Find places to visit in Britain by name, location, type of attraction, or other keyword.
This listings directory of over 950 entries is being phased out.
It now excludes places and things of interest in the North of England, including Yorkshire.
These can be found in ABAB’s Places.
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The Glenfinnan Monument marks the place where Prince Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, raised his father’s standard at the head of Loch Shiel and began the 1745 Jacobite rebellion that ended in defeat at Culloden a year later. The monument was built in 1815, is 59 feet (18 metres) high and has a lone, kilted, highlander at the top. It’s a spectacular site in a spectacular location. You can climb to the top of the monument and the National Trust for Scotland has an exhibition in a visitor centre telling the story of Prince Charles Edward Stuart and the 1745 Jacobite Rising.
The location has also been used in the Harry Potter films, with the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct just to the west providing iconic shots of the fictional Hogwarts Express.
Climb above the visitor centre for the best views.
Lochaber
Berthed by Glasgow's Riverside Museum is the SV (sailing vessel) Glenlee, launched in 1896. Known locally as “The Tall Ship”, this is one of the last steel-hulled bulk cargo carriers in existence, one of only 5 Clyde-built sailing ships still afloat – and the only one in Britain. Extensively and lovingly restored, Glenlee can be seen at the same time as visiting the Riverside Museum and is also hired out for events (so check before making a special trip).
They say whisky was distilled at Morangie Farm since at least 1703. Glenmorangie's best selling malts, include The Original and the rich Quinta Ruban, are matured in white oak casks from Missouri and used to mature bourbon for 4 years before being shipped to Scotland. Glenmorangie is famous for its products allegedly being 'Perfected by the Sixteen Men of Tain' and its logo is based on a design from Pictish stone, the Hilton of Cadboll Stone, discovered nearby on the Tarbet Peninsula, Easter Ross. Various tours of the distillery are available and it is always advisable to book.
Why is the small Scottish village of Gretna Green famous for marriages? In 1753, Lord Hardwicke’s Marriage Act declared that all marriage ceremonies in England and Wales had to be conducted by a minister in a parish church or chapel of the Church of England and that anyone under the age of 21 needed the consent of parents or guardians. Clergymen who disobeyed the law were liable for 14 years transportation. Jews and Quakers were exempt, but the law required religious non-conformists and Catholics to be married in Anglican churches.
In Scotland, the law was different. Anyone over the age of 15 could marry provided the couple were not closely related and neither was in a relationship with anyone else. The marriage contract could be made wherever they liked, in private or in public. Gretna, just across the border from England, became a popular destination for eloping couples and the ceremony could be conducted by a blacksmith – a person of standing in the community.
The famous Blacksmiths’ Shop in Gretna was built in 1713 and is perfectly situated at the junction of five old coaching roads. The local blacksmith, the ‘Blacksmith Priest’, would conduct the marriage ceremony over his anvil, with his wife and locals standing as witnesses. The anvil would be struck with a hammer as part of the wedding ceremony, forging the lives of the two lovers together in an unbreakable bond.
The Marriage Act of 1836 allowed non-conformists and Catholics to be married in their own places of worship in England and Wales and made non-religious civil marriages possible. The minimum age for marriage was raised to 16 in 1929. The age for parental consent was lowered to 18 in 1970.
Even so, Gretna Green is still a favourite place to get married and the Blacksmiths Shop is one of the most famous venues. It includes shops, a café, shops and there is free parking. Other wedding venues are available.
Gretna Green
There is a cute Victorian statue to Greyfriars' Bobby, the legendary dog that would not leave its master's grave, at the junction of Candlemakers Row and King George IV Bridge in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh
The Helix is a large community park between Falkirk and Grangemouth, bisected by the Forth and Clyde Canal, formed from regenerated land and including a lake, wetlands, walking and cycle paths, cafes and a visitor centre. But its most famous feature is the Kelpies, two massive steel sculptures of horses heads, inspired by industrial horse power and mythical creatures. The Kelpies can be seen from the M9, but are best viewed from the park.
Falkirk
Highland Folk Museum is an open air museum dedicated to living and working in the Highlands from the 1700s to the 1960s. Social history is brought to life on a mile-long site which includes more than 30 fascinating heritage buildings at one end, many of which have been carefully moved from their original locations, and a completely reconstructed 1700s township at the other. The museum has featured in several film/TV productions, including Outlander. There is a play area and cafe. Also on site is ‘Am Fasgadh’, which holds some 10,000 artefacts and includes a research library, conservation laboratory and conference facilities.
Newtonmore
The Highland Wildlife Park is a zoo situated in the beauty of the Cairngorm National Park. Originally, the park used to only contain species that were native to, or which had once been native to, the Highlands. This scope has widened, presumably in an effort to increase visitor numbers. So as well as wolves, wildcats and arctic foxes, you can now see tigers and red pandas. There is a large drive-through reserve area, plus a woodland walk and events take place throughout the year. Try to get there for feeding time.
Managed by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. Irritating website!
Kingussie
The legend is that while King David I was hunting in the area he had a vision of a stag with a cross glowing between its antlers. Interpreting this as an act of God, the King declared that an abbey should be built on the same spot, and the Augustinian Abbey of the Holy Rood was accordingly founded in 1128. Holy Rood means ‘Holy Cross’, a fragment of which had allegedly been brought to Scotland by David’s mother, St Margaret, and kept at the Abbey until the 14th century.
Holyrood Abbey is part of the Palace of Holyroodhouse and can only be visited as part of a visit to the Palace.
The Royal Mile,
Edinburgh
Inveraray Castle is the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll, Chief of the Clan Campbell and one of the must-see visitor attractions on the West Coast of Scotland. With a spectacular location on Loch Fyne, there has been an Inveraray Castle for around 500 years. The present castle was begun by the 3rd Duke in 1746 and took 43 years to build. Far from a forbidding fortress, Inveraray is a palatial home displaying the clan chief’s wealth and influence – though it does house an alarmingly large collection of armaments. The Duke and Duchess and their family live on two floors of the castle; the remainder is open to visitors, along with gardens and grounds – which include trees planted by, among others, David Livingstone, William Gladstone and Queen Victoria. Inveraray Castle featured as ‘Duneagle Castle’ in the TV programme ‘Downton Abbey’.
If your favourite attraction is not listed yet, and you have a good quality digital photograph of it that you are able to freely send, please get in touch.