Barbed wire fences and blood-spattered walls are not features you would expect from one of Scotland’s best-rated attractions.
But a former Aberdeenshire prison has become a surprise hit with tourists while one of the country’s prized attractions, Edinburgh Zoo , continues to be slammed by unhappy visitors.
Peterhead Prison has been branded “evocative” and “fascinating” in a string of recent glowing reports, bumping it up to five-star status on trusted review site Trip Advisor and earning it a prestigious five-star rating from VisitScotland .
Such an accolade is more commonly attached to luxury hotels and scenic hotspots , but the allure of the former Victorian jail - which witnessed the notorious 1987 prison riots and reopened as a museum three years after closing in 2013 - appears to be its tours of cells will blood on the walls, smelly shower blocks and hospital areas.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh Zoo is failing to captivate some tourists and has witnessed a surge in the number of ‘terrible’ reviews on TripAdvisor during the Edinburgh Festival.
Since the start of August, around 90 visitors have left a review, with 63% branding the attraction ‘poor’ or ‘terrible’.
Terrible (one-star) reviews account for more than 42% of August’s reviews.
One review branded it “the country’s worst zoo ever”, while another described it as a “disgrace”.
One disgruntled visitor slammed the £21.95 fee for an adult ticket on the gate, saying: “Absolutely disgusted at the entry fee to see empty filthy enclosures and also the whole zoo was in a terrible disgusting state with litter.”
Zoo chiefs say they continue to receive very positive feedback from visitors and remain one of “Scotland’s most popular attractions”.
They said: “We advise visitors to make the most of our daily animal talks and feeds and to return to enclosures at different times throughout the day.”
Visitors to the Peterhead Prison Museum - which currently costs £9 for an adult ticket and £4.50 for a child - described it as a “fascinating unusual piece of heritage”.
One five-star reviewer wrote: “If you are looking for a museum with a difference then this is the place!”
Tours give an insight into the history of the riots which saw British special forces intervene with smoke bombs and stun guns more than 30 years ago.
Former prison guard Jackie Stewart – who was held hostage and paraded on the roof during the riots – is among the guides.
Peterhead Prison Museum operations manager Alex Geddes described the VisitScotland award as “both exciting and very humbling”.
