It's the museum on Chambers Street. The entrance is in the round tower that is across the street…read morefrom Greyfriars Bobby. You might as well rub his nose for good luck before crossing over. There is a beautiful & bright atrium in the heart of the museum. You can see all 4 floors from this spot as you look up from the first floor. There are galleries and exhibits all around it. We started our journey on the ground floor of the tower in the Kingdom of the Scots, and then worked our way up and over. It truly is the perfect place to go on a rainy morning. The best part is that it's free admission, but donations are always welcomed. There were many highlights for me. The Maiden that was used for public executions in Grassmarket, Mercat Cross, and Castlehill was certainly eerie to look at along with some of the torture devices used back in that period. The display of items belonging to Mary, Queen of Scots was presented beautifully. Especially that lovely jeweled necklace. The exhibits of the Americas was nicely done. I even saw a gut parka on display that was similar to one we saw in Alaska earlier this year. The displays of musical instruments and ceremonial dance costumes was vibrant & interesting. I was drawn to the Bloody Empire display. It was a very artistic expression of anarchism in the form of wallpaper. It's unique. I have to say the same thing about the Slit Gong musical instrument that is said to bring out the voices of a dead ancestor. Very creepy stuff! The subject matter lightened up a bit as we walked through the technology & industry part of the museum. It was cool to see "The Hawk" as well as the display of bicycles and phones (including a Mickey Mouse one). But, I think the best part was the spectacular view of Edinburgh from the open rooftop. It would have been better on a sunny day, but it was still a great sight to see. It's worth taking those outdoor spiral steps up to see it. I love that there's a mini garden with upland grasses and plants along the lookout walls of the roof. A nice little touch. We spent about 2 hours here, but could have easily stayed longer. There's a balcony café on what is technically the 3rd floor of the building (2nd floor when looking up from the main atrium). There is a fee-based exhibit called "Monkeys Our Primate Family" that may be of interest to some. It ends on 30 Nov 2025. Overall, the museum is great fun for all ages. It's a great way to learn more about the Scottish innovators throughout history.

Free entry at the National Museum of Scotland. Filled with rich history and interactive booths…read more There is a cafe with grab and go options and a gift shop too. The best photo op is the third floor balcony overlooking the atrium! Such a gorgeous spot and great option to get out of the rainy weather!

I am not much of a history buff or museum person, but this is a great place to visit. The displays…read morehave a lot of descriptions on them, so it is possible to do a self guided tour. However the volunteers who hosted tours added a lot of useful context. I would return here with friends who have not been.

Dignified and proud place. I kept wishing my Dad had been there visiting with me. Well-documented…read moreand displayed.

Dunkeld Cathedral was up a narrow road but had limited parking so we parked in the main city lot…read more It was less than 10 minutes to walk back. The cathedral was set back from the river with lots of trees and an expansive lawn that was quite beautiful. A nice place to lounge on one of the benches or on the grass. The main part of the cathedral (formerly the choir section) was the only part accessible. We were fortunate and got to listen to the organist practicing during our visit. Off to the side was a separate room with information about the church, the relics of St Columbra (since removed) and some other notables. Renovations were taking place on the main section so we could only walk around the exterior except the portion facing the river. Good stop if in or passing through Dunkeld.

Dunkeld is a very small village with a lot of charm and its cathedral is and especially in its past…read morewas the center point of village life. Today, one part of the cathedral is merely a ruin and maintained by Historic Scotland. The other part still functions as a church. You can walk around the building and observe its architectural beauty. Just imagine what it could have looked like during its high time and you will see why I gave 4 stars. There is a bit of park area to walk around, through the many massive trees and down to the river where you can sit down and relax. From there you can also enjoy a nice view towards Thomas Talfords Dunkeld bridge, which took ages to be build and played its part in history. All that remains of a large graveyard are graves towards the side cathedral entrance. The bell tower I believe is part of the ruin and not accessible. Inside the cathedral you can find a small room on the left near the altar. In there you can read through the cathedral history. The cathedral is also the resting place for the Wolf of Badenoch. Well, you will find its sarcophagus-effigy there. Born in the 14th century as the third surviving son of Robert II, the Earl of Buchan was known for his outbursts and short tempered nature and burning down Elgin cathedral. And as Im an old romantic I would think it had something to do with his mistress he could not marry :-). The cathedral is definitely worth a trip when around the area, and even if it's not Notre Dame, it still has kept part of its beauty in tact.

The museum is one of the top attractions in Glasgow. It was established in 1901- 125 years ago. The…read morearchitecture of the building itself is a marvel. I'm not much of a museum person, but entrance is free. The expansive museum's west wing focuses on "Life" (natural history/prehistory), while the east wing focuses on "Expression" (fine art). There are 22 galleries with 8,000 objects. Salvador Dalí's "Christ of Saint John of the Cross" is one of their most famous works of art. I was most interested in "The Floating Heads" installation by Sophie Cave. We spent most of our time viewing Scotland's Wildlife, where most of the kids were. While we were there, we also enjoyed an organ recital- 1:00pm Monday-Saturday and 3:00pm on Sunday.

Hands down a must visit in Glasgow! Free admission!…read moreLocated in Kelvingrove Park, West End. This is a popular museum and art gallery with the likes of Dali and more. It's a large space and it's divided up by fine art, natural history, etc. I wandered through all of the rooms and believe that I saw almost every exhibit. I spent hours and just took my time taking it all in. Stopped by the cafe' for a cuppa tea too. Fantastic museum.

Edinburgh Castle is the most visited attraction in Scotland, welcoming over 1.3 million visitors…read moreeach year who come in search of views, royal history, and a glimpse at the 'Honours of Scotland' - Britain's oldest crown jewels. Edinburgh Castle is not only the dominant feature of the city's skyline, visible from miles around, it's also the feature which gives the city its name -- the old Gaelic name translates roughly as 'the fort on the hill'. trust me, you might underestimate this castle, and even i have kept 2 hrs for this, but it needs more time. With several museums, a large war memorial, a royal palace, a Great Hall & several other little stops/activities, if you want to actually see all of Edinburgh Castle's sights and attractions, you'll need much more than two hours... especially considering the line to see the Honours of Scotland (AKA the Crown Jewels) can last 20+ minutes. * Three regimental military museums * The National War Museum * The Scottish National War Memorial * The Honours of Scotland, featuring the Scottish crown jewels and Stone of Destiny * St Margaret's Chapel, the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh * Optional 30-minute introductory tours available throughout the day * Prisons of War exhibition * The Great Hall where banquets were held * The One O'Clock Gun, fired every day (except Sunday) at 1pm * Visit the small antechamber where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to her son, James VI of Scotland * Three gift shops and two cafes The oldest surviving structure at the castle (and the oldest in the city) dates back to the 12th century. It is of course St Margaret's Chapel, built by King David I in honour of his mother. This same king is the one credited with turning Edinburgh Castle into a royal residence. As the years rolled on, royals came and went, with new additions being made to the castle, creating the complex we see today. The Renaissance of the 1400s for instance brought us the Royal Palace that now houses various royal paintings and displays (including THE closet where Mary, Queen of Scots gave birth to King James VI of Scotland, AKA King James I of England). The 1500s brought us the Great Hall, which was needed of course for fancy banquets. The 1600s brought new defences and barracks as the castle eased into its role of a military outpost more than swanky royal digs Tickets to Edinburgh Castle should be booked online before you arrive. Tip: these spots across the city offers great view of the castle- Calton Hill, The Grassmarket, Salisbury Crags, Castle Esplanade, Ross Fountain, St Cuthbert's Churchyard, The Vennel

We went here while on vacation with ages ranging from 2-75. Make sure you schedule your time. They…read moreare very strict about it. There is a lot of walking and mostly uphill. Plan for a few hours because it is huge. If you have young kids a stroller is a necessity. It is a beautiful sight and a must when you are in Edinburgh.

So - in my opinion, plan your visit here solely for the 1700 Scottish village experience and DO NOT…read moreplan this as a place to eat lunch!! The tearoom is super basic, just 6 diff types of indifferent sandwiches like tuna, BLT, egg, prawn etc and a soup (which was tomato basil on the day we were there and was hearty and quite delicious). There are also a good variety of drinks but that is it! Apart from the soup, everything else is cold and the dessert quality was quite indifferent too (specifically the lemon curd cake - would not get this from here). That being said, the actual experience of walking thru the village and seeing first hand how people lived in the Scottish highlands from 1700s onwards was quite revealing. We were lucky to visit on a day the re- thatching of the grass roof on one of the huts was happening and the peat fire was on, so could ask a lot of questions from the re-enactors. Breathing in the peat fire was an especially eye opening experience as I realized first hand how breathing in that heavy carbon filled air in that enclosed space would have contributed to an average life expectancy of around 35 years (never mind if you were asthmatic!). I also loved the gypsy encampment and the tradesmen shops from the 1930s thru to the 50s. Apparently the shops were moved here and so they are not just recreations. There's also video and or audio-visual presentation that create an interactive visit, and for the latter, just look for big buttons to press on the wall while the videos run in a continuous loop. Oh also because it's a fairly big outdoor museum, there is a £1 donation which gets you in a truck which drives you around, so check timings for that if you have a limited time. I def enjoyed my visit, but will eat in town or elsewhere before coming here again.

Wonderful place to visit. The displays are interesting. The docents are friendly and informative. A…read moregreat place to spend 3 or 4 hours. The cafe on site has a selection of sandwiches and a soup of the day; I had a bowl of tomato basil soup with a hummus/ tomato sandwich; delicious. My friend had one of the dessert selections; carrot cake, bar cookie, lemon muffin.

Situated in the heart of Edinburgh, the Scottish National Gallery is a small but delightful museum…read more While Scottish artists are the main focus, the National Gallery also houses works of art from famous European artists. All of Edinburgh's publicly owned museums and galleries offer free entry to their permanent collections, and National Galleries Scotland manage five buildings which provide access to a fantastic array of artworks. In the very heart of Edinburgh, on the Mound, which connects both Old and New Town, is the original National Gallery of Scotland itself, alongside its sister gallery, the Royal Scottish Academy building. Inside the building is a sumptuous series of open spaces with works by some of the world's greatest classic artists on display, alongside iconic works by Scottish painters. Artists like Rembrandt and Van Dyck are represented alongside Monet, Reubens and Titian, as well as British painters like Constable and Turner. One iconic picture which is often considered a definitively Scottish work is Edwin Landseer's Monarch of the Glen, featuring a majestic stag in front of a Scottish Highland backdrop.

Superb gallery in Edinburgh - well worth the visit…read more We stopped by on our third morning and had a wonderful time. This is not a massive (aka tiring) place, but it has excellent representation of Masters (Rubens, Rembrandt, Titian), and even a specially designed octagonal room dedicated to Nicolas Poussin's Seven Sacraments (1644-1648) - considered one of the greatest sets of paintings in the history of Western art. But my favorites pieces were by lesser known English, Scottish and Italian artists - such as Monarch of the Glen, Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch, and The Campbell Sisters. They have a small cafe which we visited when we needed a little coffee and cookie break, and the staff were very helpful and gracious. Would be happy to return.

St Andrews museum is set in a lovely park surrounded by tennis courts, bowling green and a small…read moreputting green all open in summer months. The museum itself has two galleries one of witch stays the same all year and is the history of St Andrews, the other changes every few months. Cafe in the park is situated on lower floor of museum and is a bright welcoming place to have a spot of lunch at great prices, well worth a visit!!!