Scotland is at it again! Last month we reported on how the Scottish islands have topped a TripAdvisor league of the best isles to visit in the world. Now a new report reveals that visits to Scotland’s outdoors attractions rose by eight per cent between 2012 and 2013. The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) report has been welcomed by many groups, including Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and VisitScotland. Ian Ross, SNH chairman, underlined what so many people think when he said that Scotland’s nature and landscape is a huge attraction for visitors. He added: “In 2013, the Year of Natural Scotland campaign was all about getting people, from home and abroad, to enjoy Scotland’s nature and reaping the associated physical and mental benefits.” Meanwhile, Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, said: “We enjoyed some fabulous weather last summer, which resulted in a lot of people getting out and about to our stunning beaches, landscapes and parks. “These ‘natural’ attractions… are an integral part of the allure of Scotland.” One of the highest increases to outdoor attractions in Scotland saw 114,298 people visit spectacular Glencoe. This figure is up 41.7 percent from the previous year. This beautiful location played a starring role in the climax to the hit James Bond movie, Skyfall. Indeed, more than 60 films have used Scotland’s landscapes as an impressive backdrop, including the Harry Potter series and three other James Bond films. Scotland’s natural environment attracts millions of visitors each year. In 2011 Scottish adults made 360 million visits to the outdoors for recreation, generating £2.7 billion in expenditure.

Seven walks and cycles that celebrate Scotland’s outdoors

* West Highland Escape walking holiday on the West Highland Way * Walking holiday on the Great Glen Way * Go by train and on foot on a West Highland Line holiday * Walk across Scotland on a Scottish Coast to Coast holiday * Cycle the fabulous Great Glen * Try island hopping by bike in the far north of Scotland * Cycle Scotland’s Lochs and Glens