Dunfermline Palace 1029 774 -24.8% Edinburgh Butterfly World 13287 12488 -6.0% Edinburgh Castle 166366 166493 0.1% Edinburgh Zoo 97724 80460 -17.7% Edzell Castle 354 265 -25.1% Falkland Palace 2316 1960 -15.4% Fyvie Castle 133 14 -89.5% Gallery of Modern Art 128410 117470 -8.5% Georgian House 1939 2183 12.6% Glasgow Cathedral 19066 16476 -13.6% Glasgow Mus. Resource Centre 221 519 134.8% Glenkinchie Distillery 1204 1519 26.2% Grangemouth Museum 180 188 4.4% Greenbank Garden 4855 5128 5.6% Haddo House 72 16 -77.8% Hamilton Mausoleum 59 24 -59.3% Hill of Tarvit 14

Holmwood House 314 30 -90.4% Huntingtower Castle 808 1116 38.1% Huntly Castle 599 375 -37.4% Inveresk 1857 140 -92.5% Jedburgh Abbey 1152 1031 -10.5% Kelvingrove Art Gall. & Museum 302590 215852 -28.7% Kinneil Museum 996 703 -29.4% Kirroughtree Visitor Centre 2257 3167 40.3% Laurieston Castle 9207 Linlithgow Palace 5741 2484 -56.7% Lochnagar Distillery 650 485 -25.4% Low Parks Museum 4127 3889 -5.8% Macduff Marine Aquarium 5668 4085 -27.9% Malleny 479 173 -63.9% Martyr's School 596 2570 331.2% McManus Galleries closed 3321 Melrose Abbey 3091 2519 -18.5% 3509 3552 1.2% Mugdock Country Park 129167 133416 3.3% Muirshiel Centre 1423 945 -33.6% Museum of Childhood 39712 40063 0.9% 9040 9733 7.7% Museum of Transport 113011 100034 -11.5% National Museum of Flight 5232 6232 19.1% National Museum of Rural Life 12171 14329 17.7% National Museum of Scotland 120240 130439 8.5% 73509 71492 -2.7% New Abbey Corn Mill 224 163 -27.2% Village 9714 8087 -16.7% Newhailes 112 22 -80.4% Park Gallery 1070 780 -27.1% People's Palace 45326 56425 24.5% People's Story 10071 10412 3.4% Pictavia 451 436 -3.3% Pollok House 16098 14787 -8.1% Provand's Lordship 21772 15775 -27.5% Queensferry Museum 1150 1978 72.0% Robert Smail's Print Works 70 24 -65.7% Rosslyn Chapel 15136 11702 -22.7% Rothesay Castle 2162 560 -74.1% Scotch Whisky Experience 33565 41800 24.5% Scotland Street School Museum 17278 12708 -26.4% Scott Monument 6497 6600 1.6% Scottish Mining Museum 6849 7473 9.1% Scottish Seabird Centre 35369 31573 -10.7% Smailholm Tower 485 177 -63.5% Spynie Palace 276 104 -62.3% St Andrews Castle 5045 4719 -6.5% St Andrews Cathedral 2187 2048 -6.4% St Giles Cathedral 84554 132231 56.4% St Mungo Museum 27916 35890 28.6% St Vigeans 39

Stanley Mills 662 1478 123.3% Stirling Castle 33740 34145 1.2% Stirling White House 9983 6311 -36.8% Sweetheart Abbey 450 331 -26.4% Tantallon Castle 2606 2152 -17.4% Tenement House 1160 1139 -1.8% Threave Garden 5007 2319 -53.7% Tolquhon Castle 184 110 -40.2% Travelling Gallery 2259 Trinity House 67 Willow Tea Rooms 27636 25539 -7.6% Writers' Museum 8434 8310 -1.5% TOTAL SE AREA 2328189 2211784 -5.0%

HIE AREA

January – March 2010 saw 159,127 visits compared to 171,054 in the same period in 2009. This is a downturn of -7%. The north of the country saw even more extreme weather conditions than in the south so the overall reduction should not be surprising as many sites were forced to close. And this does make it harder to have any degree of ‘catch-up’ in the rest of the year. 60% of respondents noted a decrease but interestingly the Highland Wildlife Park still managed to post a 50% increase in footfall.

Site name Jan -March 2009 Jan -March 2010 % change Aberlour Distillery 92 Arduaine Garden 302 461 52.6% Auchindrain 111

Balmacara 161 161 0.0% Black House 246 164 -33.3% Caol Ila Distillery 55 51 -7.3% Cardhu Distillery 224 85 -62.1% Cragganmore Distillery 12

Crarae 35 22 - 37.1% Culloden 7473 4456 -40.4% Dallas Dhu 432 244 -43.5% Dalwhinnie Distillery 701 447 -36.2% Dunstaffnage Castle 859 954 11.1% Elgin Cathedral 509 397 -22.0% Fort George 2989 2515 -15.9% Glen Ord Distillery 442 417 -5.7% Glencoe 1638 818 -50.1% Groam House 121 138 14.0% Highland Wildlife Park 11600 17393 49.9% 8049 6129 -23.9% Iona Abbey 583 948 62.6% Jacobite Cruises 10782 10634 -1.4% Johnston's Cashmere Visitor 38341 Centre 34082 -11.1% Lagavulin Distillery 123 430 249.6% Mount Stuart House and Garden 751 1496 99.2% Nevis Range 17541 14897 -15.1% Oban Distillery 966 1054 9.1% Skara Brae 1164 858 -26.3% Talisker Distillery 916 678 -26.0% Tomatin Distillery 2956 1787 -39.5% Tormiston Mill 472 591 25.2% Urquhart Castle 17791 14336 -19.4% TOTAL HIE AREA 171054 159127 -7.0%