Mackintosh 150th birthday figures show 30% visitor rise

A campaign celebrating the legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh has boosted visitor numbers to Mackintosh attractions in Scotland by more than a quarter.

On Friday - the architect's birthday - new results showing the success of Mackintosh 150 and Beyond have been revealed.

It has helped to attract 1.2 million people to venues he designed - a 29% increase compared with the same period last year.

David McDonald, chairman of Glasgow Life, said: “Mackintosh is part of the very fabric of Glasgow and the overwhelmingly positive response we've had to this campaign, backed by a record number of visitors to Mackintosh venues and events in Glasgow and beyond, confirms the huge interest and affection there is for him both at home and globally.

“As such, his cultural legacy remains one of our prime pillars for tourism growth and is central to our destination marketing in the UK and internationally.''

The campaign was focused on promoting venues and events in and around Glasgow and the west of Scotland to visitors in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee.

It was also aimed at encouraging UK short-break visitors to make a Mackintosh-inspired trip to Glasgow in 2019.

The campaign's activity included a mix of digital and social media content creation, radio and outdoor advertising and traditional media and blogger engagement.