New research from the Moffat Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University has found that visits to Scotland's main tourist attractions increased by 4 million last year.

Edinburgh's relaunched National Museum of Scotland (NMS) and the Riverside Museum in Glasgow helped to boost the figures, according to the Moffat Centre Visitor Attraction Monitor.

A total of 47 million trips were made to Scottish tourist venues last year, with attractions that offer free admission welcoming twice as many visitors as those with an entry charge.

NMS was the top ranking Scottish attraction with nearly 1.5 million visitors, as identified by the Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development Survey.

Glasgow's Riverside Museum welcomed more than 1 million visitors since opening in June 2011, while Edinburgh's St Giles Cathedral posted a 20 per cent increase to 851,000 visits.

Professor John Lennon of the Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development said the Scottish tourism industry had continued to grow throughout 2011.

"Partly as a result of the new and upgraded attractions, the Scottish Tourism industry continues to develop and we see positive trends," said Professor Lennon.

Details: www.gcu.ac.uk

Image: Glasgow’s Riverside Museum – Editor5991