Major tourist attractions in Scotland closed

LONDON, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Major tourist attractions in Scotland, including Edinburgh Castle, have been closed with immediate effect, Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which runs the attractions, announced Tuesday.

HES said it had made the decision to close public access until further notice, following updated Scottish Government advice regarding COVID-19.

The decision includes the closure of HES historic sites, including Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Urquhart Castle, as well as Longmore House and the HES Archives at John Sinclair House. All planned public events have also been postponed until further notice.

HES said its seasonal sites will not be open as normally scheduled in April 2020, but unstaffed sites will be open and are free to access.

"We have, with great regret, taken the decision to close all of our staffed properties and buildings to visitors," HES CEO Alex Paterson said. "This is a challenging and unprecedented time, and our focus is to do everything possible to protect the safety of all our visitors, staff and partners."

More than 2 million visitors a year visit Edinburgh Castle in Scotland's capital city, making it one of the most visited attractions in Britain, while Stirling and Urquhart castles attract over a million visitors.