Key insights on history and culture
Results from the Scotland Visitor Survey 2023 show that the following remain top motivators for choosing Scotland:
- Scotland's scenery (70%)
- history and culture (48%)
Overview
- Scotland’s heritage and cultural landscape are a draw for visitors. Scotland’s historic and cultural icons are strong and distinctive. They are often top of mind for visitors, particularly for those people who don’t live in Scotland.
- On this page, we look at one of the reasons why our visitors choose Scotland. Our history and culture remains a top driver to visit Scotland (48%).
- You will also find information on our visitors interest in Gaelic language and culture.
In this article:
1. Top reasons for choosing Scotland
70%
of visitors to Scotland stated scenery and landscape as a reason to visit
48%
of visitors mentioned history and culture as a reason to visit
27%
of visitors mentioned outdoor activities as a reason to visit
22%
of visitors mentioned visiting friends and family as a reason to visit
Source: Scotland Visitor Survey, 2023
Scotland's history and culture are a strong draw for our long haul markets.
70% of long haul visitors to Scotland stated history and culture as a reason to visit.
Long haul refers to USA, Canada, and Australasia within this survey.
2. Interest in the Gaelic language
The Gaelic community has supplied Scotland with many of the country’s national icons, including the kilt, ceilidhs, and tartan.
The Gaelic language dates back centuries. It's the founding language of Scotland, associated with a rich heritage of music, folklore and culture.
Results from the Scotland Visitor Survey 2023 highlight that:
- 28% of visitors agreed that "finding out more about Scottish Gaelic language and culture enhanced my visit". This rose to 46% for our long haul visitors. These figures are based on nine or ten scores on a ten point scale.
- If we look at positive scores six or above on the ten point scale, 62% of visitors were in agreement, rising to 83% for long haul visitors.
Browse our Scotland Visitor Survey 2023 for more information.
