Castles are culture too, the National Trust for Scotland has told the Scottish Government.

The Trust (NTS) believes that the government's forthcoming Culture Strategy, due in 2019, should include heritage, historic buildings and landscapes as part of its deliberations.

It commissioned a survey of more than 1000 people to outline what they would have included in the culture strategy.

The NTS says it demonstrates that people want more than just the arts and creative industries included in the pla,n and that there is a 'disconnect' between what the culture strategy is analysing and what people consider to be 'culture'.

The survey response shows that more than half (53%) of those surveyed said they felt that parks, gardens, and "designed landscapes" should be part of the proposed cultural strategy, while nearly half (48%) felt that landscapes, natural beauty, and historic buildings and sites should also be included.

Festivals and events (48%), as well as sports (49%) were also scored highly.

Diarmid Hearns, head of public policy at the NTS, said: “These findings suggest that ‘culture’ has a lot more to it than current national approach allows.

"While it’s predominantly focussed on what might be considered more conventional areas - performing arts and creative industries parts of the economy - what it really lacks is an appreciation for the role that places play in our shared concept of culture.

"Yet, historic buildings, landscapes, and other kinds of ‘places’ seem to be exactly what Scots consider culture."

He added: "They are made by the actions of current and past generations, and the physical and emotional experience of our special places are at the heart of our culture.

"Our research indicates there’s a clear disconnect between what the existing approach suggests should be considered culture and what the public believes it encompasses.

"The launch of the new Culture Strategy at the beginning of 2019 is an opportunity for us to bridge that cultural schism."

The Scottish Government's consultation document says that "culture and creativity are central to Scotland’s future prosperity, placing culture as a central consideration across all policy areas and harnessing the full potential of culture to transform progress in health and wellbeing, economy, education, reducing inequality and realising a greener and more innovative future."

The document also says that culture is "central to Scotland’s cultural, social and economic prosperity."

It also says the government will commit to "exploring new funding models to support the culture sector and to develop the creative economy that includes new partnerships and examining the potential of Scottish Government powers such as budgets, Scottish National Investment Bank, devolved tax and legislative powers that will generate a collective responsibility to supporting culture in the long term."

Mr Hearns added: "Our research suggests that if we recognise the cultural value of place, the new strategy could have greater reach and impact than if it remains focussed on its current scope.

"Along with recognising the value of places, the prioritisation of sport and recreation is worth further exploration – particularly to engage men, whom tended to have lower cultural engagement than women.

"The fact that just 1% of those surveyed said that public money should be used elsewhere demonstrates the high degree to which we all value culture in Scotland.

"That’s why it is so important that we do as much as possible to help it flourish in all its forms."

In response, a Scottish Government spokesman said: "Our recent consultation on a draft Culture Strategy sought views on a vision and ambitions for culture which recognises culture’s transformational power and promotes an inclusive and extended view of culture in its many diverse forms across Scotland."

He said that 220 "detailed and thoughtful" responses had been submitted, "including individuals and organisations and the volume and breadth of feedback has been rich and varied, reflecting the importance of culture to those who took part in the consultation."

The public consultation on the draft Culture Strategy for Scotland was open from 27 June until 19 September.