Scotland
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 church is said to be haunted by a ghost that foretold James IV of his impending defeat at Flodden in 1513.
Mary, Queen of Scots, was likely baptised here, and Oliver Cromwell billeted troops here when he invaded Scotland in 1650 – the holes from their musket shot still mark the walls.
15.65 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…
25.87 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…
19.12 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…
16.78 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…
16.43 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
14.61 MILES
Edinburgh's gallery of modern art is split between two impressive neoclassical buildings surrounded by landscaped grounds some 500m west of Dean Village…
16.64 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…
28.48 MILES
This visually impressive modern museum at Glasgow Harbour owes its striking curved forms to late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. A transport museum…
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…
0.24 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…
3.76 MILES
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…
5.49 MILES
More large house than palace, the 17th-century residence of local laird Sir George Bruce features an interior largely unchanged since his time. The…
5.63 MILES
Ruined Culross Abbey, founded by the Cistercians in 1217, sits atop a hill in a lovely peaceful spot with vistas of the firth. The choir was converted…
5.78 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…
6.64 MILES
The Kelpies, the stunning equine statues gracing the eastern entrance to the Forth & Clyde Canal, are named after mythical Scottish water-horses. The two…
8.07 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…