Stirling Castle has been named Scotland’s best visitor attraction at the inaugural 2016 Scottish and Outdoor Leisure Awards. The castle, which attracts about 460,000 visitors per year, beat competitors including Edinburgh Zoo and Dynamic Earth. Winners in 17 categories were announced at an awards ceremony in Glasgow. The castle’s executive manager Liz Grant said winning the award was a “wonderful achievement”. She said: “Scotland’s heritage attractions, such as Stirling Castle, form an important part of the country’s wider tourism and leisure offering and it’s great to see this recognised. “This accolade is made doubly special as it is initially voted for by members of the public and our visitors.”
View our 360 photo of Stirling Castle . Stirling Castle gifts including greeting cards, t-shirts, mugs , posters and phone cases , can be bought online at Redbubble .
The Kelpies have become the most famous equine sculptures in the world . But now they have been given another name to make them more attractive to Chinese tourists.
VisitBritain, which markets the UK abroad, has dubbed them ‘Kai Po Ju Ma’ in promotional literature in China – which translates as “glorious armoured giant horses”.
Explore the famous Kelpies , the Falkirk Wheel and Callendar House in Falkirk . Normal pickup point is Edinburgh city centre . Five hour private tour around Falkirk for up to four passengers. Tours start at 10.00 am weekdays and 1.30 pm weekends.
Explore the famous Kelpies , the Falkirk Wheel and Callendar House in Falkirk .
Tours start at 10.00 am weekdays and 1.30 pm weekends
Normal pickup point is your Edinburgh city centre hotel , Airbnb or your port .
Itinerary
5 hour private tour group day trip around Falkirk
Explore the world famous Kelpies , a tribute to the Clydesdale horses that used to pull barges along the canals of Scotland
the Falkirk Wheel , a unique rotating boat lift
historic Callendar House featuring a working kitchen
Take in unique views of the historic Callendar House and Park
Small private group tour with a maximum of 4 people
Callendar House has just received a five-star rating from VisitScotland. The 14th century building, set within Callendar Park and opened to the public in 1996 after centuries as a family home with links to Mary Queen of Scots, has achieved the national tourism organisation’s top-quality award. The House dates back to the 14th century.
For categories including core experience, catering, hospitality, friendliness, staff efficiency and cleanliness it reached “exceptional” standard following a Quality Assurance visit.
The house is a credit to the local area and is a fantastic free day out. It features art, history, interactive fun and a warm welcome from the team, all set within beautiful parklands. Also possibly the best cakes in Falkirk in the tearoom.
The House, which sits along a stretch of the Antonine Wall, is also a member of VisitScotland’s Taste Our Best and VIP schemes. It boasts a working 19th century kitchen where costumed staff create an interactive experience for visitors and offer samples of early 1800s food as well as a museum which details the story of the house and area covering the 11th to 19th centuries.
Falkirk’s tourism offering going from strength to strength as it becomes the third five-star attraction in the area.
Our tour of Falkirk features a visit to the world famous Kelpies , the Falkirk Wheel and Callendar House.
We stop for up to an hour at each location .
Lunch and refreshments are not included . Phone 07305-294773 to make a booking or contact us online .
Our Kelpies gift shop features 50 great Kelpies photo gifts including, posters, phone cases, prints , clocks and bags .
It follows the results of a £1.6 million ‘Great Names for Great Britain’ campaign, which builds on the existing trend of giving relatable Mandarin names to favourite celebrities, places and foods.
“Kai Po Ju Ma” have set records with over 600,000 in their first year of opening . A new visitor centre is being built to help cope with the influx of visitors and improve their experience at the sculptures.
New Mandarin names for 23 iconic Scottish attractions have been announced in total, including Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and Glencoe.
The campaign reached nearly 300 million Chinese prospective visitors to the UK through VisitBritain’s influential Weibo and WeChat social media platforms across China. Over two million people visited the campaign pages and nearly 30 million Chinese people watched the launch video, with 13,000 new names suggested throughout the ten week-long voting period.
Normal pickup point is Edinburgh city centre or the airport . Other pickup points can be arranged , subject to an additional fee .
Itinerary
5 hour private tour group day trip around Falkirk
Explore the famous Kelpies , the Falkirk Wheel and Callendar House
Take in unique views of the historic Callendar House and Park
Travel by saloon car
Small private group tour with a maximum of 4 people
Our tour of Falkirk features a visit to the world famous Kelpies , the Falkirk Wheel and Callendar House.
Andy Scott, the artist responsible for the Kelpies, said: “I’m delighted that The Kelpies have reached out to a new audience and that they have been recognised with such an evocative and dynamic Mandarin name.
“It’s a real accolade for me as the artist and the whole team involved in The Kelpies that they have been adopted for the VisitBritain campaign and been so well received in China.
