By Rebecca Kerr

The number of visitors to Stirling Castle has plummeted following the coronavirus pandemic and recent data suggests that the castle is struggling to recover its once booming business.

Stirling Castle was hit with an 87% decrease in annual visitors between 2019 and 2020, after being forced to close its doors for five months.

The coronavirus outbreak saw visitor centres across the country close and our days out were replaced with social distancing, hand sanitising and face masks-a-plenty.

In the years before the pandemic, Stirling Castle was sitting comfortably at 9^th most popular visitor centre in Scotland and enjoying an estimated 400,000 to 600,000 visitors each year.

Stirling Castle – once home to generations of Scottish monarchs – brings in busloads of tourists and history fanatics each year and marks Stirling with global prestige.

The castle saw a boom in visitors in 2018 where it peaked as 8^th most popular visitor centre in Scotland, beating Edinburgh Zoo.

This high continued through to 2019 when the castle celebrated its highest number of annual visitors to date with 610,000.

However, the castle had no choice but to close its doors in March 2020 as strict coronavirus guidance came into play. It was then re-opened to the public five months later in August.

This was the longest time the castle had been closed since World War Two.

A limited number of visitors were allowed access to the castle by pre-booking tickets but were required to wear a face mask and social distance during their visit.

Staff at the castle received backlash following the re-opening, as some areas stayed closed off to the public including the Royal Palace and the Great Kitchens.

In August 2020, one TripAdvisor user wrote how they felt “conned” after paying full price for entry, despite not having full access to the castle.

Another TripAdvisor deemed their visit to the castle “very disappointing”, saying they were let down by “just how little there was to do.”

“Total waste of money. £33.60 for myself, my mother and two children to walk up a steep hill, then walk around two large empty rooms, walk around in a circle and leave!

“If that’s the best you can offer, you would be better shutting the doors.”

As coronavirus guidelines wore off, the castle was able to return to somewhat normal in 2021 by letting in more visitors each day and re-opening most of the castle grounds.

It also won back the positive opinion of the public – tourists and Stirling locals alike – with 5-star TripAdvisor reviews streaming in and celebrating the castle’s re-opening.

However, a surge in coronavirus cases in Winter 2021 threw a spanner in Stirling Castle’s New Year’s Eve plans, as its much anticipated Hogmanay party and firework display had to be cancelled.

148,000 people visited Stirling Castle in 2021; a welcome increase from 79,000 in 2020 but still nowhere near their visitor numbers in years before the pandemic.

The castle also fell six places in the Scotland rankings, now sitting at the 14^th most popular visitor centre in Scotland compared to 8^th in 2019.

This year, Stirling Castle has fought hard to bring back their visitors – reopening their gates for tours, family day trips and upcoming Christmas and Hogmanay events.

The number of visitors to the castle in 2022 is yet to be announced but the tourist buses on our roads are a hopeful sign for Stirling.

Stirling Castle will forever remain a landmark of Scottish history, culture and prestige – but only time will tell if it can recoup its visitors and keep Stirling on the map.