ASVA Visitor Trend Report, December 2015 Dashboard Summary, December 2015 Scotland Total Visitor Numbers Usable data was received from 179 sites. The total number of visits recorded in December 2015 was 1,157,383; this compares to 1,154,657 in 2014 and indicates an increase of 0.2%. Excluding Country Parks Month of December 1,157,383 0.2% p ASVA's Commentary and Observations for December 2015 Year-to-Date 25,430,260 3.1% p Please note that figures can only be used when there is comparable data for both years, so if you submitted figures for Including Country Parks 2015 and do not see these in the listing, this is the reason. Month of December 1,586,034 2.1% p The marginal increase of 0.2% shown (excluding Country Parks) brings the year to an end and sees 45% of respondents Per Region noting an increase. Northern Scotland 48,350 -7.2% q December is typically one of the quietest months of the year although in some sites Christmas related activities do boost *Northern Scotland † 47,300 -9.2% q This report was numbers (see New Lanark Visitor Centre). Looking at the dashboard summary, two of the regions show increased visitor Eastern Scotland 702,346 2.3% p produced for ASVA by numbers and two show a decrease. Despite the extremely wet weather (see next paragraph), and for some against the Southern Scotland 30,179 0.7% p odds, several sites did show healthy increases including: Dundee Science Centre (140%), FC Scotland The Lodge Visitor Western Scotland 805,159 2.5% p Centre (36%), Gallery of Modern Art (16%), Highland Wildlife Park (49%), Kelvingrove (11%), Riverside Museum (7%), *Western Scotland † 377,558 -51.9% q Scottish Fisheries Museum (2209%), Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (67%) and The Real Mary King’s Close (37%) Weather-wise, December was mild with mean temperatures 3⁰C above average. It was also one of the wettest months Per Attraction Category on record, especially in the south of the country. (In Eskdalemuir the month’s total of 550mm was by far the wettest in over 100 years on record.) And the wettest city in the whole of the UK was Glasgow with 370mm. The extensive Heritage/historic precipitation was accompanied by largely overcast and grey skies although the east of the country did see average property/stately 245,258 -1.8% q amounts of sunshine. house Museums & Galleries 605,271 2.9% p Zoo/wildlife/safari 41,237 0.1% p park/aquarium Sports & activities 3,407 -40.4% q Forest park/ 428,651 7.3% p country park Gardens 30,016 -15.7% q Science Centre 29,207 -10.2% q Distillery/whisky 30,216 -1.9% q related Visitor Centre 55,159 -3.1% q Boat Trip/Marine 31,734 -19.3% q Other 85,878 15.4% p Spend per Ticket SPV1 Retail SPV Catering SPV ticket sold2 6.15 (64) 10.02 (25) 2.59 (60) 2.36 (7) * † Excluding Country Parks 8.9% p 5.0% p -8.3% q 4.7% p 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 0.2% p 1,157,383 1,154,657 3,827,114 3,489,432 2,552,800 2,558,823 2,256,235 2,387,225 2,155,066 1,511,228 1,304,108 1,257,559 1,157,383 973,287 Jan 15 Feb 15 Mar 15 Apr 15 May 15 Jun 15 Jul 15 Aug 15 Sep 15 Oct 15 Nov 15 Dec 15 Dec 15 Dec 14 Additional Comments Ticket SPV Retail SPV Catering SPV Ticket Spend Auchindrain "We close for two weeks over Christmas and New Year." 8.9% p Retail Spend £6.15 Camperdown Wildlife Centre "The wonderful wet and windy weather [has impacted on our business] although we have been luckier than many." £5.65 -8.3% q Catering Spend Dundee Science Centre "A very good month overall. Christmas holidays were busy." 4.7% p £2.82 £2.59 £2.36 £2.25 Scottish Fisheries Museum "Forth Road Bridge Closure meant less people coming over to Fife during that period." Mugdock Country Park "Pantomime running throughout December has kept visitor numbers up despite the wet weather." Dec 15 Dec 14 New Lanark Visitor Centre "December was our busiest month in 2015, due to our very sucessful Christmas Experience event which ran every weekend in the month up to 20th December, plus 23rd December and Christmas Eve." £9.54 £10.02 Spend per ticket sold St Giles' Cathedral "We have been having problems with our door counter, so the figure may under-represent the actual figure." 5.0% p Stirling Smith Art Gallery and "Christmas exhibition sold many items of artwork. Cafe income reduced temporarily allowing for Museum change of ownership to take place." _________________ 1 Ticket spend per visitor (Ticket SPV) divides the total ticket revenue by the number of visitors from ticket-revenue submitting sites. Dec 15 Dec 14 2 Spend per ticket sold divides the total ticket revenue by the number of tickets sold. 3 Site-specific report December 2015 u Responses for December 2015 were received from 179 sites. u 9 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. December December 2015 2014 Y-o-Y 2015 2014 Y-o-Y Aberdour Castle 232 263 -12% Dryburgh Abbey 298 283 5% Aberlour Distillery 30 91 -67% Dumbarton Castle 342 309 11% Almond Valley Heritage Trust 3822 3984 -4% Dumfries Museum & Camera Obscura 569 349 63% Arbroath Abbey 235 191 23% Dunblane Cathedral 1133 849 33% Arduaine Garden 46 65 -29% Dundee Science Centre 3356 1399 140% Argyll's Lodgings 844 1355 -38% Dunfermline Palace 226 296 -24% Auchindrain 2 17 -88% Dunstaffnage Castle 21 130 -84% Bannockburn 1300 1618 -20% Edinburgh Bus Tours 39126 29745 32% Black House 8 2 300% Edinburgh Butterfly & Insect World 2289 2257 1% Blackness Castle 503 443 14% Edinburgh Castle 71760 71560 0% Blair Athol Distillery Visitor Centre 393 172 128% Edinburgh Zoo 19403 20961 -7% Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway 9763 11857 -18% Elgin Cathedral 146 128 14% Bothwell Castle 83 325 -74% FC Scotland - Clatteringshaws Visitor Centre 703 1088 -35% Broughton House & Garden 39 20 95% FC Scotland - Glenmore Visitor Centre 4473 6867 -35% Broughty Castle Museum 969 849 14% FC Scotland - Glentress 15813 15606 1% Caerlaverock Castle 566 729 -22% FC Scotland - Kirroughtree Visitor Centre 3518 3388 4% Calderglen Country Park 40557 45174 -10% FC Scotland - Glentrool Visitor Centre 1152 1029 12% Callendar House 1601 1265 27% FC Scotland - The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre 4245 3117 36% Camperdown Wildlife Centre 3610 3519 3% Fort George 610 613 0% Caol Ila Distillery Visitor Centre 63 77 -18% Gallery of Modern Art 44622 38334 16% Cardhu Distillery Visitor Centre 111 70 59% Glasgow Cathedral 4292 7248 -41% Castle Campbell 313 402 -22% Glasgow Museums Resource Centre 786 800 -2% Chatelherault Country Park 30992 30137 3% Glasgow Science Centre 18523 21644 -14% Centre for Contemporary Arts 20090 20695 -3% Glen Ord Distillery Visitor Centre 207 173 20% City Art Centre 4411 4084 8% Glencoe 49 94 -48% Clydebank Museum and Art Gallery 1914 1245 54% Glenkinchie Distillery Visitor Centre 863 922 -6% Clynelish Distillery Visitor Centre 68 35 94% Glenlivet Distillery 14 70 -80% Craigmillar Castle 727 750 -3% Greenbank Garden 92 163 -44% Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate 230 146 58% Highland Wildlife Park 4073 2734 49% Culloden Battlefield visitor centre 961 731 31% House for an Art Lover 449 304 48% Culzean Country Park 1754 2145 -18% Huntingtower Castle 133 146 -9% Dallas Dhu Distillery 45 88 -49% Huntly Castle 165 142 16% Dalwhinnie Distillery Visitor Centre 373 430 -13% Inveresk Lodge Garden 48 10 380% David Livingstone Centre 419 295 42% Iona Abbey 20 109 -82% Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery 544 530 3% Jedburgh Abbey 330 361 -9% Dirleton Castle 298 588 -49% John Gray Centre 11507 12496 -8% Discovery Point 2540 2423 5% Johnstons of Elgin 16741 18313 -9% Doune Castle 1728 1498 15% Kelpies Tours 961 990 -3% Drum Castle, Garden & Estate 1072 422 154% Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum 56464 50931 11% Drumpellier Country Park 29075 29700 -2% Lagavulin Distillery Visitor Centre 89 102 -13% 4 December December 2015 2014 Y-o-Y 2015 2014 Y-o-Y Lauriston Castle 4096 3068 34% Scottish Fisheries Museum 4410 191 2209% Linlithgow Palace 1463 1175 25% Scottish National Gallery 103044 102365 1% Low Parks Museum 1333 1406 -5% Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 23170 13857 67% Macduff Marine Aquarium 986 861 15% Scottish National Portrait Gallery 24479 25924 -6% Malleny Garden 56 24 133% Scottish Seabird Centre 10876 10882 0% Mclean Museum & Art Gallery 1657 2246 -26% Skara Brae 347 289 20% Mcmanus Galleries 8556 9369 -9% Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum 2028 1644 23% Melrose Abbey 662 533 24% St Andrews Castle 1535 1627 -6% Mills Observatory 603 833 -28% St Andrews Cathedral 682 726 -6% Mugdock Country Park 34577 35736 -3% St Giles' Cathedral 58985 59082 0% Museum of Childhood 10365 9593 8% St Vigeans 11 12 -8% Museum of Edinburgh 4775 5169 -8% Stirling Castle 12573 12101 4% National Mining Museum Scotland 2646 3030 -13% Strathclyde Country Park 275178 242690 13% National Museum of Flight 525 694 -24% Strathisla Distillery 9 9 0% National Museum of Rural Life 4099 4245 -3% Summerlee Museum 6803 5673 20% National Museum of Scotland 92254 91827 0% Sweetheart Abbey 75 70 7% National War Museum 31474 33917 -7% Talisker Distillery Visitor Centre 344 328 5% The Nelson Monument 553 658 -16% Tantallon Castle 954 1020 -6% Nevis Range 3358 5621 -40% The Black Watch Castle and Museum 542 227 -7%