Forth Bridge voted Scotland's best manmade wonder
The Forth Bridge has been voted Scotland's greatest manmade wonder.
The British public voted it top in new research by VisitScotland as part of the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016.
See also: The seven wonders of the world - in Britain
See also: Wonders of the world: The 10 places everyone should visit
The 126-year-old bridge and UNESCO World Heritage Site pipped Edinburgh Castle (pictured below), The Kelpies and the Glenfinnan Viaduct to take the top spot, with 30% of the votes in the survey.
Other 'wonders' on the list include Stirling Castle, Falkirk Wheel, Caledonian Canal, Scott Monument, Bell Rock Lighthouse and Melrose Abbey.
The research reveals that almost 60% of Brits have made an 'architectural pilgrimage' in the UK, ie. travelled just to see a famous building or architectural wonder. And rather than just an endeavour of the older generations, more than half of Millennials surveyed (16-24 yr olds) said they had done so. The most popular Scottish 'architectural pilgrimage' was to Edinburgh Castle.
Six out of ten Brits also stated that a destination's architecture and design played an important role when deciding where to go on a short break.
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland said:
"It is no surprise that our awe-inspiring Forth Bridge has taken the top spot in this research and it is wonderful to see that new manmade wonders like The Kelpies are already proving a hit with visitors.
"2016 has shone a significant spotlight on Scotland's achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-range of activity designed to boost tourism in Scotland.
" I hope many people continue to make architectural pilgrimages to Scotland throughout the rest of this year and beyond to discover some of our truly remarkable sights."
The full top ten of Scotland's greatest man-made wonders, as voted for by the British public:
1. Forth Bridge (30%)
2. Edinburgh Castle (13%)
3. The Kelpies (8%)
4. Glenfinnan Viaduct (7%)
5. Stirling Castle (5%)
6. Falkirk Wheel (5%)
7. Caledonian Canal (5%)
8. Scott Monument (4%)
9. Bell Rock Lighthouse (4%)
10. Melrose Abbey (3%)
