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!

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.

I can't say much more about Culross that Deborah M. hasn't said, but it's a stunning little town…read more in Fife that is beautifully conserved. From the Abbey ruins at the top of the hill running down past the Hanging Gardens, and with lovely little galleries at the bottom, it's a great place to spend a couple of hours. Just a shame you have a view of Grangemouth on the other side, but I think that just about captures the idiosyncracy of Scotland!

Truly amazing NTS property comprising an entire 17th century town, its fabric lovingly preserved…read more Back in the day, Sir George Bruce of Carnock was an innovator and a bit of a shrewd businessman. He oversaw the first modern approach to coal mining and was heavily involved in shipping and import-export to the Netherlands. Signs of this are in the architecture throughout the town as it exists today. The Palace itself was Bruce's family residence and is as it was. Truly atmospheric 17th and 18th century furnishings. Most of the murals are very old. The surrounding gardens are a treat. The hourly tour (free with admission) takes you on a ramble through the cobbled town and into the town hall, the Bishop's house and to the Mercat Cross. You will see a place seemingly untouched by time with amazing little details like the owl holes (ask, you won't be disappointed) and the "risps" on all the doors of the older houses. This was what people used instead of a doorbell. Only things missing are the sounds and the smells. See the film about the house and town shown inside the palace. Hours can be weird and it is shut in winter, though you can walk about the town for free. Bring a packed lunch and make a day of it. There's a play park near the beach for the little people and a tea room nearby. The Abbey up the hill is also worth a look in. That's where Sir George and his family are buried in style. Two thumbs up.

My bf is a huge transport fan so it was yesterday on a sunny sunday that we found ourselves taking…read morea drive out here on one of their running days. The museum is open every sunday but when you have a running day it means you can get a chance to go a wee ride on some of the vintage buses. Entry is £7 per adult and includes access to the bus rides. There were loads of really well maintained vintage buses there and it was fun to go out on them and get a wee tour of the fife countryside. Most of the staff that work there are volunteers and are happy to explain the history behind all of the vehicles. If you are into collecting models of buses,trains etc theres a big indoor space with a good variety of stalls to browse and my bf assured me that the prices were really reasonable. Lots of public toilets and a cafe and the usual burger van selling hot food etc. Whilst this is not somewhere i would go usually I actually quite enjoyed it and my bf did too.

I visited the Bus Museum during a Doors Open Day and I was pleasantly surprised. The buses are…read morelovingly restored by keen amateurs and I was amazed at how many I recognised from my youth. You don't have to be a spotter to enjoy the Scottish Bus Museum.

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.

We went on an Outland series tour and this was one of the stops we made. Culross Abbey and the…read moresurrounding 17th-century village of Culross in Fife, Scotland, served as a key filming location for Outlander. The village represents the fictional Cranesmuir in Seasons 1 and 2. We were the only tour bus visiting the day we went and it was initially raining but then cleared. The streets were empty and I felt fortunate to have time to walk around and explore without crowds.

The Ruins of Cullross Abbey is a beautiful historical foot print. The location is high above the…read moreparking area but the walk through the small town of Cullross is totally worth it. The streets are narrow and doors open up right there onto the road. Some of the front doors are totally memorable. It is a steep climb, keep to one side as the road is narrow and cars do frequent it. The ruins themselves aren't large but they are beautiful. I arrived on a cool summer day, the rain was falling so it was utterly picturesque. You could almost hear the monks as the wound their way through the one whole halls. Shadows of the past do linger here. There are many pictures you'll want to take.

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.

Small museum on Linlithgow High Street, with lots of local history, and a large traditional rig…read moregarden out the back. Sometimes free entry, sometimes a pound or so. It doesn't take long to see it all. There's also a memorial to Scotty from Star Trek (the fictional character was allegedly born in Linlithgow.)

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!!!

A small but fascinating museum and aquarium, well worth a visit if you're on Cumbrae. We went there…read morelast month - partly to get out of the rain, if I'm honest, but we thoroughly enjoyed finding out about all the creatures which live in the River Clyde! I was astonished to discover that such large, beautiful and colourful anenomies thrive there, along with huge crabs and starfish, not to mention a large number of fish. The aquarium is fairly small but there's a lot to see. The museum is named after Dr David Robertson, "The Cumbrae Naturalist" (1806 1896). The history of marine science is outlined and there are examples of current research at the Marine Station. There's a tiny 'shop' inside near the entrance which sells small items including pens and postcards and there is a free car park outside. Opening times: Mon Fri 09:00 16:15 Adults £2.00 Concessions £1.00