Scotland has two attractions in tourism top ten

Two Scottish tourist attractions have been listed in the top UK 10 landmarks.

Edinburgh Castle came fourth in the poll, with the votes coming in TripAdvisor’s UK Travellers’ Choice Landmark awards.

And staff at the Royal Yacht Britannia, in Edinburgh, are celebrating after being placed at number five.

Bob Downie, chief executive of the Royal Yacht Britannia said: ‘We are delighted that our pioneering approach to delivering outstanding customer experiences has resulted in being included in TripAdvisor’s Top 10 for six years running.

‘The true test of any great organisation is the consistency of their performance as seen through the eyes of their customers. This result is a testament to our excellent staff who continually receive such positive feedback from our visitors.

‘It is also great for Edinburgh, and Scottish tourism in general, that we have two landmarks in the top five which should be a great boost to the city’s marketing efforts.’

He added: ‘We recognise that there is a significant difference in the quality standards required to gain a five-star “Excellent” review, than a four-star “Very Good” review, which is crucial in convincing customers to invest their valuable time in visiting your attraction, something we strive to achieve at Britannia every day.’

Edinburgh Castle is the most popular tourist attraction in the UK, outside of London

The top 10 UK landmarks as voted for in the Traveller’s Choice Awards are:

1. Tower of London, London;

2. Tower Bridge, London;

3. Big Ben, London;

4. Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh;

5. The Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh;

6. Westminster Abbey, London;

7. The Roman Baths, Bath;

8. The Cavern Club, Liverpool;

9. Buckingham Palace, London;

10. St Paul’s Cathedral, London.

Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: ‘It is wonderful to see two Scottish attractions make the top five of TripAdvisor’s 2018 Landmark Awards. Edinburgh Castle, which last year welcomed over 2million people, is the highest rated landmark outside of London with the Royal Yacht Britannia at Leith following close behind.

‘Both of these attractions offer unique experiences for visitors, giving them a taste of all the fantastic things to see and do in Scotland. It is great to see them receive such thoroughly-deserved recognition. Awards such as these act as a springboard for visitors to discover wider regions and our country’s hidden gems.’

Travellers’ Choice Landmarks awards honour top landmarks worldwide based on the millions of valuable reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travellers. Award winners were determined, using an algorithm that takes into account the quantity and quality of reviews for landmarks worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period.

TripAdvisor spokesperson Hayley Coleman added: ‘It’s fantastic to see two of Edinburgh’s iconic landmarks steadily rising in the rankings. The regional spread of winners in this list shows there is so much to see – throughout the UK.’

This success for Britannia follows on from the award-winning attraction reporting its most successful year ever in 2017 since opening as a visitor attraction in Edinburgh 20 years ago. Britannia also maintains its status as Scotland’s best attraction in national tourism agency rankings, VisitScotland, for 12 years running.