Sights in Scotland
-
Threave Castle
Two miles west of Castle Douglas, Threave Castle is an impressive tower on a small island in the River Dee. Built in the late 14th century, it became a principal stronghold of the Black Douglases, including the excellently-named Archibald the Grim. It's now basically a shell, having been badly damaged by the Covenanters in the 1640s, but it's a romantic ruin nonetheless. It's a 15-minute walk from the car park to the ferry landing, where you ring a bell for the custodian to take you across to the island in a small boat. From the carpark, a 1.5 mile circular nature path gives you the chance to spot deer and ospreys, as well as waterbirds from hides. At dusk it's good for…
reviewed
-
A
Caithness Horizons
This museum brings much of the history and lore of Caithness to life through its excellent displays. A couple of fine Pictish cross-slabs greet the visitor downstairs; the main exhibition is a wide-ranging look at local history using plenty of audiovisuals – check out the wistful account of the now-abandoned island of Stroma for an emotional slice of social history. There’s also a gallery space, an exhibition on the Dounreay nuclear reactor and a cafe.
reviewed
-
Cairngorms National Park
The Cairngorms National Park encompasses the highest landmass in Britain – a broad mountain plateau, riven only by the deep valleys of the Lairig Ghru and Loch Avon, with an average altitude of over 1000m and including five of the six highest summits in the UK.
This wild mountain landscape of granite and heather has a sub-Arctic climate and supports rare alpine tundra vegetation and high-altitude bird species, such as snow buntings, ptarmigans and dotterels.
The harsh mountain environment gives way lower down to scenic glens softened by beautiful open forests of native Scots pine, home to rare animals and birds such as pine martens, wildcats, red squirrels, ospreys,…
reviewed
-
B
House for an Art Lover
Although designed in 1901 as an entry in a competition run by a German magazine, the House for an Art Lover was not built until the 1990s. Mackintosh worked closely with his wife on the design and her influence is evident, especially in the rose motif. The overall effect of this brilliant architect's design is one of space and light. Buses 3, 9, 54, 55 and 56 all run here from the city centre; always ring ahead before making the journey, as the house may be booked for events.
reviewed
-
Highland Folk Museum
The open-air Highland Folk Museum comprises a collection of historical buildings and relics revealing many aspects of Highland culture and lifestyle. Laid out like a farming township, it has a community of traditional thatch-roofed cottages, a sawmill, a schoolhouse, a shepherd’s bothy (hut) and a rural post office. Actors in period costume give demonstrations of woodcarving, spinning and peat-fire baking. You’ll need at least two to three hours to make the most of a visit here.
reviewed
-
C
Camera Obscura
Edinburgh's camera obscura is a curious 19th-century device – in constant use since 1853 – that uses lenses and mirrors to throw a live image of the city onto a large horizontal screen. The accompanying commentary is entertaining and the whole experience has a quirky charm, complemented by an intriguing exhibition dedicated to illusions of all kinds. Stairs lead up through various displays to the Outlook Tower, which offers great views over the city.
reviewed
-
Dumfries House
A Palladian mansion designed in the 1750s by the Adam brothers, Dumfries House is an architectural jewel: such is its preservation that Prince Charles personally intervened to ensure its protection. It contains an extraordinarily well-preserved collection of Chippendale furniture and numerous objets d’art. Visits are by guided tour; book ahead by phone or internet. The once-daily Grand Tour (adult/child £12.50/4) also takes you to the bedrooms upstairs. The house is located 13 miles east of Ayr, near Cumnock. Buses from Ayr or Kilmarnock to Cumnock will drop you near the house.
reviewed
-
Bonawe Iron Furnace
Bonawe Iron Furnace is one of the region’s most unusual historical sights. Near Taynuilt, and dating from 1753, it was built by an iron-smelting company from the English Lake District because of the abundance of birchwood in the area. The wood was made into the charcoal that was needed for smelting the iron.
It took 10,000 acres of woodland to produce Bonawe’s annual output of 700 tons of pig iron. A fascinating self-guided tour leads you around the various parts of the site.
reviewed
-
Crossraguel Abbey
Just 2 miles east of Kirkoswald, by the A77, Crossraguel Abbey is a substantial ruin dating back to the 13th century that’s good fun to explore. The renovated 16th-century gatehouse is the best part – you’ll find decorative stonework and superb views from the top. Inside, if you have the place to yourself, you’ll hear only the whistling wind – an apt reflection of the abbey’s long-deceased monastic tradition. Don’t miss the echo in the chilly sacristy.
reviewed
-
D
Lighthouse
Mackintosh’s first building, designed in 1893, was a striking new headquarters for the Glasgow Herald. Tucked up a narrow lane off Buchanan St, it now serves as Scotland’s Centre for Architecture & Design, with fairly technical temporary exhibitions (sometimes admission is payable for these), as well as the Mackintosh Interpretation Centre, a detailed (if slightly dry) overview of his life and work. On the top floor of the ‘lighthouse’, drink in great views over the rooftops and spires of the city centre.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
E
Gordon Highlanders Museum
This excellent museum records the history of one of the British Army's most famous fighting units, described by Winston Churchill as 'the finest regiment in the world'. Originally raised in the northeast of Scotland by the 4th Duke of Gordon in 1794, the regiment was amalgamated with the Seaforths and Camerons to form the Highlanders regiment in 1994. The museum is about a mile west of the western end of Union St – take bus 14 or 15 from Union St.
reviewed
-
Samye Ling Tibetan Centre
The Samye Ling Tibetan Centre is the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery built in the West (1968). The colourful prayer flags and the red and gold of the temple itself are a striking contrast to the stark grey and green landscape. You can visit the centre during the day (donation suggested, cafe on site), or stay overnight in simple accommodation which includes full vegetarian board. There are also meditation courses and weekend workshops available. Reserve accommodation online, not by phone.
Bus 112 from Langholm/Lockerbie stops at the centre five times a day Monday to Saturday.
reviewed
-
Dunstaffnage Castle
Dunstaffnage, 2 miles west of Connel, looks like a child’s drawing of what a castle should be – square and massive, with towers at the corners, and perched on top of a rocky outcrop. It was built around 1260 and was captured by Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Independence in 1309. The haunted ruins of the nearby 13th-century chapel contain lots of Campbell tombs decorated with skull-and-crossbone carvings.
reviewed
-
F
Burrell Collection
One of Glasgow's top attractions is the Burrell Collection. Amassed by wealthy industrialist Sir William Burrell before being donated to the city, it is housed in an outstanding museum, 3 miles south of the city centre. Burrell collected all manner of art from his teens to his death at 97, and this idiosyncratic collection of treasure includes everything from Chinese porcelain and medieval furniture to paintings by Degas and Cézanne. It's not so big as to be overwhelming, and the stamp of the collector lends an intriguing coherence.
Visitors will find their own favourite part of this museum, but the exquisite tapestry galleries are outstanding. Intricate stories capturing…
reviewed
-
G
McCaig’s Tower
Crowning the hill above the town centre is the Victorian folly known as McCaig’s Tower. Its construction was commissioned in 1890 by local worthy John Stuart McCaig, an art critic, philosophical essayist and banker, with the philanthropic intention of providing work for unemployed stonemasons.
To reach it on foot, make the steep climb up Jacob’s Ladder (a flight of stairs) from Argyll St and then follow the signs. The views over the bay are worth the effort.
reviewed
-
Tay Rail Bridge & Tay Road Bridge
At just over 2 miles long, the Tay Rail Bridge was the world's longest when it was built - it was completed in 1887 and replaced an earlier bridge whose stumps can be seen alongside. The original bridge collapsed during a storm in 1879, less than two years after it was built, taking a train and 75 lives along with it. The 1.5-mile Tay Road Bridge was opened in 1966.
Tay Rail Bridge costs 80p per car southbound, but is toll-free for northbound traffic.
reviewed
-
May Princess
The five-hour trip to the island on the May Princess, including two to three hours ashore, sails from three to seven times weekly (weather permitting) from mid-April to September (daily July to September). You can make reservations and buy tickets at the harbour kiosk near the museum at least an hour before departure. Departure times vary depending on the tide – check times for the coming week or so by calling, or check the website.
reviewed
-
H
Scotch Whisky Experience
A former school houses this multimedia centre explaining the making of whisky from barley to bottle in a series of exhibits, demonstrations and tours that combine sight, sound and smell, including the world's largest collection of malt whiskies; look out for Peat the distillery cat! There's also a restaurant that serves traditional Scottish dishes with, where possible, a dash of whisky thrown in. It's a short distance downhill from the Castle Esplanade.
reviewed
-
I
Duart Castle
Duart Castle is a formidable fortress dominating the Sound of Mull. The seat of the Clan Maclean, this is one of the oldest inhabited castles in Scotland – the central keep was built in 1360. It was bought and restored in 1911 by Sir Fitzroy Maclean and has damp dungeons, vast halls and bathrooms equipped with ancient fittings.
Duart is two miles beyond Torosay.
reviewed
-
Seal Watching
Most visitors arrive in Brodick, the heartbeat of the Isle of Arran, and congregate along the coastal road to admire the town's long curving bay. As you follow the coast along Brodick Bay, look out for seals , often seen on the rocks around Merkland Point. Two types live in these waters, the Atlantic grey seal and the common seal. They're actually quite easy to tell apart - the common seal has a face like a dog; the Atlantic grey seal has a Roman nose.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Lennoxlove House
Lennoxlove House is a hidden gem of a country house dating originally from around 1345, with major extensions and renovations from the 17th to the early 20th centuries. It contains fine furniture and paintings, and memorabilia relating to Mary, Queen of Scots. Chief among these are her death mask and a silver casket given to her by Francis II of France, her first husband. The house has been the seat of the duke of Hamilton since 1947.
reviewed
-
J
Edinburgh Dungeon
This manufactured attraction combines gruesome tableaux of torture and degradation with live actors who perform scary little sketches along the way. There’s also a ‘horror labyrinth’, a creepy mirror maze inhabited by the ghost of a little drummer boy. Mildly amusing in a large group, mildly embarrassing in a small one and genuinely terrifying for small children. Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult; not recommended for kids under eight.
reviewed
-
K
Lews Castle
The Baronial mansion across the harbour from Stornoway town centre was built in the 1840s for the Matheson family, then owners of Lewis. The beautiful wooded grounds, criss-crossed with walking trails, are open to the public and host the Hebridean Celtic Festival.
The castle was gifted to the community by Lord Leverhulme in 1923 and was home to the local college for 40 years, but has lain empty since 1997 (the college now occupies modern buildings in the castle grounds); it is now slated for development as a museum and hotel.
reviewed
-
Strathnaver Museum
Housed in an old church, this museum tells the sad story of the Strathnaver Clearances through posters written by local kids. The museum contains memorabilia of Clan Mackay, various items of crofting equipment and a 'St Kilda mailboat', a small wooden boat-shaped container bearing a letter that was used by St Kildans to send messages to the mainland.
Outside the back door of the church is the Farr Stone, a fine carved Pictish cross-slab.
reviewed
-
L
Wallace Monument
Two and a half miles north of Stirling is Scotland’s impressive Victorian monument to Sir William Wallace, who was hung, drawn and quartered by the English in 1305. The view from the top, of no less than seven battlegrounds, is as breathtaking as the 67m climb up to it. The monument contains interesting displays, including a parade of other Scottish heroes and Wallace’s mighty two-handed sword. Clearly, the man was no weakling.
reviewed