New research has placed Edinburgh Castle among the world's 'worst value for money' tourist attractions.
Arguably Scotland's most famous landmark, the castle was ranked 10th in the overall list alongside the likes of Buckingham Palace, the Empire State Building and the Palace of Versailles.
The study by travel and booking comparison site ParkSleepFly analysed the cost of an adult’s single-day admission ticket to 30 of the world’s top tourist attractions, as well as the number of ‘poor’ and ‘terrible’ reviews received by each attraction.
The attractions were then given a normalised ‘value score’ out of ten to reveal the world’s worst (& best) value for money tourist attractions.
A spokesperson for ParkSleepFly said: "With lots of people eager to tick items off their bucket lists, the world’s major tourist traps will be gearing up for an influx of visitors.
"However, before booking your airport parking and your tickets, it might be an idea to step back and consider the costs of visiting these well-known landmarks.
"To try and help you out, we’ve taken a look at the entry price to some of the world’s biggest attractions and compared them with how well-reviewed they are, to reveal the worst and best value tourist attractions in the world."
A spokesperson for Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said: “Edinburgh Castle is an iconic landmark, and one of the most exciting sites in Europe, with visitors able to explore the magnificent Great Hall; St Margaret’s Chapel; the Royal Apartments; Mons Meg; the Honours of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny.
"Our tickets are priced competitively and benchmarked against other leading visitor attractions ensuring we are able to welcome visitors from around the world while providing value for money.
“We are committed to finding ways to make heritage more accessible to the public, which is why we’re again participating in the Young Scot scheme allowing young people across Scotland to visit a number of our sites for just £1 entry, and also offering our popular Explorer Pass, a flexible, cost-effective way for groups and individuals to discover our attractions.
“We also run a visitor survey for everyone purchasing a ticket for our sites. with recent feedback showing Edinburgh Castle consistently recording scores of above 8 out of 10 in key areas such as value for money; enjoyment; welcoming and recommendation to others.”
The top 10 Worst Value for Money Tourist Attractions
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