Scotland's leading tourist attractions saw a "spectacular" increase in visitor numbers in 2015, with Edinburgh Castle celebrating a record-breaking year and taking the top spot as the most visited attraction.
VisitScotland welcomed the figures - from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) - and said it was "wonderful" to see the country's attractions performing above the UK average.
The ALVA data showed a 5.5 per cent increase in visitors to Scottish attractions, compared to the UK average of 3.2 per cent and London's increase of 1.6 per cent.
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said: "These really are spectacular results for Scotland’s leading visitor attractions and it is wonderful to see this country performing above the UK average.
"Our attractions play a vital role in Scotland’s visitor economy, with accommodation providers, restaurants, cafes and numerous other businesses also reaping the benefits of this continued growth.
"Last month, VisitScotland launched its first ever global marketing campaign, the Spirit of Scotland, which will inspire even more people to come here and explore our incredible array of attractions."
Edinburgh Castle was the most visited attraction in Scotland with 1,568,508 visitors, a 5.9 per cent increase on the previous year. This placed the historic site ahead of the National Museum of Scotland for the first time in five years.
The National Museum of Scotland was the most visited free attraction, with 1,567,319 visitors, and was the most visited museum outside of London.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said the figures showed the importance of the country's historic attractions to Scottish tourism.
Stephen Duncan, director of Commercial and Tourism at HES, said: "It’s great to see Edinburgh Castle at the top of the table in Scotland after another record-breaking year for the castle.
"We’ve seen particular growth in online and travel trade at the castle in 2015, and following a refresh of the castle website towards the end of the year, I’m sure this will continue.
"Both Stirling Castle and Urquhart Castle have also had record years, with each seeing a rise in visitors signing up for membership – showing that Scotland’s historic visitor attractions continue to be a vital component of the country’s tourism experience."
The National Museums of Scotland, including the National Museum of Scotland, National War Museum, National Museum of Rural Life and National Museum of Flight, saw a combined total of 2,338,240 visits.
While the National Galleries of Scotland welcomed a combined total of more than 2.1 million visitors. This included a 47 per cent increase to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art One and a 35 per cent increase in visitors to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Two.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow welcomed 1,261,552 visitors in 2015 - an increase of 12.4 per cent - while the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh saw a 10 per cent rise.
Bernard Donoghue, director of ALVA, said: "2015 continued to be a record year mainly due to our members continuing to show how diverse the UK is to both domestic and overseas visitors.
"The current weakness of the pound to the dollar and Euro is making the UK a more affordable destination and 2016 is on target to be another memorable year for ALVA members."
The tourism figures came as hotel data showed occupancy rates in Glasgow and Edinburgh were well above the UK average for 2015.
Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) revealed Edinburgh hotels had an occupancy of 81.5 per cent, while Glasgow reached 81.7 per cent, compared to the UK average of 68.6 per cent.
However, occupancy in Aberdeen reached just 66 per cent as the city continues to suffer from low oil prices and redundancies.
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