Generalising about national characteristics is always a risky business, but it seems visitors to Scotland look for different experiences depending on where they come from.

If a tourist is German, for example, there is a good chance they will want to go hill-walking in Scotland, but if they are French, they are much more likely to head for a museum.

And according to VisitScotland, this is just the beginning of the national differences, with Dutch visitors most likely to socialise while in Scotland and Italians most likely to head for our specialist shops.

The study by VisitScotland is clearly a bit of fun, but with more than two million foreign visits every year to Scotland, it also has also some serious intent. Scotland's tourism industry provides a huge benefit to the economy. Denise Hill, VisitScotland's head of marketing, says tourist profiles ensure they target the right market with the right message at the right time.

Just as long as VisitScotland does not rely on the survey too much because a so-called national characteristic can all too easily slide into a stereotype. The biggest asset in VisitScotland's armoury is not a survey about national preferences - it is Scotland itself.