The National Museum of Scotland maintained its place as the most popular attraction in Scotland, according to the latest figures from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) released this week.
While 10 out of the top 11 attractions were in London, led by the British Museum with 5,820,860 visitors in 2023, Scotland performed well with six of the ten most popular places outwith the British capital - led by the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle and the National Gallery of Scotland.
But the list also shows the many fascinating and amazing things that fewest people see - with Scotland having eight out of the 10 least visited attractions in the UK.
From remote islands to the birthplaces of some of Scotland's most famous names, here are the top (bottom?) ten.
But the list also shows the many fascinating and amazing things that fewest people see - with Scotland having eight out of the 10 least visited attractions in the UK.
![Located on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Malleny Garden is a secret oasis of flowers and plants - including 150 varieties of rose. It attracted 2,126 people in 2023, down 33 per cent on 2022 - making it the fifth least visited attraction in Scotland.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/03/20/16/36/Malleny%20Garden.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
5. Malleny Garden
Located on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Malleny Garden is a secret oasis of flowers and plants - including 150 varieties of rose. It attracted 2,126 people in 2023, down 33 per cent on 2022 - making it the fifth least visited attraction in Scotland.
![The childhood home of Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie, this house in Kirriemuir is a typical weavers house. You can see the washhouse where the author performed his first play at the age of seven - the inspiration for the Wendy house in Peter Pan. There's also an exhibition tells the story of his life - and the writing desk which he used to write Peter Pan while living in London. 2,144 people visited last year - up 23 per cent on 2022.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/03/20/16/35/Barrie.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
6. Barrie's Birthplace
The childhood home of Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie, this house in Kirriemuir is a typical weavers house. You can see the washhouse where the author performed his first play at the age of seven - the inspiration for the Wendy house in Peter Pan. There's also an exhibition tells the story of his life - and the writing desk which he used to write Peter Pan while living in London. 2,144 people visited last year - up 23 per cent on 2022.
![This pretty hillside garden on the outskirts of Edinburgh has attractive flower-filled borders, wild meadows , woodland, and a pond where you can try some pond dipping to see what lies beneath. It welcomed 2,208 visitors in 2023 - a slight drop of three per cent.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/03/20/16/03/Inveresk%20Lodge%20Gardens.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
7. Inveresk Lodge Garden
This pretty hillside garden on the outskirts of Edinburgh has attractive flower-filled borders, wild meadows , woodland, and a pond where you can try some pond dipping to see what lies beneath. It welcomed 2,208 visitors in 2023 - a slight drop of three per cent.
![The Kintail Estate is an area of widerness at the top of Loch Duich in the Northwest Highlands which includes the Falls of Glomach - one of the highest waterfalls in the UK. It's a great place to escape the crowds, with only 2,296 visitors in 2023, down 77 per cent from 2022.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/03/20/16/10/Moirlanich%20Longhouse.jpg.jpg?crop=3:2&width=800)
8. Kintail Estate
The Kintail Estate is an area of widerness at the top of Loch Duich in the Northwest Highlands which includes the Falls of Glomach - one of the highest waterfalls in the UK. It's a great place to escape the crowds, with only 2,296 visitors in 2023, down 77 per cent from 2022.