What we did on our holiday in Perthshire

Retail therapy, visiting a castle, historic house, palace or stately home, were among the most popular activities for visitors to Perth and Kinross, according to the latest regional research from VisitScotland.

The Scotland Visitor Survey 2023: Perthshire, published today (Wednesday, 26 June) by the national tourism organisation, found that around two thirds of visitors to the region were domestic visitors, with more than three quarters repeat visitors to Scotland.

A third of all respondents stayed only in one rural location in the region and spent an average of 3.6 nights.

In line with Scotland-wide survey results, scenery and landscape (79%), and history and culture (51%), were the top two motivations for visitors who travelled to Perthshire.

Separate results for Perth found a higher-than-average number of first-time visitors to Scotland (33% compared with the national average of 25%) visited the city, with a quarter of all respondents only staying in the city.

For Perthshire, shopping (43%) was the most popular activity followed by visiting a castle or fort (35%) and visiting an historic house, palace or stately home (34%). Most (42%) visited an historic house, palace or stately home in the city.

The Scotland Visitor Survey usually takes place every three or four years but was delayed due to the pandemic and was conducted in 2023.

It aims to help understand why visitors take a holiday or short break in Scotland and how they rate their experiences when here.

Visitors were surveyed in-person between March and October last year, and then responded to an online survey when they returned home.

Caroline Warburton, Destination Development Director at VisitScotland, said: “The Scotland Visitor Survey provides valuable insight for everyone involved in tourism and events.

“It’s no surprise that taking in our history and culture are among the most popular activities for travellers to the region, with historical attractions like Scone Palace and Blair Castle, as well as cultural and arts attractions such as Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

“It’s encouraging that the city saw more first-time visitors to Scotland than on average when the survey was conducted in 2023, demonstrating the desire to come to The Fair City, even before the high profile opening of the Perth Museum and resultant influx of visitors.

“Understanding the motivations and experiences of visitors is essential in developing a world-class visitor destination. We will continue to work with businesses and partners to ensure Perthshire is a sustainable tourism destination that benefits all.”

Scotland Visitor Survey 2023: Perthshire/Perth can be found https://www.visitscotland.org/research-insights/regions/perthshire

ENDS