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!

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!!!

The architecture of this centre of design building and where it is situated on The riverside…read moreesplanade overlooking the river Tay is stunning but what it has to offer in the interior is not very much. The highlight of the whole visit was the silent disco included in the extortionate Night Fever club culture exhibition and the equally extortionate gift shop. Despite this I really enjoyed the exhibition learning about raves, techno music and studio 54 and all the interesting audio and visual exhibits was fantastic but apart from that, there really isn't anything else to comment on. I expected more of a WOW factor and I didn't get that unfortunately.

What a fabulous building! A spectacular piece of architecture, both outside and inside. Shame about…read morethe boxy carbuncle of a building that's going up across the road from it that completely obscures it from the town. I have to say though, I was a bit disappointed with the use of space inside. The vast atrium takes up most of the building, which means there are really only two main exhibition spaces; one of these housing the temporary (paid) exhibitions, the other the more permanent exhibits. The temporary exhibit on ocean liners was really great; we loved seeing the history of (mostly) Scottish shipbuilding, and there was a good selection of artefacts illustrating just how sumptuous and decadent some of these grand liners were - although once it got past the 1930's I mostly lost interest (I was never a fan of 70's design at the time and I'm still not!). We particularly liked the video wall recreating an ocean view off the deck with renowned ships like the QE2 sailing past (good photo opp!). Of the other exhibition, the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Oak Room was the main attraction for us, and the main reason we came. But it felt like the rest of it should have been about three times the size it actually was. We actually spent some time looking around for a third gallery that isn't there. The restaurant on the top floor had a reasonable menu, but the prices were rather on the expensive side so we gave it a miss. The cafe on the ground floor didn't draw us either so we went elsewhere for lunch. The whole visit took us two and a half hours. It was worth a look, but apart from the architecture, we found it slightly underwhelming.

A hidden find for us as we were in town visiting our daughter and seeing her new apartment…read more Happened to run into the McManus which was nearby and decided to take a look. We were pleasantly surprised. Had a lot of history of Dundee, the Jacobite uprising, and Scotland in general. People working there were very friendly and helpful. Worth a look if you're in the area.

It is difficult to wrap one's head around the building. The masonry, the detail including the…read moremassively high ceiling are mind-blowing. The architecture is exceptional. Items on display were very well titled, luxe framing and pieces that were also unique to Scotland and the British Isles. I could have spent hours here ... Small but important point: air quality was great. They had dehumidifiers in place to protect the precious items and it was not boiling hot inside like some museums/galleries.

The (Royal Research Ship) RRS Discovery is an auxiliary steamship built in Dundee, Scotland for…read moreAntarctic research. Launched in 1901, she was the last traditional wooden three-masted ship to be built in the UK. It was the first vessel to be constructed specifically for scientific research. There is sooo much history regarding this boat. If you plan on going to Dundee, I highly recommend this as a spot to visit! While I was in Dundee, Scotland, this was one of the museums I wanted to visit. While visiting, a wedding was going onboard the ship. How cool is that! I did not get to take a tour of the ship due to the wedding, but that's totally ok! Just know if you're planning a wedding in the future, in Scotland, this ship is open for rental! It's located on the scenic River of Tay, on the waterfront, located next to the V&A. (Victoria&Albert Museum, Dundee) I visited Scotland in August & September! The weather is perfect here. Texas was melting and I was perfect at 62 degrees! If planning a trip to Scotland, August/September are the perfect months for a holiday! September 2023

Follow in the footsteps of Captain Scott and his crew on one of the most heroic voyages of…read moreexploration ever undertaken. Discovery Point is the home of RRS Discovery, the ship built in Dundee specifically for scientific research in Antarctica. Audiovisual shows, computerbased interactives and displays of the actual artefacts of the crew transport you to Antarctica probably about as close as you ever want to come to one of the most inhospitable places on the planet!

The second time we visited Scotland's Secret Bunker, this time with my parents in tow. It remains…read morean interesting and surprising place and a reminder of what we were worried about during the Cold War (and maybe should be again). You arrive via a country road to a country track at the end of which is what looks like a farmhouse and now is the entrance/giftshop. From there you descend via a staircase to come to a tunnel leading to the bunker which is full of historical equipment and information both new and from the time. A very worthwhile history lesson.

We went there yesterday, and there were very few people there (we went early) so go round unimpeded…read morere social distancing etc. Lots of history to this place and a great opportunity to explore our Cold War past.

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.

Worth it especially if the weather is nasty! This was a great place for us to hang out for 2 hours…read moreand beat the wind and cold. I wish it was a teeny bit cheaper, but it actually was a pretty cool museum with some interactive elements.

If golf is your thing then this place will be of great interest to you, if not then you will have…read morethe worst time of your life. There is all sorts of golfing history to be viewed in here from the anciant clubs once used to the ancient players that used to swing them. As a mild fan of golf I found it ok to a point but my friend who is a huge golf fan though this place was excellent so it really is a place only suited to golfing fanatics.

The Heritage Pass will get you in here. Very interesting castle. There's a mine and a dungeon. A…read morelittle creepy and dark. It's all pretty accessible. Go up the tower and walk around. There's a great view of the cathedral ruins from one of the towers. I thought it was worth it using the Heritage Pass. I don't know that I'd pay extra to get in.

Note: This is not closed! Not sure why it says this…read more Went a few weeks back. When you pay to go in, you walk through s brief little history lesson as well so you have some idea of what you're looking at. A gorgeous castle site on the coast. It's amazing soil erosion hasnt wiped this out in the hundreds of years. The edges of the castle still stand but most of the walls are collapsed from the battle destruction and wear and tear. There is still plenty to see and take in. They labeled what all the parts of the castle once were. You can even see the creepy dungeon prison. One of the cooler things is the tunnel. I couldn't do it because of general claustrophobia. But during a battle the enemy was tunneling under the castle. They started a counter tunnel to block them and they successfully did. So, you can walk through the original tunnel. Talk about being in the heart of history!

On a rainy day on our Perthshire holiday we decided to head to the Beatrix Potter Exhibition &…read moreGarden in Birnam for some indoor fun with our 1 year old. I have to be honest I wasn't expecting much, but I was proved wrong. This is a really lovely place that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to visitors with little ones. The exhibition is housed in Birnam's Arts & Conference Centre. Outside is a lovely garden with sculptures of the animals that Beatrix made famous through her books. Inside is a lovely gift shop with Beatrix Potter themed goods, and a great range of non-Potter related cards, books, gifts, toys, and trinkets... Downstairs is the exhibition area. This is relatively small compared to other exhibitions/museums, but it's appeal for us was the great range of play activities for the little ones. From drawing and colouring on blackboards and at old school desks, to playing shop, playing with puzzles, dressing up, and reading books - this was a great way to spend an afternoon with our little one. I feel this is really geared towards younger kids under 8, but was just perfect for our inquisitive 1 year old. Upstairs is the Foyer Cafe, where we enjoyed some lovely coffees. The staff here were really lovely too!

A lovely place to go adult and child alike! Personally, I love Peter Rabbit, Miss Tiggywinkle etc…read moreand this museum is a real tribute to 'Miss Potter', There is a large ish shop selling lovely books and other memorabilia. The 'museum' itself is quite small, yet informative and very hands on for the kids. There are also clothes for the kids to dress up in. Beatrix Potter took holidays in Dalguise in Perthshire (now a PGL centre) before her family changed their holiday destination to the Lakes.