Built in the 1440s by the Lord High Admiral of Scotland, this imposing castle juts like the prow of a ship into the Firth of Forth at Blackness, 4 miles northeast of Linlithgow. Its mighty curtain walls have panoramic Forth Bridge views, while the dank pit prison – which flooded twice a day at high tide – offers a less pleasant perspective on fortress life.
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions
12.87 MILES
Edinburgh Castle has played a pivotal role in Scottish history, both as a royal residence – King Malcolm Canmore (r 1058–93) and Queen Margaret first made…
29.55 MILES
Glasgow Cathedral has a rare timelessness. The dark, imposing interior conjures up medieval might and can send a shiver down the spine. It's a shining…
17.32 MILES
Many years may have passed since Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code and the subsequent film came out, but floods of visitors still descend on Scotland's…
18.56 MILES
Hold Stirling and you control Scotland. This maxim has ensured that a fortress of some kind has existed here since prehistoric times. You cannot help…
29.04 MILES
'So thanks to all at once and to each one, whom we invite to see us crowned at Scone.' This line from Macbeth indicates the importance of Scone …
13.27 MILES
Built on Clydeside, the former Royal Yacht Britannia was the British Royal Family's floating holiday home during their foreign travels from the time of…
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
11.85 MILES
Edinburgh's gallery of modern art is split between two impressive neoclassical buildings surrounded by landscaped grounds some 500m west of Dean Village…
13.79 MILES
The Scottish Parliament Building, on the site of a former brewery and designed by Catalan architect Enric Miralles (1955–2000), was opened by the Queen in…
Nearby Scotland attractions
2.52 MILES
One of Scotland's finest stately homes, Hopetoun House has a superb location in lovely grounds beside the Firth of Forth. The family seat of the earls of…
3.76 MILES
Built between the 1420s and the 1530s, this Gothic church is topped by a controversial aluminium spire added in 1964, representing a crown of thorns. The…
3.76 MILES
This magnificent loch-side palace was begun by James I in 1424, and became a favourite royal residence – James V was born here in 1512, as was his…
3.78 MILES
Lying 200m south of the town centre is the Union Canal and this pretty one-room museum documenting its 200-year history. The centre runs 2½-hour canal…
5. Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum
4.84 MILES
The cottage where the great American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was born in 1835 is now a museum. Carnegie emigrated to the United…
4.89 MILES
Dunfermline Abbey was founded by David I in the 12th century as a Benedictine monastery. The abbey and its neighbouring palace were already favoured by…
4.89 MILES
If the kids are tiring of historic buildings, a trip here might make them feel more kindly towards Fife. Situated at North Queensferry, beneath the Forth…
4.9 MILES
On the pretty, terraced High St is the small Queensferry Museum, tracing the town's social history down the centuries. Highlights include a handwritten…