So glad we ran across these Kelpies when we were in St. Andrews, so we could see them up close. We…read morefirst knew and saw Kelpies when our tour minibus was on the M9 driving back to Edinburgh from the West Highlands, and our driver pointed them out as we were passing by the small town of Falkirk. Andy Scott created the Kelpies, which are mythical equines that are said to have the strength of 10 horses. These sculptures are a tribute and hearken to Scotland's horse-powered past. You won't miss these horses. They're by the British Golf Museum and across from St. Andrews Links which is incidentally the birthplace of golf. It's going to be hard taking a pic of these horses without other people in your pics. There's simply way too many people around!

Glamis Castle is a beautiful castle in Angus, Scotland, that is currently lived in by Simon…read moreBowes-Lyon, 19th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, who succeeded to the earldom in 2016. Therefore, no photos of the castle were allowed during the tour. Pictures were allowed in the waiting area prior to the tour as well as in a room at the end of the tour. There was plenty of information provided on the history of the family and castle. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Queen Mother) lived here, and her daughter, Princess Margaret, was born at Glamis Castle. It was also home to Queen Elizabeth II. This castle was the inspiration for William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Overall, the castle, gardens, and grounds were well maintained. When we got to the castle, we had to stand in a line to get in. The weather was on and off drizzly. However, the tour was well worth the wait. There is a gift shop and coffee shop. Glamis Castle has many beautiful gardens accessible to the public and are not a part of the tour. Weddings and other events are held at Glamis Castle.

This was a nice photogenic castle to visit, on the exterior anyway as no photos were allowed…read moreinside. It's located in the countryside about 30 minutes to the north of the town of Dundee. It was the childhood home of the late Queen Elizabeth. The grounds around the castle are open and well maintained as there is nothing else in the vicinity of the castle. Our tour group also had a nice little soup and sandwich lunch here in their on-site restaurant.

Built for missions to the Antarctic launched in 1901, carrying Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest…read moreShackleton the ship did a two-year expedition recording valuable information on the oceans, marine life and being the first to investigate whale population. The Discovery ship was frozen into the ice and would remain there, locked in ice, for two years; Scott began evacuating his equipment and samples from Discovery in preparation to abandon the ship but on 16 February 1904 the ice began to break up and they set off again. The ship is now a museum which unfortunately I wasn't able to explore due to lack of time but it's a stunning ship in a stunning location by the river Tay and the V&A.

It gives a true and greater perspective into the voyage of Captain Scott and his Crewmen. The ship…read morehas been remarkably well-maintained and is easy to get around. What an amazing feat of engineering not to mention the resilient and sturdy Crew - to EVERYone on board who ventured into the treacherously freezing and unforgiving sea/ice.

Although only part of the palace is restored for the tour, the grandeur is hard to miss. The royal…read morechapel is stunning. The formal garden is meticulously tended. All the volunteer guides are friendly, approachable and knowledgeable. The palace and the shops in the surrounding area are well worth a visit.

First a warning - NEVER and I mean NEVER refer to Falkland Palace as a mere castle, it is a Royal…read morePalace and once you take a tour inside you'll understand why. It was once used as a grand hunting lodge by the Stuarts, Mary Queen of Scots spent many a day riding up in the nearby Lomond Hills in her youth before being imprisoned by her sister Queen Elizabeth I and later executed. Because Mary & her mother Mary Guise were both Catholics the chapel is the only Catholic chapel inside of a British palace and it is well preserved (& still used on occasion I believe) as is the entire palace, it takes about an hour for the tour of the interior and you'll learn quite a bit about British history, the Stuarts, and art along the way, sorry no photographs are allowed to be taken inside. The Gardens are imo just as interesting & worth viewing too, again set aside an hour to do it justice, you see one of the world's oldest grass tennis courts and you'll even be able to play a game of draughts if you like. Bring your camera because you are allowed to take as many photographs in the gardens as you like. After your tour enjoy a peaceful walk around the village of Falkland which is one of the most historically preserved villages in all of Great Britain due to measures taken in the late 1800s by the community, with recent awards for "Britain in Bloom", "Beautiful Scotland", and the Gold Medal in "Entente Florale". You'll feel like you are walking back in time without a care in the world.

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 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!