TOP tourism officials have urged visitors to get “castle-bagging” after research revealed almost half of British people have never visited a Scottish castle.
A VisitScotland poll revealed Edinburgh Castle is the best known castle (80 per cent) followed by the Queen’s holiday home, Balmoral Castle (53 per cent).
However, 49 per cent of those quizzed by researchers in the online survey had never visited a Scottish castle.
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “Castles are an iconic and integral part of Scotland’s history and culture.
“From the grandiose castles of Stirling and Edinburgh to the remote charms of Eilean Donan and Castle Stalker, there is something unique and special about every single one and each has their own significant story to tell.
“Everyone should have the opportunity to experience a Scottish castle in their lifetime, so we would encourage everyone to make it their mission to bag a Scottish castle alongside a Munro on their visit here.”
Dunrobin Castle in Sutherland was voted the “most romantic-looking” location with more than a quarter (29 per cent) of the votes, followed by Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire (16 per cent) and Eilean Donan Castle in the Highlands (12 per cent). Slains Castle in Peterhead was “most likely to be haunted” with almost a quarter of votes (22 per cent).
The accolade for the best castle in Scotland went to Edinburgh Castle with 39 per cent of the votes ahead of Stirling (5 per cent), Urquhart (2 per cent) and St Andrews Castle (2 per cent).
Scotland is thought to have around 3000 standing castles, ruins and documented sites.
Tourism chiefs say about 1050 are merely sites, including places where a house has been built on the location of a former castle, and about 825 are standing ruins.
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