ASVA VISITOR TREND REPORT - AUGUST 2009/2010

OVERVIEW

Visitor numbers for August 2009/2010 were received from 192 sites. 8 sites requested confidentiality, and although their numbers have been included in the calculations, they do not appear in the tables below. There are 8 sites for which there is no comparable data for 2009. The 2010 figures do appear in the table below for information but were not included in the calculations. Thus, directly comparable data has been used from 183 sites.

From the usable data from 183 sites, the total number of visits recorded in August 2010 was 2,136,630 this compares with 2,209,889 in 2009 and indicates a decrease of -3.3% for the month.

Weatherwise, August continued to see low pressure in control for much of the month, with just a few local exceptions. In the first half of the month, heavy rainfall in the north-east caused damage to some roads in the area. The mainly cool, cloudy and showery weather continued for much of the month meaning that it was the coolest August since 1993, although parts of the west of the country did enjoy drier than average weather with some sunshine. The end of the month saw much improved weather with sunshine and warmer temperatures which coincided with the Bank Holiday weekend. http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/hi/uk_reviews/default.stm

August 2009 August 2010 % change SE AREA (137) 1,787,644 1,734,781 -3.0% HIE AREA (46) 422,245 401,849 -4.8% TOTAL (183) 2,209,889 2,136,630 -3.3% Table 1 – Scotland August 2009/2010

SE AREA

In August 2010 there were 1,734,781 visits recorded, compared to 1,787,644 during the same period in 2009, a decrease of -3.0%. 50% of respondents noted a decrease. Within that there were some larger sites noting lower visitor numbers and who will have had an influence on the overall figure – Crathes Castle (-24%), Zoo (-12%), Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum (-12%), Museum of Childhood (- 16%), National Museum of Scotland (-3%), People’s Palace (-18%), Stirling White House (-16%) as well as some sites that requested confidentiality. These decreases were somewhat mitigated by increases at other larger sites – (6%), Glasgow Cathedral (27%), (72%), National Galleries of Scotland (9%) and the (7%).

Site name August 2009 August 2010 % change Aberdour Castle 2223 2285 2.8% Tower 1413 1373 -2.8% 1232 1008 -18.2% Arbroath Abbey 2570 2398 -6.7% Argyll's Lodgings 4016 4194 4.4% Bachelors' Club 213 170 -20.2% Balvenie Castle 1427 1610 12.8% Bannockburn 9242 9069 -1.9% Barrie's Birthplace 1706 1850 8.4% 593 517 -12.8% Blackness Castle 2933 2820 -3.9% Blair Atholl Distillery 5724 4703 -17.8% Castle 1232 1751 42.1% Branklyn Garden 1234 1187 -3.8% Brass Rubbing Centre 1416 1080 -23.7% Brodick Castle 7061 8187 15.9% Brodick Country Park 10951 11810 7.8% Brodie Castle 5498 5068 -7.8% Broughton House 2459 3372 37.1% 23410 22906 -2.2% Caerlaverock Castle 9689 7735 -20.2% Cairnpapple Hill 594 664 11.8% Cardoness Castle 1360 1503 10.5% Castle Campbell 3523 2968 -15.8% Castle Fraser 5345 4098 -23.3% Castle Semple Centre 7431 9436 27.0% 3545 Clatteringshaws Visitor Centre 10011 8508 -15.0% Corgarff Castle 1181 1046 -11.4% Craigievar Castle 4128

Craigmillar Castle 2628 2688 2.3% Craignethan Castle 924 1035 12.0% Crathes Castle 14086 10741 -23.7% Crichton Castle 850 753 -11.4% Crossraguel Abbey 727 751 3.3% Culross 3624 3683 1.6% Culzean Castle 20830 20748 -0.4% Culzean Country Park 34661 35718 3.0% 2674 3904 46.0% Dirleton Castle 4459 4950 11.0% Doune Castle 7160 7807 9.0% Drum Castle 3769 5918 57.0% Dryburgh Abbey 4869 4608 -5.4% Dumbarton Castle 2564 2777 8.3% Dunblane Cathedral 3119 1298 -58.4% Dundrennan Abbey 727 1056 45.3% Dunfermline Palace 2457 2784 13.3% Edinburgh Castle 179319 190266 6.1% Edinburgh Museums’ Collections Cent. 40 56 40.0% Edinburgh Zoo 95337 83528 -12.4% Edzell Castle 1432 1561 9.0% Elcho Castle 1574 1622 3.0% Falkland Palace 11273 9475 -15.9% Fyvie Castle 5469 5398 -1.3% Gallery of Modern Art 55392 53712 -3.0% Georgian House 8682 8265 -4.8% Gladstone's Land 10146 9694 -4.5% Glasgow Catheral 37206 47290 27.1% Glenkinchie Distillery 4242 3910 -7.8% Glenluce Abbey 427

Glentrool Visitor Centre 7051 7000 - 0.7% Greenbank Garden 3910 4450 13.8% Greenock Cut Visitor Centre 1122 1686 50.3% Haddo House 1153 1013 -12.1% Hermitage Castle 1530 1545 1.0% Hill of Tarvit 60 852 1320.0% Holmwood House 730 694 -4.9% House of Dun 2429 2364 -2.7% House of the Binns 1073 1171 9.1% Huntingtower Castle 1650 1712 3.8% Huntly Castle 3029 2921 -3.6% Inchcolm Abbey 4882 5355 9.7% Inveresk 296 278 -6.1% Jedburgh Abbey 4245 4775 12.5% Kellie Castle 2538 2752 8.4% Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum 143895 126817 -11.9% Kildrummy Castle 2122 1707 -19.6% Kirriemuir Camera Obscura 1248 1141 -8.6% Kirroughtree Visitor Centre 8812 9262 5.1% Laurieston Castle 4741 8155 72.0% Leith Hall 302

Linlithgow Palace 9497 9666 1.8% Loch Leven 5171 5733 10.9% Lochnagar Distillery 2698 2206 -18.2% Maclellans Castle 1634 1722 5.4% Malleny 1099 1104 0.5% Martyrs’ School 16 579 3518.8% Meigle Museum 772 919 19.0% Melrose Abbey 10500 11150 6.2% Moirlannich 299 273 -8.7% Muirshiel Centre 1081 1920 77.6% Museum of Childhood 43874 37043 -15.6% Museum of Costume 3712 3688 -0.6% 8778 8278 -5.7% National Galleries of Scotland 198440 215996 8.8% National Museum of Flight 12117 11419 -5.8% National Museum of Rural Life 6751 7169 6.2% National Museum of Scotland 94554 91273 -3.5% National War Museum 79910 85692 7.2% Nelson Monument 4795

New Abbey Corn Mill 1034 1172 13.3% Newark Castle 746 831 11.4% Newhailes 1317 1120 -15.0% People's Palace 35422 29161 -17.7% People's Story 12202 10575 -13.3% Pitmedden 4671 5190 11.1% Pollok House 8596 6703 -22.0% Preston Mill 733 764 4.2% Priorwood 2363 2335 -1.2% Provand's Lordship 13449 13984 4.0% Queensferry Museum 1539 1280 -16.8% Robert Smail's Print Works 913 711 -22.1% Rothesay Castle 1507 1472 -2.3% Scotland Street School Museum 7434 3574 -51.9% 13362 15209 13.8% Scottish Deer Centre 33694 14259 -57.7% Scottish Mining Museum 4229 5227 23.6% Scottish Wool Centre 33694 25934 -23.0% St Serfs 901 1124 24.8% Seton Collegiate Church 555 568 2.3% Smailholm Tower 1242 1322 6.4% Souter Johnnie's 484 496 2.5% Spynie Palace 1851 1536 -17.0% St Andrews Castle 10722 10983 2.4% St Andrews Cathedral 6361 6257 -1.6% St Bernard's Well 800 St Mungo Museum 16058 16032 - 0.2% Stanley Mills 2991 2430 -18.8% 50277 59380 18.1% Stirling White House 25954 21723 -16.3% Sweetheart Abbey 1920 2371 23.5% Tantallon Castle 6142 6269 2.1% Tenement House 3724 3706 -0.5% Threave Castle 1189 5054 325.1% Threave Garden 8922 8621 -3.4% Tolquhon Castle 989 1038 5.0% Travelling Gallery 600 1441 140.2% Trossachs Woollen Mill 35299 24814 -29.7% Weaver's Cottage 369 288 -22.0% Writers' Museum 9305 7267 -21.9% SE AREA TOTAL 1787644 1734781 -3.0% Table 2 – SE area August 2009.10 HIE AREA

August 2010 saw 401,849 visits compared to 422,245 in the same period in 2009. Despite the overall decrease of -4.4%, just over 40% of respondents noted lower visitor numbers. But those did include substantial decreases at some larger sites – Culloden (-12%), Glencoe (-75%) and at one site that requested confidentiality. Meaningful increases were noted at Fort George (28%) and Urquhart Castle (8%)

Site name August 2009 August 2010 Aberlour 908 1080 18.9% Arduaine Garden 2879 3207 11.4% Auchindrain 1252 1419 13.3% Bishops and Earls Palaces 2888 2721 -5.8% Black House 2888 2997 3.8% Bonawe Iron Furnace 1521 1535 0.9% Brough of Birsay 1937 2269 17.1% Caol Ila Distillery 420 326 -22.4% Carlyle's Birthplace 207 226 9.2% Clynelish Distillery 716 821 14.7% Cragganmore Distillery 466 382 -18.0% Crarae 1808 1556 -13.9% Culloden 27046 23758 -12.2% Dallas Dhu 3336 3459 3.7% Dalwhinnie Distillery 5493 6173 12.4% Dunstaffnage Castle 5170 6058 17.2% Elgin Cathedral 6987 7916 13.3% Fort George 15608 20047 28.4% Geilston 1160 1203 3.7% Glen Ord Distillery 4482 2900 -35.3% Glencoe 29680 7524 -74.6% Glenfinnan 6239 5484 -12.1% Groam House 1631 1596 -2.1% Gurness Broch 2377 2399 0.9% Hackness 525 637 21.3% Highland Wildlife Park 22227 20307 -8.6% Hill House 5663 5029 -11.2% Hugh Miller's Cottage 526 773 47.0% Inverewe Garden 19671 20544 4.4% Iona Abbey 368 281 -23.6% Jacobite Cruises 27248 27946 2.6% Jarslhof 3339 2709 -18.9% Kisimul Castle 1475 1739 17.9% Lagavulin Distillery 533 690 29.5% Mount Stuart House and Garden 5727 6679 16.6% Nevis Range 29581 29893 1.1% Oban Distillery 9032 7266 -19.6% Skara Brae 18567 17834 -3.9% Strathisla 2570 2685 -4.3% St Columba Centre 1253

Talisker Distillery 12440 9590 -22.9% The Glenlivet 8970 9627 7.3% Tormiston Mill 5044 5119 1.5% Torridon 2416 1511 -37.5% Urquhart Castle 67102 72460 8.0% TOTAL HIE AREA 422245 401849 -4.8% Table 3 – HIE area August 2009.10

ADDITIONAL ANECDOTAL COMMENT

Nevis Range – “High Wire Adventure interest and attending our ceilidh nights.”

YEAR TO DATE

Scotland Scotland % Cumulative SE 09 HIE 09 09 SE 10 HIE 10 10 change January – July 8752877 1101129 9854006 8431885 1056333 9488218 -3.7% Add. retro adjustment 269,837 271,642 0.7% August 1,787,644 422,245 9,854,006 8,431,885 1,056,333 9,488,217 -3.3% Year to date August 10,810,358 1,523,374 12,333,732 10,438,308 1,458,182 11,896,490 -3.5% Table 4 – Year to Date 2009.10