Revenue generated by Scotland’s national parks has increased by 25 per cent over the past year, according to research conducted by VisitScotland.

A total of £243m was spent within Scotland’s national parks in 2012 by domestic visitors.

The Cairngorms and Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Parks combined, attracted more than one million visitors from the UK and Ireland, with 570,000 domestic visits to Cairngorms, while Loch Lomond had a further 482,000 visitors.

The research conducted by VisitScotland also suggests that The Cairngorms – which is more than twice the size of Loch Lomond and includes five of Scotland’s six tallest mountains – is more suited to larger parties and younger consumers.

Loch Lomond had significant growth in the number of solo travellers in 2012, with a 163 per cent increase in older couples and solo travellers accounting for 76 per cent of total visitors to the area.

Both parks have been heavily involved in the Year of Natural Scotland 2013 campaign, which is working to promote Scotland's natural beauty, biodiversity and promote opportunities for visitors to enjoy their scenic landscapes, wildlife and heritage responsibly.

More details of Year of Natural Scotland here: http://www.visitscotland.com/about/nature-geography/year-of-natural-scotland