According to figures published by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA), the historic castle saw visitor numbers grow by 1 per cent to more than 1.2 million.

Edinburgh Castle has now overtaken Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum as Scotland's number one visitor attraction.

In 2010, visitor numbers to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum fell by 21.75 per cent to 1.07 million.

Elsewhere, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the National Museum of Scotland - also in the capital - saw visitor numbers grow by 21.7 per cent and 5 per cent respectively.

There was a 7 per cent growth in visitor numbers to Scotland's National War Museum, but Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art reported a 8.6 per cent drop.

Image: Britain On View