Scotland

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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.
Places to visit in England’s East Midlands are currently being moved to ABAB’s Places.

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KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY & MUSEUM

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum houses an astonishing, eclectic, collection of 8,000 objects, covering natural history, ancient Egypt, arms and armour, Scottish history and artwork. As well as world-class paintings by Dutch masters and French impressionists, the art collection includes 'the Glasgow Boys' and Salvador Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross.  Outside the museum is a statue of St Kentigern (aka 'Mungo'), patron of art and music and founder of Glasgow, born c518 in Culross.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Argyle Street
County
Glasgow
Post Code
G3 8AG
Main Historic Period
All
Link to featured article
Primary Management
Local Authority
Kirkoswald Old Kirkyard

The old churchyard surround the ruins of Kirkoswald's old parish church, dedicated to St Oswald, King of Northumbria, who is said to have won a battle on the site in c634AD and built a church in thanks for his victory. Inside the church is the font that is said to have been used for the christening of Robert the Bruce at nearby Crossaguel Abbey in 1274, moved here for safety during the Reformation. It is not possible to enter the church, but the font can be seen through a door.  As well as containing several fascinating and astonishingly ornate headstones, the churchyard is the last resting place of many associated with Robert Burns, who went to school in Kirkoswald. Amongst the burials are his maternal grandparents, teacher, Hugh Rodger, John Davidson (Souter Johnnie), Douglas Graham (Tam o' Shanter) and Jean Kennedy (Kirkton Jean).

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Main Road
Kirkoswald
Maybole
County
Ayrshire
Post Code
KA19 8HY
Main Historic Period
Georgian
Tip/Nearby
Souter Johnnie's Cottage, Culzean Castle
Primary Management
Unknown
LAND, SEA and ISLANDS Visitor Centre

The small Land, Sea and Islands Visitor Centre in Arisaig houses exhibits on the cultural and natural history of the region. Created out of a derelict smithy (the restored old forge is a focal point), exhibits include fascinating artefacts as well as photographs. An intriguing section is dedicated to SOE – ‘Special Operations Executive’ – which was set up to infiltrate enemy occupied territory during WW2 and whose agents trained in these parts. Among them were Czech agents who assassinated the Nazi Heydrich in Prague in 1942. There is also a bit about various films made locally, including ‘Local hero’ (1983), and a good little shop selling books, cards and so on. The facility is owned and run by the community.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Arisaig
Inverness-shire
County
Highland
Post Code
PH39 4NH
Main Historic Period
All
Link to featured article
Tip/Nearby
Silver Sands of Morar, Glenfinnan
Primary Management
Community
LINLITHGOW PALACE

Magnificent ruins of a late medieval/16th century royal palace, overlooking a loch. The 'pleasure palace' for several Scottish monarchs, it was also the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots. It takes little imagination to picture it as it was, full of the nobility in their finery, with its wide stairs, elegant windows, rich furnishings and a fountain running with wine. Was this Scotland's Hampton Court?  It could have been.

Linlithgow has another claim to fame - it was the birthplace of Scottish Nationalist politician Alex Salmond, who also grew up in the town.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Kirkgate
Linlithgow
County
West Lothian
Post Code
EH49 7AL
Main Historic Period
Tudor
Link to featured article
Tip/Nearby
Between Edinburgh and Stirling. Adjacent parish church of St Michael's is also worth a visit and has an unusual tower.
Primary Management
Historic Scotland
LOCHINDORB CASTLE

Lochindorb Castle is known as the Lair of the Wolf of Badenoch. It was built in the 13th century on a partly artificial island on the loch, when it was a stronghold of the Comyns. Later, the castle was occupied by the English and it was visited by Edward I in 1303. For awhile, it was used as a prison. At the end of the 14th century, it was gifted by King Robert II to his third son, Alexander Stewart, the Earl of Buchan - the Wolf of Badenoch.

Lochindorb is located about 6.5 miles north of Grantown-on-Spey on minor roads between the B9007 and the A939. You will need a car or bike to get there. The castle can only be reached by boat; so you'll need to find one of those too.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Lochindorb
Nr Grantown-on-Spey
County
Moray
Post Code
None
Main Historic Period
Medieval
Tip/Nearby
Grantown-on-Spey
Primary Management
Unknown
LOCH LOMOND and the TROSSACHS

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park offers the romance of Britain's largest lake (will you take the high road, or the low road?), sea lochs, Rob Roy's cave(s), mountains, beautiful glens, forests and wildlife. And it's right on Glasgow's doorstep. The Trossachs is an area between Loch Lomond and Stirling, which includes lochs, hills, forests and villages. The Park was established in 2002 and covers an area of 720 square miles (1865 square kilometres) which includes 22 large lochs, 40 mountains over 2500 feet (762 metres) high - 21 are in excess of 3000 feet (914 metres) – 2 forest parks and its highest point is Ben More at 3851 feet (1174 metres).

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is divided into four, distinct, areas: Loch Lomond, with all its romance, is the largest expanse of fresh water in Great Britain; the Argyll Forest, an area of peaks, glens, rivers, coast and lochs; the Trossachs, often referred to as ‘the Highlands in miniature’, just a short step from Scotland’s populous central belt; and Breadalbane, an area of the southern/central Highlands.  So, naturally, the Park is loved by walkers and climbers.  Or wildlife lovers wanting to spot osprey, red squirrels, deer or otters.  Or for sailing and canoeing.

Visit the romantic ruins of Inchmahome Priory, which gave refuge to the infant Mary, Queen of Scots, hunt out Rob Roy’s cave (there are two of them), check out the Faerie Hollow or lose yourself in a botanic garden.  And, yes, there are castles and country estates…

Principal settlements in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park are Balloch, Callander and Tarbet.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Headquarters
Carrochan
Carrochan Road
Balloch
County
Dunbartonshire
Post Code
G83 8EG
Main Historic Period
N/A
Link to featured article
Primary Management
National Park
LOCKERBIE GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE

The Lockerbie Garden of Remembrance at Dryfesdale Cemetery commemorates the 270 victims of the so-called Lockerbie Air Disaster. ‘Disaster’ is a euphemism – it was, in fact, a terrorist attack and, at the time of writing, the deadliest in UK history.  A bomb was planted on Pan-Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit via London Heathrow and New York.  The aircraft blew up over the Scottish town of Lockerbie at about 7pm on 21 December 1988, scattering debris and bodies over a wide area. Large sections of the aircraft fell on the town, destroying houses.  243 passengers and 16 crew died from the aircraft and 11 people on the ground.  Those murdered were aged from 2 months to 82 years old and from 21 nations.  190 were US citizens (many of them young students) and 43 were UK subjects.

The garden is situated at the back of the cemetery, on the right, with lawns, flower beds and paths. The main memorial is set into the wall of the cemetery with three large stone tablets, the names in six columns.  There are other individual and private remembrance stones and plaques in the lawn, around the garden and on the wall.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Dryfesdale Cemetery
Dumfries Road
Lockerbie
County
Dumfries and Galloway
Post Code
DG11 1HZ
Main Historic Period
Modern
Primary Management
Local Authority
Macpherson Memorial

The Macpherson monument is a cairn erected in 1996 to the memory of Ewan Macpherson of Cluny (1706-64), who was colonel of the local Badenoch men in the '45 rising. He was at Derby with Bonnie Prince Charlie, the skirmish at Clifton (reckoned by some to be the last battle on English soil) and the Battle of Falkirk. In the awful aftermath of the Battle of Culloden, he spent nine years on the run from the government, sometimes hiding in a cave, eventually escaping to France. He was chief of the clan from 1746 until his death in Dunkirk. The monument stand in site of Creag Dhubh (black rock), a 2350 foot high mountain, which was also Clan Macpherson's war cry. At the bottom of the commemorative plaque is the Macpherson clan motto, "Na Bean Don Chat Gun Làmhainn", "Touch Not The Cat But A Glove", sometimes rendered as "Touch Not The Cat Bot A Glove". 'Bot' means without. The reference is to a wildcat and the wildcat's 'glove' is its pad. The ungloved cat has its vicious claws out. So, the motto is (apparently) a warning not to tangle with the violent Macphersons. Macpherson, by the way, means 'son of the parson'; they breed tough parsons in the Highlands.

Post code is approximate.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Glentruim Road
between the A889 and the A9
3 miles south of Newtonmore
County
Highland
Post Code
PH20 1BE
Main Historic Period
Georgian
Link to featured article
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
The Centre of Scotland, Ruthven Barracks, Macpherson Clan Museum
Primary Management
Other
MELLERSTAIN HOUSE

A grand Georgian house set in acres of parkland with formal gardens and an interior that includes works by Van Dyck and Gainsborough. George Baillie, an officer in William of Orange's army, commissioned William Adams to build the house in 1725. Only two wings were finished. The work was completed in 1778 by William's son, Robert, who linked the two wings and finished everything off in a sort of castle style. Mellerstain is said to be one of Scotland's finest stately homes.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Mellerstain
Gordon
County
Berwickshire
Post Code
TD3 6LG
Main Historic Period
Georgian
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
About 8 miles north of Kelso
Primary Management
Private - open to the public
NATIONAL WALLACE MONUMENT

The National Wallace Monument is a large Victorian tower, in baronial/medieval style, built high on a prominent hill, to commemorate the Scottish patriot Sir William Wallace (c1270 - 1305), who led resistance against the English during the Scottish Wars of Independence before being betrayed, captured and taken to London, where he was executed. The Monument opened in 1869 and includes 3 exhibition chambers telling the story of Wallace, his victory at nearby Stirling Bridge in 1297, and the building of the monument. There are 246 steps to the top of the monument, from which there are stunning views of Stirling, the castle and surrounding countryside.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Abbey Craig
Hillfoots Road
Causewayhead
Stirling
County
Stirlingshire
Post Code
FK9 5LF
Main Historic Period
Victorian
Link to featured article
Tip/Nearby
Stirling Castle
Primary Management
Other

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

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