Scotland, Europe (Point of interest)

Above the Old Town, Edinburgh Castle dominates the city and is at the epicentre of Scottish history. Tour guides tell of former royal residents, showing visitors the crown jewels and Stone of Destiny, as well as the dingy Vaults below. The castle ... Continue reading →

The oldest building in the city, Glasgow Cathedral in the East End is a perfect example of beautifully restored pre-Reformation Gothic architecture. See the modern stained-glass windows and the tomb of St Mungo. In fact, the cathedral is better kn... Continue reading →

Edinburgh Festival Theatre presents large-scale productions of modern dance, ballet, musicals and internationally renowned theatrical productions. The plush old King's Theatre also comes under the Festival City Theatres Trust and is located in Leve... Continue reading →

Detailing the lives and times of the Highland region, the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery focuses on natural history, archaeology and local history. Artefacts include Pictish stones, Highland wildlife, Jacobite memorabilia, Highland silver and cos... Continue reading →

The Belle Epoque Edinburgh Playhouse in Leith remains true to its origins as a variety theatre. This is the place to see blockbuster musicals such as Chicago or Mary Poppins, as well as Russian ballet, rock concerts and opera.... Continue reading →

The Burrell Collection is the former private collection of Glasgow shipping tycoon Sir William Burrell. Housed in tranquil Pollok Park, it contains 9000 precious objets d'art, from Degas watercolours to Islamic art and Epstein sculptures. More tha... Continue reading →

Calton Hill in the New Town offers an easier climb than Arthur's Seat with equally rewarding views of Victorian buildings and chimneys. It's sprinkled with neo-Renaissance structures such as the unfinished replica of the Parthenon and the telescope... Continue reading →

The Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow's city centre is a high-tech space which showcases experimental performing arts events. Expect innovative film shorts and Scottish folk music. The upstairs bar is lively in the evenings.... Continue reading →

Tours of Glasgow's sights operate in unmissable red open-top buses, complete with multilingual audio guides. They run from George Square in the city centre. Hop on and off as the tour goes from Glasgow Green in the East End to the university in the... Continue reading →

The mighty Fort George juts out into the Moray Firth north-east of Inverness. A permanent exhibition houses the Seafield Collection of arms and military equipment, providing a fascinating insight into Scottish history. The fort was built by the Ha... Continue reading →

Works by David Hockney and Andy Warhol feature in the collections of the landmark Gallery of Modern Art. Housed in a neo-classical building in Glasgow's city centre, the rooftop area houses artists' workshops and the basement café has free interne... Continue reading →

Greyfriars Kirk (officially Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk) was the first church in Edinburgh after the Reformation. Built on the site of the old Franciscan convent, it was started in 1562, though not consecrated until Christmas Day 1620. Jus... Continue reading →

Built in Bellahouston Park in the South Side, House for an Art Lover is a modern re-creation of a competition entry from 1901 by Glasgow architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Take the tour to see the Oval Room, with its matching oval windows and lig... Continue reading →

The Hunterian Museum is Scotland's oldest museum. Its collections include Asante weights from Nigeria, coins, tokens and medals from Incan to Greek, Roman, Renaissance and Scottish sources, rare Scottish dinosaur fossils from Skye and collections o... Continue reading →

In Glasgow's West End, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum is the biggest in Scotland. There's a vast natural history section, permanent exhibitions of the works of Glasgow designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and works by the Scottish Colourists. ... Continue reading →