Tourist attractions Aberdour

The origins of this garden, a veritable haven but also a research tool, dates back to the late 17C. The rhododendrons are one of the estate's main attractions. You can wander around the winding paths inside the futuristic greenhouses (1967) between t..

Designed by Robert Adam in 1791, this square is delightful for the harmony and elegance of the its façades, especially on the north side. You will be impressed by the detail of the lattices enrich this square. If you would like to immerse yourself ..

Two adjoining buildings make up the National Museum of Scotland . The Royal Museum , housed in a masterpiece of Victorian architecture, exhibits disparate collections: fossils, furniture, decorative arts, stuffed animals etc. The Museum of Scotlan..

By the 17C, the ferry across the Forth was the busiest crossing in Scotland. However, it was a full two centuries later that the first bridge was built over the river at this point. Begun in 1883, the Forth Rail Bridge was inaugurated in 1890. The sl..

The 11C Benedictine abbey was founded on the site of a Celtic church. The Norman nave of the abbey church , with its massive pillars and round-headed arches, is one of the finest in Scotland. The east end (rebuilt in the early 19C) serves as the par..

Situated west of Edinburgh on the southern banks of the Forth, 3 km from South Queensferry, this large building stands in a magnificent setting with wonderful views. The architecture of Hopetoun House helps us to understand the differences that separ..

The famous collection of penguins in Edinburgh (colony of 30 Emperor penguins and a hundred papoose penguins) is the most popular attraction with the daily penguin parade. As well as visiting, common animal species, don't miss out on some indigenous ..

Perched on the Castle Rock site , the castle looks impressive. By turns, fortress, royal residence and military garrison, the castle is an ensemble of buildings built on several levels of a more civil than military appearance and joined by cobbled p..

This huge, classic style building contains painting collections exhibited in rooms furnished according to the period and connected by arched passageways. The museum exhibits important European works from the Renaissance and Postimpressionist era (Raf..

This Presbyterian cathedral dates for the most part from the 15th C. but suffered at the hands of untoward restorers who altered the Cathedral to its detriment in the 19th C. The only original section of the external part of the church is the crown-s..

A theatre for dramatic events, Holyroodhouse (15 -17C.) was originally a guest house responsible to the Abbey. The Stuart kings converted it into a royal residence and Charles II commissioned William Bruce to design a new layout. The Castle became a ..

The Holy Rood monastery (Saint Crucifix) was founded here in 1128 by King David the 1st shortly after the monarch had survived an attack from an enraged stag while hunting in the forest. The roof-less knave is all that remains of these formerly gran..

The principal residence of the Earls of Morton since 1642, the castle was abandoned in favour of Aberdour House in 1725. The present castle has a primitive, 14C tower, the upper part of which was rebuilt in the 15C. The land south of the castle was..

Sir Archibald, the 4th Earl, commissioned William Wilkins to build this neo-Gothic house on the estate of the Earls of Rosebury, completed in 1817. The house contains the Rothschild collection of 18C French furniture and tapestries, Madrid tapestries..

The simplicity of the layout of this fine Norman church is evident from the outside: a massive west tower, added by Lorimer in the 20C, stands next to a long nave with a fairly short choir at one end and a semicircular apse. The best feature is the s..

Britannia set sail from a naval shipyard on the Clyde in April 1953. A symbol of post imperial loyalty, the vessel was decommissioned to in 1997; it had travelled by then more than 2 million kilometres. You can stroll round the floating palace, the ..

Interesting Dadaist and surrealist compositions drawn from the collections and curiosity rooms of Sir Penrose. The Paolozzi donation allows you to familiarise yourself with the work of Eduardo Paolozzi, contemporary sculptor born in Edinburgh, his Lo..

A wood-panelled location houses the sculptures of Bourdelle, Epstein, Hepworth, Moore and Rickey; the museum is found in an imposing neo-classical building. The collection stresses Scottish art of the 20th century it also offers the visitor an excell..

Taken from the words of the museum's benefactor who is also the owner of The Scotsman newspaper, the Gallery promises to illustrate Scotland's history «through portraits of the country's important historical figures». This Italian gothic style museum..

A three-floored building purchased by the Bank of Scotland in 1825 has a hallway to be admired, with its column capitals and keystones embellished in gold leaf.