New statistics have revealed that staycations have continued to boost the Scottish economy, with 5.9 million domestic visitors holidaying in the country between January and June.

The number of domestic visitors increased by 6 per cent when compared with the same period in 2010, while the overall number of visitors was up 4 per cent to 6.9 million.

According to the Great Britain Tourism Survey and the International Passenger Survey, visitor expenditure for the period grew by 3 per cent to £1.7bn.

VisitScotland chief executive Malcolm Roughead said: "These figures are very encouraging, particularly as other destinations across the globe are struggling to attract visitors.

"However, we must not be complacent; the industry is still suffering from the global economic downturn and we need to continue to promote Scotland in key markets."