Awesome destination for checking out the local atmosphere. It's a castle after all. The attached…read moregardens are a joy in the summer! A must visit when you are headed to Scotland.

A Beautiful Castle Outlander Fans Will Love. Another…read morebeautiful castle. The grounds are breathtaking. The castle stands in as the monastery in Outlander Season 1. And the scene in Season 1 where Claire is in Wentworth Prison and she yells in through a cell full of prisoners looking for Jamie. Come see the castle, learn about its history, and soak in the beautiful surroundings.

I've been there not so long ago and I'd recommend this place for anyone who wants to get away from…read morethe city rush but not move away from the city itself. Large gardens with lots of footpaths around the castle plus stunning views over the Firth of Forth (especially on a bright and sunny day), quiet with a bit of Victorian atmosphere stil in the air. A trip for a half a day with a picnic basket higly recommended!!

I recently came across MacDuff Castle whilst exploring the coastal area of FIFE. There is no clear…read morevisible sign post and I had to find the hidden path just beside the MacDuff Cemetery outside of East Wemyss in FIFE. I drove along the A955 until I saw the cemetery on my right when coming from Wemyss and parked my car on the road. There is no car park, except the one at the cemetery. Walking along a small path i entered an area which was overgrown by plants and trees. Maybe its the fact that the ruins lie just beside a graveyard or because it is very quiet or lonely or the tale about the "grey lady" who haunts this place that I felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but after walking down towards the coast and the "beach" I felt a certain relieve and noticed a couple. Was I glad to encounter civilization :-) There is not much left of the castle (one or two ruined towers to which access is denied), which was supposedly built by the Clan MacDuff in the 11th century around the time of King Macbeth of Scotland. According to records or just profound wishful thinking, this castle was once a vast powerful place and changed hands often enough during the centuries. After King Edward I of England resided there he ordered the castle to be destroyed and it was rebuild by the Livingstones and Wemyss families. The most interesting part of the castle are the caves beneath. Sadly, they are either gated (The Well Cave) or have collapsed over the years. These caves are part of the Wemyss Cave tour, which shows you caves with markings of old times past (prehistoric - Pictish, Viking or Christians). I think they found a bone like marking in the Well cave. I might be back for the Wemyss Cave tour to find out more about this area and exciting past!

Circus Lane is probably one of the most picturesque parts of Edinburgh, thanks to Instagram. It's a…read morebeautiful place and a hidden gem to visit. We went here early on a weekday morning, and it was quite quiet. However, be respectful, as this is a normal street where locals live. If you're looking for a quick pick with a beautiful background, this is highly recommended!

We stayed in Stockbridge area during our visit, so it only took 3-4 minutes walk from my place to…read moreCircus Lane. I took advantage of that and went here a few times during our stay since it's such a picturesque cobbled street. It gets quite busy in the afternoon since everyone wants a photo here, but if you're patient you can get some good shots without people in the background.

This doesn't top my list in terms of castle, but nonetheless fun to see if you happen to be in…read moreKirkcaldy. I parked down buy the beach then had to do some searching to figure out just how on earth to actually access the castle. Giant stair walk, then residential walk, then park walk later I was able to locate this castle. The park is quite big with access to a playground for kids so that's a bonus of you want to stretch out the day. It's nice, by the beach and free to access, but after the likes of St Bridget's Kirk and Arbedour castle this place pales in comparison.

Ravenscraig castle is a ruin build on a cliff top outside of Kirkcardy…read more I nearly missed the main entrance whilst driving out of town towards the East. LOOK out for the sign that says "Ravenscraig Park". Drive through the "gate" and you will notice a car park with limited spaces. You might even have the luxury of an ice cream van. I was not so lucky, but was able to find a car parking space up the main road. The park seems massive. Playgrounds everywhere. Lots of families with children. I walked along a path following the sign post "castle" and even passed some toilets and changing rooms. It felt like my surroundings started looking more dense with trees and other plants. AND there it was - in all its glory. I crossed a supposed to be drawbridge, well, a small wood bridge, to get to the ruin. Sadly, I was not able to explore any rooms as all entrances to the east and west towers were gated. However, the view from the castle towards the sea and the beach was amazing. There is no doubt that I had to use a lot of my imagination to block out the grey looking high storey towers of Kirkcaldy in the background and also ignore all the derelict rubbish on either side of the cliff. But still, the spirit remains and its walls tell you a story of a stormy and adventurous past. The castle started being build in 1460 by Mary, wife of James II, but was never finished until it exchanged hands and came into possession of the famous Sinclare family in Roslin. Its structure and walls were constructed to fend off rough artillery. If you look closer you might even see a secret passage leading from the coast into the...... A small pathway leads down to the beach and to the closeby dovecot. Nowadays the castle is maintained by Historic Scotland, but unmanned with restricted access. Still, it is a joy to all castle lovers!

Standing just over 200ft (61m) high, and known as the Gothic Rocket, the Scott Monument is often…read moremistaken for a church - understandably, perhaps - and dominates the view of the eastern section of New Town along Princes Street. Following Scott's death in 1832 the people of Edinburgh decided that a monument should be built in memory of one of Scotland's best-loved literary figures. At the time he was probably the most widely read British author of the era. The Scott Monument is the largest monument to a writer in the world. some data says, its 2nd largest though. This is especially fitting, given that Edinburgh is a UNESCO City of Literature, having been home to many notable writers, such Scott, Burns, Stevenson, Conan Doyle and many more! There are 287 steps to the top of the Scott Monument, from where you can enjoy breathtaking views of Edinburgh and the surrounding countryside.

This gothic monument to the famous Scottish writer (Sir Walter Scott) is so dark and mysterious…read morelooking during the day. It's an even better view at night when it's all lit up. It kind of makes you wonder what it actually looked like before it soaked up "auld reekie's" pollution back in the 19th century. In a way, the black soot actually gives it more character. It's also a nice contrast with the white Carrara marble statue of the writer. Do you see his dog (named Maida) laying to the right of him? So cute! So, if you can actually see the outer architectural details then you're in for a treat. It stands at 200 feet tall and has about 64 statues that represent some of the most notable characters in his novels. To be honest, I was more impressed with the gargoyles. We didn't attempt to go inside to climb up to the top of it, but many pay to do that. I'm sure it's a nice view. The courtyard surrounding it was being decorated for Remembrance Day celebrations. I loved seeing all the crosses and red poppies around it. It's definitely a must see monument, and certainly one that you're going to eventually pass by at some point during your stay in Edinburgh.

The War Memorial Gardens in Kirkcaldy provide a touching tribute to those who fought and died in…read morethe World Wars. The gardens are well kept and whenever I have walked through them, people are always enjoying a troll through me to escape the noisy high street. However, it is when you get to the Memorial that you are struck by your surroundings. It is the amount of names on the walls of those who have fallen in both world wars that shocks you. Hundreds of names are listed, all local men, who died for their country. The monument is a fitting tribute to a sacrifice that should never be forgotten. The gardens also have a library and art gallery behind the war memorial which is in constant use.

Hundreds of people pass by them every day. These gracefully decorated pillars stay by the promenade…read morein Portobello like ancient guards. My friend and me thought they were from Roman times. As a matter of fact, they are only from eighteenth century and were part of the Argyle house construction. Have a close look at the patterns - it is a true art of masonry. One of the pillars is covered in small cute elephants.

The Adam Smith theatre is one of the best used buildings in the town of Kirkcaldy. Young and old…read morecome to this place to see films, theatre productions and children's plays. Yes, this place offers so much too so many! Inside, the building is warmly decorated making its enormity seem meagre. It has a cafe and the theatre can hold a couple of thousand people. The theatre is like all other traditional theatres but has been updated over the years so more events can be put on. My main memory of this place was when I went to see the Singing Kettle when I was younger! It was sold out, very noisy and I did not particularly enjoy it! Well, maybe theatre would have been better!

The adam smith theatre is avery good thetre but unfortunately the show put on there have gone down…read morehill over the years. I can remember going to the adam smith centre to watch live shows of Rab C Nesbitt and Roy chubby Brown whereas now a days it is more kids and local performances. It still has very good pantomimes at christmas and does show movies from time to time to which tend to be re-runs of classics which I think is a good idea, giving kids and adults alike a chance to see great movies once again on the big screen.

Before you go into the Rail Bridge Bistro, you are immediately confronted with a monument. The…read moremonument is situated upon a stone structure, with a small replica of the Forth Rail Bridge in its famous red colour. The monument is dedicated to those people who worked on the bridge, but also for those who died during the construction phase of the world renowned bridge. The monument, is not flamboyant, but rather conservative and I think it is an appropriate way to remember those who made this bridge and for those who sadly lost their lives. People go over the bridge without even taking a thought about those who were involved in making it, and once in a while in would be nice if we actually took the time to appreciate the efforts of those who built the Forth Rail Bridge!