Dumfries & Galloway
As well as catering for today's local artists and holding a cinema, this centre has an exhibition on the history of the town's artistic development. The…
Must-see attractions in Southern Scotland
Dumfries & Galloway
This protects 546 hectares of salt marsh and mudflats, the habitat for numerous birds, including barnacle geese. There are various activities, including…
Borders Region
The proud history of the Coldstream Guards is covered here. Formed as part of Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army in 1650, they played a significant part in…
Dumfries & Galloway
Six miles northwest of Dumfries, you can visit the farm that Robert Burns leased in 1788 by the River Nith. He had the house built for his family and…
Dumfries & Galloway
This new conversion of the town hall into a shiny new gallery opened just after we last passed by. There's a permanent exhibition on this town's artistic…
Mary, Queen of Scots' Visitor Centre
Borders Region
Mary stayed at this beautiful 16th-century tower house in 1566 after her famous ride to visit the injured Earl of Bothwell, her future husband, at…
Southern Scotland
This is the only remnant of the church that hosted a parliament in 1315, the year after the celebrated victory at the battle of Bannockburn. John Knox’…
Dumfries & Galloway
A worthwhile Burns exhibition in an old mill on the banks of the River Nith; it tells the story of the poet and Dumfries in the 1790s. The optional…
Borders Region
The historic Drumlanrig’s Tower is a solid stone mansion that was once a major seat of Douglas clan power in the Borders. It now holds the Borders Textile…
Dumfries & Galloway
You can climb the lighthouse at the Mull of Galloway for views over four different political entities: Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and the Isle of…
Dumfries & Galloway
Near the harbour, this is a large, atmospheric ruin built in 1577 by Thomas MacLellan, then provost of Kirkcudbright, as his town residence. Inside, look…
Borders Region
Halliwell’s House Museum is the oldest building (1712) in Selkirk. The museum charts local history with an engrossing exhibition, and the Robson Gallery…
Dumfries Museum & Camera Obscura
Dumfries & Galloway
This museum covers local history and prehistory with a wide range of displays from fossils to farm implements. In the tower is a camera obscura, built in…
Dumfries & Galloway
The red sandstone bridges arching over the River Nith are the most attractive feature of the town. Devorgilla Bridge (1431) is one of the oldest bridges…
Dumfries & Galloway
Burns' mausoleum is in the graveyard at St Michael's Kirk. It's in the far corner (ie eastern corner) from the entrance. There’s a grisly account of his…
Borders Region
Drop into Sir Walter Scott’s Courtroom, where there’s an exhibition on the man’s life and writings, plus a fascinating account of the courageous explorer…
Southern Scotland
Millport boasts Britain’s smallest cathedral, the lovely Cathedral of the Isles, which was completed in 1851. Inside, it’s quite ornate with a lattice…
Dumfries & Galloway
One mile southwest of Gatehouse of Fleet just off the A75, this well-preserved stronghold was the home of the McCulloch clan. It’s a classic 15th-century…
Borders Region
This modern exhibition in St Abbs has interesting interactive displays on the often stormy history of this harbour village. Spoken reminiscences from…
Borders Region
The Heritage Hub, formerly the corn exchange, is a handy facility for anyone wishing to trace Scottish heritage, or other local archives. If you can't…
Dumfries & Galloway
This museum houses exhibits on local history and you can learn about Stranraer's polar explorers. The highlight is the carved stone pipe from Madagascar…
Borders Region
Set in a church, the town museum has intriguing local history displays, particularly relating to the town's fishing heritage. Its centrepiece is the…
Dumfries & Galloway
This 18th-century watermill in the centre of the village is very well preserved. A video sets it in context, and cordial guides will show you the workings…
Southern Scotland
The town's main attraction is a multimedia exhibition describing Viking influence in Scotland until its demise at the Battle of Largs in 1263. It's got a…
Borders Region
Little remains of what was once one of the region's most powerful monasteries before the Black Death then Oliver Cromwell reduced it to ruins. The current…
Dumfries & Galloway
You can see traditional brewing processes at this main-street alemaker's. Tours, which include a pint, only run twice a week, at 1pm on Monday and Friday …
Borders Region
Once one of the richest abbeys in southern Scotland, Kelso Abbey was built by the Tironensians, an order founded in Picardy and brought to the Borders…
Dumfries & Galloway
Amid stirring scenery a couple of miles from town on the Newcastleton road, this oxidised iron memorial to poet Hugh MacDiarmid looks like a portal to a…
Dumfries & Galloway
In the centre of town, in a converted 18th-century cotton mill, this centre has an exhibition on the history of the local industry and environment. The…
Dumfries & Galloway
Worth a quick visit, the Castle of St John is a tower built in 1510 by the Adairs of Kihilt, a powerful local family. The old stone cells carry a…
Borders Region
This well-laid-out formal garden is a pleasant spot to while away a sunny afternoon, with views to the Eildon Hills and a riot of flowers in spring. The…
Southern Scotland
Near the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum are the ruins of the kirk, the setting for part of Burns' verse tale 'Tam o' Shanter'. Burns' father, William, is…
Falls of Clyde Wildlife Centre
Southern Scotland
The often-unstaffed wildlife centre is by the river in New Lanark and has a small child-friendly display focused on badgers, bats, peregrine falcons and…
Dumfries & Galloway
The roofless 13th-century St Ninian's Chapel, probably built for pilgrims who landed nearby on their way to the shrine at Whithorn, sits evocatively on…
Burns Monument & Memorial Gardens
Southern Scotland
Within these gardens near the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum is a striking neo-Grecian monument to the poet, completed in 1823. It affords a view of the…
Borders Region
Jedburgh Castle was a victim of Scotland's wars for independence but this smart 1820s prison was built on the site as part of a jail reform program. You…
Borders Region
This museum has an interesting collection of mostly 19th-century manufacturing and domestic memorabilia as well as details on a tragic pair of local…
Borders Region
This museum tells the story of the author of The Thirty-Nine Steps and numerous other writings. A well-rounded figure, Buchan also became Governor-General…
Dumfries & Galloway
Around Burrow Head, to the southwest but accessed off the A747 before you enter the Isle of Whithorn, is St Ninian's Cave, where the saint apparently went…
Dumfries & Galloway
When visiting Robert Burns' mausoleum in the cemetery, it's worth ducking into the squarish 18th-century church, where he used to worship, to admire the…
