Scotland’s coastline has become a major tourism revenue generator and its worth to the Scottish economy is now estimated at £323m (US$423.5m, €380m).

The figure comes from a new VisitScotland’s insight paper, titled Coastal Tourism in Scotland which is being published today (31 August).

The report shows that there has been a steady increase in domestic tourism at Scottish seaside locations since 2010.

Between 2010 and 2014, domestic trips increased by 6 per cent to an average of 1.5 million trips, while spend went up 9 per cent to £323m.

According to the report, the west of Scotland generates the largest number of domestic seaside trips, with an average of 612,000 trips a year, generating £112m in spend.

Malcolm Roughead, CEO of VisitScotland, said: “Scotland boasts an incredible coastline with some of the finest beaches in the world, with seaside breaks playing a vital role in the country’s visitor economy.

“Our Coastal Tourism in Scotland paper gives a fascinating insight into who visits our beaches, and why. It is no surprise that the beautiful and mysterious Sandwood Bay captures the imagination of so many people around Britain, but its majesty can only be truly appreciated at first hand.”

To download and read the full report, click here.