subject: Four Of The Most Visited Parts Of Scotland [print this page] According to Visit Britain, the country of Scotland as a whole received almost 2,500,000 overnight visitors in 2008. A figure that has, in general, increased significantly over the past decade (statistics from the same source show that in the year 2000, overnight visits were made by less than 1,700,000 people), Scotland has become one of the leading tourist destinations in Europe in recent years, with thanks due largely to the Visit Scotland campaigns.
For the most part, there is a part of Scotland that will be of some interest to many different people. However, the following five parts of the country are considered by many to be those that are the most visited and therefore most popular in terms of visitors from outside of the country itself.
1. Edinburgh. The capital city of Scotland, one million visitors take a trip to what is the second largest city in Scotland and one of the most visited tourist destinations in the whole of the UK, secondly only to London, the capital city of England.
It can be difficult to pinpoint what exactly attracts so many visitors to Edinburgh each and every year, as there is such a vast amount of sights and attractions to experience, regardless of the time of year that a visit is made. From the Hogmanay celebrations on 31 December to the Edinburgh Festival which takes place right throughout the month of August, Edinburgh really is one of those destinations where there is something to see and do for everyone the year round.
2. Glasgow. The largest city in the country, Glasgow has a vast amount of popular attractions that are visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, making it the second most popular tourist destination in Scotland.
The size of Glasgow itself means that there will very rarely be nothing to see or do and according to statistics provided by the General Register Office for Scotland, the entire area that is governed by Glasgow has a population total that is more than a third of the entire population of Scotland.
3. Inverness. Whilst Edinburgh and Glasgow may be the two most prominent attractions in terms of areas of Scotland, Inverness is a part of the country that is visited on a regular basis by those who want to explore the famous Scottish Highlands.
The city itself is one that is not known for its tourism properties (in the way that it does not boast vast amounts of attractions aimed at tourists), but instead it uses its fantastic location in Scotland to provide a range of services, including ideal transport links, to the entire Highland area.
In addition, Inverness is also within the vicinity of Loch Ness, making a visit to potentially see the Loch Ness monster an easy one to make from the city.
4. Ayrshire. Located in the south west area of the country, Ayrshire is a county that is renowned primarily for two separate attractions. Firstly, its historical ties to many famous Scots including William Wallace and Roberts Burns are apparent throughout the area and secondly it has become famous for having some of the best golf courses anywhere on the globe and has played host to the British Open Golf Championship on two separate occasions since the turn of the millennium.
