– More than 384,000 people passed through Edinburgh Waverley station during the second weekend of the festivals
– Increase of 8 per cent compared to the equivalent weekend in 2016
– More services, late-night trains and extra carriages compared to the regular timetable

The number of people passing through Edinburgh Waverley station during the second weekend of the August Edinburgh festivals increased by 8 per cent compared to 2016, the ScotRail Alliance confirmed today.

More than 384,000 people passed through Edinburgh Waverley station between Friday 11 August and Sunday 13 August. This is an 8 per cent increase compared to the 355,000 people who passed through Waverley during the second weekend of the festivals in 2016.

It was revealed last week that more than 340,000 people passed through Waverley during the first weekend of the festivals this year, highlighting the scale of the operation being undertaken by the ScotRail Alliance.

Customers are encouraged to plan their journeys in advance by visiting www.scotrail.co.uk, downloading the ScotRail app or buying a ticket at the station before boarding.

Highlights of the ScotRail Alliance’s August festivals programme include:

– Additional late night trains between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street (via Falkirk High) operating daily, departing from Edinburgh at 00.01 and 00.30.
– A major increase in the number of carriages between Glasgow and Edinburgh, particularly Friday to Sunday, both via the Airdrie/Bathgate line and via Falkirk High
– Many extra carriages between Edinburgh and Fife on Friday evenings and all day Saturday and Sunday

Juliet Donnachie, station manager at Edinburgh Waverley, said:

“These figures show the scale of the operation the ScotRail Alliance is running during the Edinburgh festivals.

“Our station teams at Waverley and across the whole network are working flat out to get customers to and from Edinburgh hassle free. The festivals are a great advert for the city and the country as a whole, and we are proud to play our part in making them a success.

“We know that our trains will continue to be very busy during the festivals, so we are encouraging all customers to plan their journeys in advance.”

Scottish historic sites are feeling the ‘Outlander effect’ as they celebrate a significant surge in visitor numbers.

The start of the summer season 2017 has seen sites in the care of Historic Environment Scotland which have a starring role in the hit TV series record dramatic increases in footfall from the same period last year.

Blackness Castle – which features in the series as the stand in for Fort William – has seen the most significant rise in visitors, up 72% for the period 1st April to 25th June 2017.

Doune Castle, famed for its role as the fictional Castle Leoch, recorded an impressive 50% increase for the same period.

Other sites which recorded increased visitor numbers after making a cameo appearance in the series include:

• Aberdour Castle 58% increase
• Linlithgow Palace 43% increase
• Glasgow Cathedral 39% increase

The announcement comes as the historical time-travel drama series made its UK terrestrial television debut this week.

Stephen Duncan, Director of Commercial and Tourism at Historic Environment Scotland, who manage 300 Historic Scotland visitor attractions, said: “I’m delighted to welcome this boost in visitor numbers as we continue to celebrate the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.

“This is an excellent return on the investment we have made across our estate. At Doune Castle, for example, after upgrading the visitor and retail offering, we have seen retail income increase 62% for the year to date.

“Featuring in Outlander has opened up our sites to a whole new audience, inspiring more and more visitors to come and discover the history behind these places, further demonstrating the enduring value and significance of heritage attractions in Scotland.”

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, said: “It’s fantastic to see that the international success of Outlander continues to draw visitors from around the world to visit treasured heritage sites like Doune Castle and Blackness Castle and find out more about Scotland’s rich history and fascinating heritage.

“The TV drama showcases Scotland to international audiences and has helped strengthen the growth we’re seeing in tourism from overseas. I’m delighted Scottish and UK audiences will now be able to watch Outlander on terrestrial TV, and look forward to seeing the impact on visitor numbers to the heritage sites that provide the stunning backdrop to the series.”