Scottish cities benefit from staycation trend

Those planning a stag party might be tempted to head north after it was claimed that Scotland has benefited from the strength of the euro.

With the European currency being so strong over the pound, many have opted against a trip to the continent and headed to a UK destination instead, VisitScotland explained.

A spokesperson for the tourism body said that the country has benefited from a rise in tourist numbers, with Glasgow stag do and Edinburgh profiting in particular.

"The staycation trend, strong events calendars in both cities [and] Homecoming - which has given Scotland a competitive advantage - will also have helped to maintain stable occupancy rates," she said.

The Homecoming 2009 campaign saw numerous events take place throughout the year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns - the famous Scots poet.

According to statistics from Deloitte, Glasgow and Edinburgh were the only two European cities to show positive occupancy rate growth for hotels in the year to September 2009.