New figures show that Scotland experienced a record-breaking influx of international visitors in 2023, welcoming 3.9 million tourists, marking a 15% increase from 2019. The 2023 International Passenger Survey by the Office of National Statistics showed a significant 23% increase from 2022, which saw 3.2 million visitors, and the previous record was set in 2018 with 3.7 million visitors. Notably, Scotland was the only UK nation to surpass its 2019 international tourism levels. North American and European visits rose by 16% and 19%, respectively, while visits from other countries, including Australia and China, surged by 53% compared to 2022. The Read more
airline baggage
Record-Breaking International Visits to Scotland Last Year + Lost Airline Bag Incidents Down Sharply
This was not my most pleasant air experience, so forgive me if I’m a little cranky. I got up at 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday of this week for a flight from Toronto to San Francisco. Terminal One at Toronto Pearson was having baggage issues and there was a big line-up at the check-in counter. I wasn’t in a great mood on the flight, I admit. But I read a book for a couple hours and tried to sleep, or at least rest comfortably. That, however, was pretty much impossible as a couple across the aisle from me played some kind Read more
Lennon and McCartney. Lemon and lime. Golf and Scotch. Some things in life just go together. They grow in similar climates. They grew up together. Or, like golf and Scotch, they hail from the same country and count as perhaps a nation’s greatest two inventions. I like to think the first game of golf was followed by the winner buying a dram for the boys. Or maybe girls. Or perhaps golf created Scotch. I mean, maybe one day long, long ago a guy in the Scottish Highlands was whipping his mashie club along a particularly peaty bit of soil and Read more
