AthelstanefordBalernoBathgateBirkhillBlacknessBo'nessBroxburnCockburnspathCorstorphineCraigmillarCramondCrichtonDalkeithDirletonDoocotEast LothianEdinburghGrantonHaddingtonLinlithgowLivingstonMidlothianMotherwellMungoswellsMusselburghNorth BerwickOrmistonPencaitlandPenicuikPrestonpansRoslinSouth QueensferrySpottTorphichenTranentWhitburn
All the family will enjoy a wonderful day out at Almond Valley Heritage Centre, situated at the heart of Scotland just outside Livingston, West Lothian.
Nestled in a pleasant riverside site with woods and green spaces that extend for almost a mil...
Almondell:
Most of our walks and events start at the Visitor Centre which was the stables block when Almondell was a private estate. The estate originally belonged to the Erskine family who had connections with Kirkhill House in Broxburn. Some...
A real gem for wildlife and for visitors too. Spend time in one of the four hides, looking out at the ducks and swans on the haugh, or take a walk through the woods. If you're lucky you may even see a kingfisher or an otter on the river. Most paths a...
Nestled high in the Bathgate Hills near the historic town of Linlithgow, Beecraigs caters for a wide range of leisure and recreational activities within its 370 hectares (913 acres). Advice, information, venison sales, craft sales, gift vouchers and...
Birkhill Fireclay Mine is best visited as part of the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway experience, where guides will take visitors on a 45-minute tour from Birkhill Station platform into the underground workings of the mine.
Designed to give visitors...
The port of Linlithgow Blackness Castle stands beside the Firth of Forth, at the seaport which in medieval times served the royal burgh of Linlithgow. The castle was built in the 15th century by one of Scotland’s more powerful families, the ...
Take a journey into the past on an historic steam train from Bo'ness station along the shores of the Forth. The train brings you to Birkhill in the West Lothian countryside, where you can choose an underground guided tour of Birkhill Fireclay Mine or...
The Brass Rubbing Centre, just off the High Street opposite The Museum of Childhood, includes a large number of replica monumental brasses.
They range from medieval knights and their ladies through Scottish Pictish symbols to Celtic designs copie...
Why not visit us today for a great day out! Enter our tropical rainforest paradise and discover the what a tropical rainstorm is like 1st hand. We have lots of things to do like fish feeding or animal Handling. Join our experts and get the chance to ...
A unique holy place Cairnpapple Hill is one of the most important prehistoric sites in mainland Scotland. When Professor Piggott of Edinburgh University excavated there in 1947–8, he discovered the summit of the hill crowned with ceremonial ...
The Camera Obscura show is a fascinating and highly amusing way to see the city and learn about its history. This unique experience has delighted and intrigued people for over 150 years. It is a 'must' on any visit to Edinburgh.
From inside this m...
Castlelaw Hill Fort is an Iron Age hill fort with a souterrain built in one of the ditches....
Chesters Hill Fort is one of the best-preserved examples in Scotland of an Iron Age fort defended by an elaborate system of ramparts and ditches....
In our clan tartan centre you can find out if your name is linked to a Scottish clan, or tartan.
Search our database of 50,000 names and take a printed clan certificate home with you. Sample a dram or two in our Spirit of Scotland Whisky Shop, we...
Corstorphine Dovecot is a large circular 'beehive' dovecot in a good state of preservation with nesting boxes complete....
A well preserved medieval castle, Craigmillar has a tower house, courtyard and gardens. Craigmillar's story is linked with that of Mary Queen of Scots. Superb views from tower house....
A hidden gem Crichton Castle stands tucked away out of sight, on a terrace overlooking the River Tyne in Midlothian. It was a noble residence for some 200 years, from the late 14th century through to the close of the 16th century. It was seldo...
Open from Easter until the end of October, our Estate hosts some of lowland Scotland's most beautiful woodlands. Two rivers run through the Estate, The River North Esk and the River South Esk, meeting together to form the Esk, home to otters, herons ...
When Dalmeny House was completed in 1817, it marked a great departure in Scottish architecture; its Tudor Gothic style, with its highly-decorated chimneys and crenellations, looked back toward fanciful 16th-century English mansions, such as Hampton C...
The Dean Gallery's world-class collection of Dada and Surrealism is shown in the Roland Penrose Gallery and Gabrielle Keiller Library. Their outstanding collections were in large part acquired by the Gallery in the 1990s and feature important works b...
A residence of three noble families Dirleton Castle has graced the heart of Dirleton since the 13th century. For the first 400 years, it served as the residence of three noble families – the de Vauxes, Haliburtons and Ruthvens. The subsequen...
The Doonhill Homestead site is marked out in the grass, of a wooden hall of a 6th-century British chief, and of an Anglian chief's hall, which superseded it in the 7th century, revealed by aerial photography followed by excavation in the 1960s. A ra...
The Dunglass Collegiate Church was founded in 1450 for a college of canons by Sir Alexander Hume. The handsome cross-shaped building contains a vaulted nave, choir and transepts, all with stone slab roofs....
Eagle Rock: Cramond is a much-defaced carving on natural rock said to represent an eagle. Near the Drum Sands within the Firth of Forth, an internationally important site for feeding and roosting waders and winterfowl....
Sited on top of an extinct volcano, gaining stunning views across City of Edinburgh, the castle has witnessed many of the defining events of Scottish history. A key attraction within the castle is the Scottish Crown Jewels. The crown, sword and scept...
Capital of Scotland since the 15th Century, Edinburgh stands on seven hills creating the dramatic skyline of this lively cosmopolitan city. What better way to see this fantastic city than from the top of a City Sightseeing Tour Bus. Compare E...
It is believed Edinburgh Crystal went bankrupt in 2006 leading to the closure of its factory (and visitor centre) in Penicuik, near Edinburgh. Although Edinburgh Crystal survives as a brand name, all its products are now manufactured outside Scotland...
The Edinburgh Dungeon invites you to a feast of fun with history's horrible bits. Live actors, two rides, shows and special effects transport you back to those black, bleak times. Are you brave enough? Prepare to be scared in Sawney Bean's cannib...
Welcome to Edinburgh Zoo, the largest and most exciting wildlife attraction in Scotland, committed to the highest standards of animal welfare, conservation and environmental education.
In just one day, you can meet over 1,000 wonderful animals in ...
Home to Scotland's outstanding national collection of modern and contemporary art, the Modern Art Galleries include the Gallery of Modern Art and the nearby Dean Gallery.
Both Galleries are set in extensive parkland, where visitors can discover s...
Gambado Edinburgh became part of our growing family in October 2011. It has some of the best play and party facilities in the region with new and exciting equipment and activities arriving soon. Gambado Edinburgh has a range of activities for chil...
Just imagine how it must have felt to be the first owner of this magnificent Robert Adam town house. And to pay just £1,800 for the privilege! The Georgian House dates from 1796 when Edinburgh's well-to-do left the cramped, squalid conditions of the...
Completed in 1620, Gladstone's Land is a typical example of an Edinburgh Old Town tenement. From the windows, successive occupants have witnessed the procession of Scottish history along the Kingis Hie Street: Charles I en route to his coronation at ...
A visit to Glenkinchie - the home of The Edinburgh Malt involves a short and pleasant drive from the City centre into the rolling farmland of East Lothian. Here you can see a working distillery, the making of a capital malt in every respect. An exhib...
Uncover a wealth of information in a visit to your local museum.
Interested in finding out more about the place you live in, the people who made your town or village what it is today or the industries and businesses that have helped shape local ...
Hailes Castle is a beautifully sited ruin incorporating a fortified manor of 13th century date, extended in the 14th and 15th centuries. There are two vaulted pit-prisons....
Holyrood Abbey is the ruined nave of the 12th and 13th century abbey church. The church was built for Augustinian canons. The abbey and palace administered by the Lord Chamberlain. Access to Holyrood Abbey is through the Palace of Holyroodhouse,...
Within Holyrood Park is a wealth of history and archaeology spanning thousands of years. Arthur's Seat is one of four hill forts dating from around 2000 years ago. Holyrood Park is a scheduled ancient monument and a site of special scientific int...
Visit Hopetoun and discover a place of beauty, tranquility and architectural magnificence dating from the 17th century. It has been home to the Hope Family since the late 1600s and the present Lord Hopetoun and his family still live in Hopetoun House...
The House of the Binns stands as a living monument to one of Scotland's oldest families, the Dalyells, who have lived here since 1612. It contains a fascinating collection of 17th- to 20th-century furniture, porcelain and portraits revealing the fami...
A must for keen gardeners. Within the stone walls of this hillside garden you'll discover many unusual plants alongside carefully cultivated herbaceous borders, shrubs and old roses. You'll also be drawn to the beautifully restored Edwardian conserva...
Behind the East Lothian County buildings in Haddington lies a mid-18th Century house, which was home to a local physician Dr. John Welsh. His daughter Jane Baillie Welsh was born here in 1801. Her father died when she was 18 and she became known as t...
Kinneil House and Kinneil Museum are set in a public park, the oldest part of the house is a 15th century tower remodelled by the Earl of Arran between 1546 and 1550 and transformed into a stately home for the Dukes of Hamilton in the 1660s. The g...
Uncover a wealth of information in a visit to your local museum…
Interested in finding out more about the place you live in, the people who made your town or village what it is today or the industries and businesses that have helped shape local ...
Lauderdale Aisle, St Mary's Church is the former sacristy of the great 15th-century parish church, with a splendid monument of early 17th-century date, in marble, with alabaster effigies....
A 19th century mansion, built around a 16th century tower house, the Castle has been home to a number of notable Scots, including the King’s Solicitor to Charles I, a goldsmith and a financial genius!
Lauriston has managed to keep the modern day...
The Canal Museum is housed in a former canal stable. It exhibits records, photographs and artifacts associated mainly with the Union Canal.
The display covers the development of the British canal system and explains why and how the canal was bui...
The majestic royal palace of the Stewarts at Linlithgow today lies roofless and ruined. Yet the visitor still feels a sense of awe on entering its gates. It was begun by James I in 1424, rising like a phoenix from the flames following a fire that dev...
Much appreciated for its atmosphere of peace and tranquillity, Malleny is the garden to visit for a few hours of quiet contemplation among beautiful surroundings. Renowned for its flamboyant plantings of oldfashioned roses...
A Bronze Age stone circle, the focus of many legends, set in dramatic moorland on Stapeley Hill. It once consisted of some 30 stones, 15 of which are still visible.
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Athelstaneford is the birthplace of Scotland's National Flag. Saltire memorial, historic churchyard and flag heritage centre in restored doocot. Audiovisual dramatisation of battle in 832AD....
The National Gallery Complex is one of Scotland’s top free visitor attractions and Edinburgh’s second most-visited attraction after the Castle. It is made up of three interconnected buildings, right in the heart of Edinburgh. The National Gallery...
The East Fortune site itself is steeped in history. In 1919 the R34 Airship took off from East Fortune to make the first east-west transatlantic flight. Now, Hangar 4 is home to Concorde G-BOAA, the first of the British Airways Concorde fleet to fly...
For generations, we've collected key exhibits from all over Scotland and beyond. Viking brooches, Pictish stones, ancient chessmen, medieval oak carvings, ornate quaichs and Queen Mary's clarsach.
The unusual, the weird and the wonderful - all und...
Our collections represent astonishing diversity, from fossils showing evidence of the earliest forms of life, to the rich artefact collections representing other world cultures. Material evidence of Scottish history and culture from the earliest time...
War and military service have touched the lives of countless Scots, leaving their mark on Scotland's history, image and reputation abroad. Here, in the magnificent setting of Edinburgh Castle, explore over 400 years of the Scottish military experienc...
The famous Edinburgh time ball on Nelson Monument is working again following a restoration project coordinated by Edinburgh World Heritage.
The time ball dates to 1852 and its purpose was to enable ship’s captains to set their chronometers accur...
Newhailes is an amazing survival story. This means you can experience this dignified 17th-century home and its 18th-century additions in authentic condition. With much of the original decorative scheme - the Chinese hand-painted wallpaper, painted wo...
Ormiston Market Cross is a symbol of the right of the inhabitants to hold a market, this is a fine free-standing 15th-century cross on a modern base....
Our Dynamic Earth takes you on a journey through out planet’s past, present and future, with interactive exhibits and impressive technology. Beginning with the Big Bang, children and adults alike can witness the creation of the Earth, follow the pl...
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence in Scotland of Her Majesty The Queen, stands at the end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile against the spectacular backdrop of Arthur's Seat. This fine baroque palace is closely associated with Scotland's ri...
Polkemmet Country Park is a popular 68 hectare (168 acre) visitor attraction near Whitburn. It is the former private estate of the Baillie family, who lived here for over 300 years. The old mansion house (since demolished) sat where the bowling green...
Preston Market Cross is the only surviving example of a market cross of its type on its original site. A beautiful piece of early 17th-century design, with a cylindrical base surmounted by a cross-shaft headed by a unicorn....
Stunningly picturesque Mill - the present buildings being from the 18th century, though there has been a Mill on this site since the 16th century. The Mill was used commercially until 1959 and visitors can still experience the working machinery on a ...
Preston Tower is a ruined six-storey tower built in the 15th Century, it's mainly a square tower at its lower levels and it shows remarkable renaissance flourishes in its upper two storeys, which were added during the 17th Century and then formed the...
Previously popular mainly to tourists interested in architecture, history and religion, after being used in the Da Vinci Code as the setting for the novel's plot climax, Rosslyn Chapel has achieved worldwide fame and now attracts massive attention an...
Refresh your senses and explore the riches of the green kingdom at one of the world's finest botanic gardens. Journey through warmer climes in the Glasshouses or discover contemporary art at Inverleith House... there's something for everyone!...
The Royal Museum Project is a £46 million initiative to transform the magnificent Victorian building and its facilities into a must-see attraction for people from Scotland and around the world.
The re-development will see storage areas transforme...
On the RSPB Firth of Forth Seabird Cruises, you can see puffins in action by taking an RSPB boat tour on the beautiful Firth of Forth. But that's not all- skuas, red-throated divers, seals and dolphins can all be seen patrolling the seas here in s...
Restored 16thC building which houses an audio-visual display depicting the Battle of Athelstaneford in 832AD....
Serving the Setons Seton is one of the finest medieval collegiate churches surviving in Scotland. Its story begins in the 12th century, when the site was chosen for a new church serving the parishioners of Seton. In the 15th century, the churc...
Volunteer guides are on duty each day to welcome visitors, answer questions and conduct guided tours on request. There are information desks situated at the main West entrance and at the Thistle Chapel.
There is record of a parish church in Edinbu...
St Martin's Kirk is the ruined nave of a once splendid Romanesque church, altered in the 13th century. St Martin's Kirk is associated with the Cistercian nunnery St Mary's, founded in Haddington before 1159....
St Mary's Cathedral, consecrated in 1879, is one of the masterpieces of the great Victorian Gothic architect Sir Gilbert Scott. The Cathedral buildings also include work by his son John Oldrid Scott and Sir Robert Lorimer.
In addition to the arch...
The lower part of a chapel built by James III, housing the shrine of St Triduana, a Pictish saint. The hexagonal vaulted chamber is unique...
Suntrap Garden for Lifelong Learning is a beautiful three acre ornamental garden situated near Ratho on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
Run as a satellite centre for Oatridge College, the garden offers a wide range of daytime, evening and weekend voca...
Stronghold of the Douglases Mighty Tantallon Castle was built in the 1350s by a nobleman at the height of his power. In 1354, William Douglas came into possession of all his father’s lands, as well as those of his uncle, ‘the Good Sir Jame...
Visit the new Scotch Whisky Experience for a sensational journey! Take a swirling, bubbling barrel ride through a replica distillery as you become part of the whisky making process.
Along the way you’ll hear the stories behind this magical craft...
Built in the shell of the former Holyrood Free Church and Duchess of Gordon's School, the Gallery provides purpose-built, state-of-the-art facilities to enable a programme of changing exhibitions of the most delicate works of art from the Royal Colle...
Welcome to the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA), the home of contemporary art in Scotland.
Since 1826, the Academy has occupied William Henry Playfair’s magnificent landmark building on the Mound, Edinburgh.
Following a period of relocation due...
Discover this must-see five star attraction for yourselves. Berthed in Edinburgh's historic Port of Leith you can explore five main decks with a fascinating audio tour, included in the admission price. Children get their own special handset tour, ide...
Welcome to the Scottish Mining Museum, a 5 Star visitor attraction which provides a great day out for all ages! We're based at one of the finest surviving examples of a Victorian colliery in Europe, the Lady Victoria Colliery at Newtongrange, just ni...
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery provides a visual history of Scotland from the 16th century to the present day, told through portraits of the people who shaped it: royals and rebels, poets and philosophers, heroes and villains. The collection ...
The impressive, modern and colourful Visitor Centre is the focal point for the Parliament presenting itself to the general public and special interest groups in a user-friendly way. It is a key indicator that the Parliament is satisfying the strong p...
The Scottish Seabird Centre is only 30 minutes from Edinburgh and perched on a rocky outcrop at North Berwick Harbour, overlooking the islands of the Firth of Forth and sandy beaches of East Lothian, the five star Scottish Seabird Centre offers somet...
Explore Edinburgh's hidden natural asset the Water of Leith, visit our fantastic FREE interactive exhibition at the Visitor Centre and discover the river's wildlife and heritage.
The interactive exhibition has three zones:
The Video Zone engage...
The tower and transepts of a church built by the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in the 13th century, much altered....
Trinity House is the home of the Incorporation of Shipowners and Shipmasters, an organisation dating back to the 14th century. Successive generations of masters and members of Trinity House have been closely involved in the history and maritime devel...
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