VISITOR numbers to attractions in Edinburgh and the Lothians have dipped slightly, new figures revealed today.
Poor weather last year has been blamed for the 0.5 per cent decrease, although the Capital still has 13 of the country's top 40 attractions.
Edinburgh Castle was still the most popular paid-for attraction, with Edinburgh Zoo and Edinburgh bus tour
s in second and third place.
And the Seabird Centre in North Berwick recorded a 26 per cent increase in visitors, the highest rise in Scotland. VisitScotland's annual survey showed that more than 45 million people visited Scottish attractions last year, up 1.8 per cent on the 2006 figures.
The most popular free and overall attraction was Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The National Galleries of Scotland and the National Museum of Scotland were second and third most popular free attractions.
A record 284,702 people visited the Scottish Seabird Centre near North Berwick.
St Giles' Cathedral and the National War Museum saw their numbers go up by 21.4 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.
VisitScotland's Sinead Guerin said: "The wide range of visitor attractions across Edinburgh and the Lothians is a crucial part of our tourism industry."
The full article contains 206 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.