Over a million Airbnb users stayed in Scotland in last year

THE number of guests using Airbnb accommodation in Scotland has risen 104 per cent to one million in the last year.

Dairsie Castle in Fife was one of three Scots sites among the UKs top ten 'wish-listed' properties. Picture: James Allan\Geograph

Guests have chosen from properties ranging from castles to period flats to boost visitor numbers, according to Airbnb’s first UK Insights Report.

The average host earns £3,600 a year from renting out space, hosting 38 nights a year for a typical listing.

More than half of the guests (56 per cent) were international travellers discovering Scotland.

However Scottish guests represented the highest proportion of UK guests who chose to stay within their own region.

The online platform connects visitors with accommodation around the world in more than 65,000 cities and over 191 countries.

Airbnb has 21,900 Scottish listings, with three of them among the UK’s top ten “wish-listed” properties - Dairsie Castle in Fife, The Gatehouse to Ayton Castle in Eyemouth and a period apartment in Edinburgh.

• READ MORE: 10 of the most unusual Airbnb rentals in Scotland

James McClure, general manager for Northern Europe, said: “The UK continues to break records on Airbnb - both as a world-leading destination, and for the benefits that hosting generates for local families and their communities.

“From Exeter to Edinburgh, millennials to seniors, apartments to tree houses, there’s something for everyone on Airbnb and locals have helped countless global guests feel at home in the UK.

“Hosts are ambassadors for their neighbourhoods and we look forward to seeing guests discover more unique, diverse and welcoming communities across the UK.”

Airbnb estimates that hosts and guests generated £499 million in economic activity in Scotland between July 1, 2016 and July 1 this year.

Across the UK there were 5.9 million inbound guests, contributing an estimated £3.46 billion to the nation’s economy.