The success of events held in Perthshire has contributed to a record six months for Scottish tourism.
National tourism agency VisitScotland has seen hundreds of thousands of people from the UK and overseas visit the country to enjoy its offering during the second year of Homecoming.
The European Festival of Brass alone attracted 116,500 people to Scotland, with many of the key events staged in Perth. Boasting musicians from 20 countries,it featured a variety of top level competitions, together with showcase performances and workshops highlighting Scotland’s musical heritage on a global stage.
May’s Whisky Month, meanwhile, saw more than 78,439 people from more than 31 different countries embracing Scotland’s national spirit at events in Stirling, Perthshire and elsewhere. Established events Celtic Connections, Electric Glen and the Glasgow Film Festival welcomed record crowds with 110,176, 27,008, and 41,806 visitors respectively.
Many key events are still to come, including the MTV Europe Music Awards, Royal National MOD, Scotland’s Festival of Paddlesport, which takes place in Perth from October 24-26, and the 10th anniversary of Perthshire Amber The Dougie MacLean Festival, which takes place during November.
VisitScotland’s Jim Clarkson said: “2014 is a once-in-a-lifetime year for Scotland with an unprecedented number of high profile events including the Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup and the outstanding Homecoming programme.”