#HeritageDay17 Glenfinnan

Glenfinnan © David Gill

The Glenfinnan Monument, in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, marks the point where Prince Charles Edward Stewart landed in 1745. The column was erected in 1815

Glenfinnan © David Gill

Leading Visitor Attractions 2016: National Trust for Scotland

Brodick Castle © David Gill

The numbers for Leading Visitor Attractions in the UK are now available. They include properties in the care of the National Trust for Scotland.

The properties are:

• no. 133: Culzean Castle & Country Park, 209,710
• no. 157: Burns Birthplace Museum, 140,528
• no. 159: Culloden, 139,691
• no. 181: Inverewe Gardens, 91,576
• no. 209: Drum Castle, 47,037
• no. 211: Bannockburn, 45,757
• no. 213: Falkland Palace, 41,390
• no. 217: Pitmedden Garden, 33,095
• no. 233: Brodick Castle and Country Park, 27,896
• no. 224: Hill House, 26,857
• no. 230: Gladstones Land, 21,807

Significant increases were seen by Burns Birthplace Museum, Culloden, Inverewe Gardens, Drum Castle, Pitmedden Garden, and Gladstones Land.

Culloden © David Gill

Burns Night 2017

Alloway © David Gill

The Burns Birthplace Museum is managed by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS). The visitor centre at Alloway is linked to the cottage via the Poet’s Path.

Burns Night is celebrated on Wednesday 25 January 2017.

The Battle of Culloden

Culloden © David Gill

Today marks the anniversary of the battle of Culloden, near to Inverness, on 16 April 1746. The battlefield is now maintained and interpreted by the National Trust for Scotland. The Old Leanach cottage stands at the heart of the site and  has been restored.

Culloden © David Gill

A cairn marks the fallen.

Culloden © David Gill

Leading Visitor Attractions: National Trust for Scotland

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum © David Gill

The figures for the Leading Visitor Attractions in the UK are now available (ALVA). The top attraction for the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) is the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum with 235K visitors (no. 116). The nearby Culzean Castle was close behind with 228K (no. 118).

These were followed by:

• no. 156: Glencoe (133K)
• no. 159: Culloden (117K)
• no. 191: Inverewe Gardens (56K)
• no. 192: Bannockburn (54K)
• no. 199: Falkland Palace (42K)
• no. 200: Crathes Castle (42K)
• no. 206: Gladstones Land (28K)
• no. 210: Hill House (25K)
• no. 211: Drum Castle (25K)
• no. 222: Pitmedden Garden (22K)
• no. 225: The Royal Burgh of Culross (11K)

Inverewe Gardens © David Gill

Visitor attractions in UK

The Duveen Gallery at the British Museum

The latest figures for the top UK visitor attractions for 2014 have been announced (see ALVA). Top of the list is the British Museum with 6.695 million visits. Other attractions that caught my eye include the Tower of London (no. 8; 3.075 million), Greenwich Old Royal Naval College (no. 13; 1.749 million), Edinburgh Castle (no. 17; 1.480 million), Stonehenge (no. 21; 1.346 million), The Roman Baths in Bath (no. 27; 1.143 million), Fountains Abbey (no. 77; 366,150), and Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall (no. 162; 104,511). One of my favourite spots, Glenfinnan (NTS), came in at no. 212 with 20,491.

The list is demonstrating the importance of the heritage sector to the UK economy.