Other sights in Scotland
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Old Calton Burial Ground
One of Edinburgh’s many atmospheric old cemeteries, Old Calton is dominated by the tall black obelisk of the Political Martyrs’ Monument, which commemorates those who suffered in the fight for electoral reform in the 1790s. In the southern corner is the massive cylindrical grey stone tomb of David Hume (1711–76), Scotland’s most famous philosopher. Hume was a noted atheist, prompting rumours that he had made a Faustian pact with the devil; after his death his friends held a vigil at the tomb for eight nights, burning candles and firing pistols into the darkness lest evil spirits should come to bear away his soul.
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Rosslyn Chapel
The success of Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code and the subsequent Hollywood film has seen a flood of visitors descend on Scotland’s most beautiful and enigmatic church – Rosslyn Chapel. The chapel was built in the mid-15th century for William St Clair, third earl of Orkney, and the ornately carved interior – at odds with the architectural fashion of its time – is a monument to the mason’s art, rich in symbolic imagery. As well as flowers, vines, angels and biblical figures, the carved stones include many examples of the pagan ‘Green Man’; other figures are associated with Freemasonry and the Knights Templar. Intriguingly, there are also carvings of plants from t…
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Balmoral Castle
Eight miles west of Ballater lies Balmoral Castle, the Queen’s Highland holiday home, screened from the road by a thick curtain of trees. Built for Queen Victoria in 1855 as a private residence for the royal family, it kicked off the revival of the Scottish Baronial style of architecture that characterises so many of Scotland’s 19th-century country houses.
The admission fee includes an interesting and well thought-out audioguide, but the tour is very much an outdoor one through garden and grounds; as for the castle itself, only the ballroom, which displays a collection of Landseer paintings and royal silver, is open to the public. Don’t expect to see the Queen’s priva…
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Falkland Palace
Rising majestically out of the town centre and dominating the skyline is the outstanding 16th-century Falkland Palace, a country residence of the Stuart monarchs. Mary, Queen of Scots is said to have spent the happiest days of her life ‘playing the country girl in the woods and parks’ at Falkland. The palace was built between 1501 and 1541 to replace a castle dating from the 12th century; French and Scottish craftspeople were employed to create a masterpiece of Scottish Gothic architecture. The King’s bedchamber and the chapel, with its beautiful painted ceiling, have both been restored. Don’t miss the prodigious 17th-century Flemish hunting tapestries in the hall. One fe…
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Caerlaverock Castle
The ruins of Caerlaverock Castle, by Glencaple on a beautiful stretch of the Solway coast, are among the loveliest in Britain. Surrounded by a moat, lawns and stands of trees, the unusual pink-stoned triangular castle looks impregnable. In fact, it fell several times, most famously when it was attacked in 1300 by Edward I: the siege became the subject of an epic poem, ‘The Siege of Caerlaverock’. The current castle dates from the late 13th century but, once defensive purposes were no longer a design necessity, it was refitted as a luxurious Scottish Renaissance mansion house in 1634. Ironically, the rampaging Covenanter militia sacked it a few years later. With nooks and …
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Findhorn Foundation
Hippies old and new should check out the Findhorn Foundation, an international spiritual community founded in 1962. There’s a small permanent population of around 150, but the community receives thousands of visitors each year. With no formal creed, the community is dedicated to cooperation with nature, ‘dealing with work, relationships and our environment in new and more fulfilling ways’, and fostering ‘a deeper sense of the sacred in everyday life’. Projects include an eco-village, a biological sewage-treatment plant and a wind-powered generator. Guided tours (£5) start from the visitor centre at 2pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from April to November, and …
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Castle Menzies
About 1½ miles west of town by the B846, Castle Menzies is the impressive restored 16th-century seat of the chief of the clan Menzies (ming-iss). The Z-plan tower house is magnificently located against a backdrop of Scottish forest. And inside it doesn’t disappoint: the place smells just like a castle should – musty and lived in. It reeks of authenticity despite extensive restoration work and is a highly recommended ramble. Check out the fireplace in the dungeon-like kitchens and the gaudy great hall upstairs, with windows unfurling a ribbon of lush, green countryside extending into wooded hills beyond the estate. You’ll get in for free if you share a surname with the ca…
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Scottish Lighthouse Museum
The excellent Scottish Lighthouse Museum provides a fascinating insight into the network of lights that have safeguarded the Scottish coast for over 100 years, and the men and women who built and maintained them (plus a sobering fact – that all the world’s lighthouses are to be decommissioned by 1 January 2080). A guided tour takes you to the top of the old Kinnaird Head lighthouse, built on top of a converted 16th-century castle; the engineering is so precise that the 4.5-ton light assembly can be rotated by pushing with a single finger. The anemometer here measured the strongest wind speed ever recorded in the UK, with a gust of 123 knots (142mph) on 13 February 1989.…
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Callanish Standing Stones
The Callanish Standing Stones, 15 miles west of Stornoway on the A858 road, form one of the most complete stone circles in Britain and are one of the most atmospheric prehistoric sites anywhere. Its ageless mystery, impressive scale and undeniable beauty leave a lasting impression. Sited on a wild and secluded promontory overlooking Loch Roag, 13 large stones of beautifully banded gneiss are arranged, as if in worship, around a 4.5m-tall central monolith. Some 40 smaller stones radiate from the circle in the shape of a cross, with the remains of a chambered tomb at the centre. Dating from 3800 to 5000 years ago, the stones are roughly contemporary with the pyramids of Egy…
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Dean Castle
In Kilmarnock, where Johnnie Walker whisky has been blended since 1820, is Dean Castle, a 15-minute walk from the bus and train stations. The castle, restored in the first half of the 20th century, has a virtually windowless keep (dating from 1350) and an adjacent palace (1468), with a superb collection of medieval arms, armour, tapestries and musical instruments. The grounds, an 81-hectare park, are a good place for a stroll or a picnic, or you can eat at the visitor centre’s tearoom, where snacks and light meals cost around £5. Free guided tours are available and there are regular activities for kids. From Ayr there are frequent buses throughout the day.
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Scotland’s Secret Bunker
Three miles north of Anstruther, off the B9131 to St Andrews, is Scotland’s Secret Bunker. This fascinating Cold War relic was to be one of Britain’s underground command centres and a home for Scots leaders in the event of nuclear war. Hidden 30m underground and surrounded by nearly 5m of reinforced concrete are the austere operation rooms, communication centre and dormitories. It’s very authentic and uses artefacts from the period, which make for an absorbing exploration. The Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) has an exhibit, bringing home the realities of Britain’s current nuclear Trident policy. The bunker is a gripping experience and highly recommended.…
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Castle Campbell
Charming Dollar is about 11 miles east of Stirling in the lower Ochil Hills. Castle Campbell is a 20-minute walk up Dollar Glen, into the wooded hills above the town. It’s a spooky old stronghold of the Dukes of Argyll and stands between two ravines; you can clearly see why it was known as ‘Castle Gloom’. There’s been a fortress of some kind on this site from the 11th century, but the present structure dates from the 15th century. The castle was sacked by Cromwell in 1654, but the tower is well preserved. From the little car park near the castle there’s a great ramble with sweeping views over Castle Campbell and the surrounding country.
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Sweetheart Abbey
The small, picturesque village of New Abbey lies 7 miles south of Dumfries and contains the remains of the 13th-century Cistercian Sweetheart Abbey. The shattered, red-sandstone remnants of the abbey are impressive and stand in stark contrast to the manicured lawns surrounding them. The abbey, the last of the major monasteries to be established in Scotland, was founded by Devorgilla of Galloway in 1273 in honour of her dead husband John Balliol (with whom she had founded Balliol College, Oxford). On his death, she had his heart embalmed and carried it with her until she died 22 years later. She and the heart were buried by the altar – hence the name.
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Arnol Blackhouse
One of Scotland’s most evocative historic buildings, the Arnol Blackhouse is not so much a museum as a perfectly preserved fragment of a lost world. Built in 1885, this traditional blackhouse – a combined byre, barn and home – was inhabited until 1964 and has not been changed since the last inhabitant moved out. The staff faithfully rekindle the central peat fire every morning so you can experience the distinctive peat-reek; there’s no chimney, and the smoke finds its own way out through the turf roof, windows and door – spend too long inside and you might feel like you’ve been kippered! The museum is just off the A858, about 3 miles west of Barvas.
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Fort George
The headland guarding the narrows in the Moray Firth opposite Fortrose is occupied by the magnificent and virtually unaltered 18th-century artillery fortification of Fort George. One of the finest examples of its kind in Europe, it was established in 1748 as a base for George II’s army of occupation in the Highlands – by the time of its completion in 1769 it had cost the equivalent of around £1 billion in today’s money. The mile-plus walk around the ramparts offers fine views out to sea and back to the Great Glen. Given its size, you’ll need at least two hours to do the place justice. The fort is off the A96 about 11 miles north-east of Inverness.
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Eilean Donan Castle
Photogenically sited at the entrance to Loch Duich, near Dornie village, Eilean Donan Castle is one of Scotland’s most evocative castles, and must be represented in millions of photo albums. It’s on an offshore islet, magically linked to the mainland by an elegant, stone-arched bridge. It’s very much a re-creation inside with an excellent introductory exhibition. Keep an eye out for the photos of castle scenes from the movie Highlander. There’s also a sword used at the battle of Culloden in 1746. The castle was ruined in 1719 after Spanish Jacobite forces were defeated at the Battle of Glenshiel, and it was rebuilt between 1912 and 1932.
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Culzean
The Scottish National Trust’s flagship property, magnificent Culzean is one of the most impressive of Scotland’s great stately homes. The entrance to Culzean (kull-ane) is a converted viaduct, and on approach the castle appears like a mirage, floating into view. Designed by Robert Adam, who was encouraged to exercise his romantic genius in its design, this 18th-century mansion is perched dramatically on the edge of the cliffs. Robert Adam was the most influential architect of his time, renowned for his meticulous attention to detail and the elegant classical embellishments with which he decorated his ceilings and fireplaces.
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Iona Abbey
This is the spiritual heart of the island. The spectacular nave, dominated by Romanesque and early Gothic vaults and columns, contains the elaborate, white marble tombs of the 8th duke of Argyll and his wife. A door on the left leads to the beautiful Gothic cloister, where medieval grave slabs sit alongside modern religious sculptures. A replica of the intricately carved St John’s Cross stands just outside the abbey – the massive 8th-century original is in the Infirmary Museum (around the far side of the abbey) along with many other fine examples of early Christian and medieval carved stones.
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Falkirk Wheel
Visitors can take boat trips on the Falkirk Wheel, spinning around on its giant gondolas. Boats leave every half-hour (hourly in winter) and travel from the visitor centre into the wheel, getting delivered to the Union Canal, high above. Boats then go through Roughcastle Tunnel before the descent on the wheel and return trip to the visitor centre. Anyone with an interest in engineering marvels should not miss this boat ride – it’s great for kids, too. The nearby visitor centre explains the workings of the mighty wheel – it only takes the power of about eight toasters for a full rotation!
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Museum of Lead Mining
‘Lead mining’: even the phrase has a sort of dulling effect on the brain, and you’d think it’d be a tough ask to make the subject interesting. But at the Museum of Lead Mining at little Wanlockhead, off the motorway northwest of Moffat, they pull it off. It’s apparently Scotland’s highest village, and not necessarily a place you’d have chosen for quality of life back in the day. The tour of the place is fascinating, and family-friendly, taking in a real mine, miners’ cottages, a unique library, and a display on lead-mining and other minerals. In summer, they also run gold-panning activities (£3).
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Montrose Basin Visitor Centre
At the southern edge of town, Montrose Basin Visitor Centre has indoor and outdoor hides, and viewing platforms with high-powered binoculars and remote-controlled TV cameras where you can zoom in on the local wildlife. In summer you can see curlews, oystercatchers and eider ducks – and perhaps an otter if you’re lucky – and in autumn the basin is invaded by huge flocks of pink-footed and greylag geese. The birdwatching is best from two hours after high tide till two hours before the next high tide – check times at any tourist office.
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Highland Adventure Safari
Highland Adventure Safari is ideal for those wanting to spot some wildlife or simply enjoy Perthshire’s magnificent countryside. Standard trips include the 2½-hour Adventure Safari for £35/13.50 per adult/child, which includes a dram in the wilderness, and the Safari Hike for £60, which includes a walk in the mountains and a picnic. Wildlife you may spot includes golden eagles, osprey and red deer. There’s also gold-panning for kids at the visitor centre. It’s on the B846, just past Castle Menzies.
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Highland Wildlife Park
The Highland Wildlife Park near Kincraig, 6 miles southwest of Aviemore, features a drive-through safari park and animal enclosures offering the chance to view rarely-seen native wildlife, such as wildcats, capercaillies, pine martens, white-tailed sea eagles and red squirrels, as well as species that once roamed the Scottish hills but have long since disappeared, including wolf, lynx, wild boar, beaver and European bison. Visitors without cars get driven around by staff (at no extra cost). Last entry is two hours before closing.
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Hopetoun House
One of Scotland’s finest stately homes, Hopetoun House has a superb location in lovely grounds beside the Firth of Forth. There are two parts – the older built to Sir William Bruce’s plans between 1699 and 1702 and dominated by a splendid stairwell with (modern) trompe l’oeil paintings; and the newer designed between 1720 and 1750 by three members of the Adam family, William and sons Robert and John. The highlights are the red and yellow Adam drawing rooms, lined in silk damask, and the view from the roof terrace.
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Dundonald Castle
Dundonald Castle commands impressive views and, in its main hall, has one of the finest barrel-vaulted ceilings preserved in Scotland. It was the first home of the Stuart kings, built by Robert II in 1371, and reckoned to be the third most important castle in Scotland in its time, after Edinburgh and Stirling. The visitor centre below the castle has good information on prior settlements, and scale models of the castle and its predecessors. Buses running between Troon and Kilmarnock stop in Dundonald village.
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