Cradle of Christianity Whithorn is famous as the site where…read moreSt Ninian founded the first ever Christian Church in Scotland. Traditionally, the White Church here was dated to 397 AD, and the archaeological evidence supports the existence of a very early Christian community, sophisticated, literate, and importing goods and ideas from Europe. Later, Whithorn became the centre of a network of pilgrimage routes, leading from all over Scotland and the Irish Sea; by the High Middle Ages, St Ninian's (http://www.qype.com/place/479679-St-Ninians-Priory-Newton-Stewart) healing powers drew Robert the Bruce in search of a cure for his leprosy and, every year, James IV, right up to the Battle of Flodden, 1513. Whithorn's Georgian buildings have respected the old mediaeval layout of the town, narrow at both ends to house the burgesses' cattle and markets. Whithorn is still a centre for the South Machars, retaining many small shops and family businesses. More recent, surprising celebrities are marked by a series of plaques, which you can follow round the town, including one of the founders of Esso, the Scots poet J.K. Annand, poet and Spanish translator, Alastair Reid, and a Spanish Civil War veteran. Many visitors will recognise film locations used in the cult Wicker Man film, with local residents as extras.

great place to take kids that love rocks and crystals! very good cafe too! highly recommend!read more

Great fun for familys. A mueum all about the finding, extracting and uses of gems. There is even a…read morelittle lab that you can overview persons at work making jewellery with many gems. The best part of this museum is the interactive tunnels where you see many gems, and get the feel of gem mining. Go Go GO...its a great wee find. Cafe for eating.basic but good food.

A ruin in a graveyard, and yet so much more, this is of great histrical value t the scots. Their is…read morea 'dig' here where people can take part in all things archeological, and then view the small museum at the entrance that explains briefly the history of the area. A shop attached to this has plenty of little nic naks to purchase connected to the area and scotland on the whole. Try it out..there is not much else in the area to do.

On a typically stormy night in Cumberland, more than 400 years ago, an oak tree crashed to ground…read morein Keswick. The split earth gave up a wealth of black lead, known locally as wad and soon to be renamed graphite. It was the purest graphite in the world and gave rise to riches, skulduggery and the world's first pencil industry. This tale is told by Professor Henry Petroski in The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance (1990) and laid out in admirably simple style in this quirky museum, off a side road in the town. Everything you ever wanted to know about pencil manufacture (but were afraid to ask) is answered here, from how early artist's pencils were made to why the Napoleonic Wars broke the Cumberland monopoly on pencil production. Budding and successful artists can hone their skills in a small workshop at the back of the museum.

You know when something is so naff, that it comes full-circle and actually becomes quite cool? Yes?…read moreWell, that's the pencil museum. It's a museum. And it's full of pencils. We went along because it was raining, and we needed something to keep us out of the pub for an hour. On entering and paying your £3, you receive a free pencil. Now, how many museums give out demos of their exhibits like that, eh? The last time you walked into the Natural History Museum, did they hand you the thigh bone from a woolly mammoth to take home and decorate your mantel with? I'll bet not. Point 1 to the Pencil Museum. Clutching your cedar-smelling new pencil, you walk through a kind of papier mache tunnel (graphite mine) into the museum: a small set of rooms with case after case of pencils. From the humble origins (writing with dirty lumps of graphite), through the evolution of the wooden holder, and on to the colourful array of pencils we all take for granted today. I know. Case upon case of pencils - I can see you stifling a yawn - but, remember, it's got to be truly rubbish to be able to swing round full circle. Highlights: clever secret war pencils with maps and compasses inside, and a big photo-opportunity pencil to stand next to with a sign saying 'This is me a the Cumberland Pencil Museum'. Brilliant.

The Grove Museum was developed in the mid 19th century by the Liverpool shipping merchant Duncan…read moreGibb as a summer retreat for himself and his family. Later, the Victorian residence became the family's permanent home. Step out into the gardens and you'll be able to see the Loaghtan sheep, ducks on the pond and bees making honey. It's about an hour of your time. There is a dining room, drawing room and kitchen to see downstairs and servant's bedroom, master bedroom and a couple of exhibits upstairs. You can watch the bees arriving and leaving the hive via a tube through the window. There are toys and clothing exhibits along with family portraits. It's a nice example of family living. The home was left to Manx Heritage and Janet Gibb lived there until her death in the seventies. There is a bench in the courtyard where you can sit and listen to Janet speaking about times gone by. I with other homes had more of this. Speaking history by a previous owner is rare. The gardens are small but lovely. The gift shop has some good souvenirs and the ladies were lovely. Karen escorted us to the house and patiently answered questions as Pablo always has many.

Caerlaverock is unusual both for its triangular design and its pink limestone. Both make it quite…read morea striking sight (see photographs). The castle is technically ruined, but the two front-facing walls and most of the rest of the superstructure remain intact. There is a classic moat surrounding the building, and a narrow wooden bridge gives access to the main gate. Like Dryburgh Abbey, this property is administered by Historic Scotland, so the grounds have been landscaped and the interior courtyard paved and gravelled, with railings added in spots. It's fun to climb around inside the towers and interior buildings, which are labelled to explain their original purpose and use. Like many castles, different portions date from various eras, so the design is a bit of a jumble. The main attraction is a 17th-century residence, with servery, kitchen, and private rooms. On the opposite side is a 15th-century structure which apparently contained a great hall and other residences. The two towers bestride the main gate were used as lord's residences in the 13th and 14th centuries. One interesting bit of history: in 1300, Edward I himself, with a 3000-man army, besieged the castle. The garrison of only sixty men held out for 36 hours. When Edward learned how few his enemy had been, he was so impressed that he allowed the Maxwell family to keep the castle after swearing an oath of loyalty to him. As wonderful as the castle is, the visitor's centre boasts a "museum" which is nothing but a sad joke. Breeze through it, just enough to get the story of the castle, the Maxwells, and the various military actions over the years, and then get right out onto the grounds. There is also a "nature trail" which leads about 200m to the site of the previous castle, used for only a few decades in the mid-13th century and abandoned due to the marshy ground (Caerlaverock is very near the Solway Firth). There are picnic tables, and on a day with good weather, this would be a great site to bring the family for an afternoon.

My all time favorite castle! 'Home Sweet Home' to Clan Maxwell! All kinds of history pours from…read morethis property, we spent hours here at the castle & in the woods. Take your time climbing in the castle, there is a lovely tea room on site to rest. Absolutely precious architecture. A must see for castle hunters. #myfamilytree

I visited Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura on 18 July 2019 while on a walking tour of Dumfries…read more When I arrived I was informed about a potential camera obscura show, though whether we would get to see it in use would be dependent on the weather as the technology is weather sensitive. I attended the use of the camera obscura with another group (a dad and two kids). The camera obscura worker was clever and creative in showing us how the technology worked and descriptive in providing societal context of how it was received and distributed across Scotland. We were stopped early due to weather, however, we were able to see it in use, which was very cool. Had a crisper image than a lot of even the nicer cameras these days. A variety of exhibits were well laid out and easy to navigate. Some provided background about Scotland and the Dumfries area. Others covered more global events and topics. All of the ones I perused had informational placards and straightforward displays that made reading, learning, and contextualizing approachable. Gifts and other items were on sale near the entrance. I found a card I loved with a female harvest mouse holding onto blades of grass. As a rodent-adorer (I had pet mice, rats, and hamsters growing up) it melted my heart on sight and I had to get it, so I did. All of the workers I interacted with were friendly and helpful.

If you're visiting dumfries, pay a visit to the museum, its an old windmill that sits on higher…read moreground on the maxwelltown side of the river nith. The exhibits havent changed a great deal over the years, but are of a pretty high standard in my opinion. The building itself is really cool, and theres one of the few remaining working camera obscuras in the uk, so its worth it for that alone.

this museum is actually inside Carlisle Castle in Queen Mary's Tower and is well worth a visit…read morewhile you are there. It is free to get in once you have paid to get into the Castle and it has many displays of uniforms, weapons, equipment, musical instruments, and the most interesting part for me was seeing the personal items of soldiers and reading their stories. That really made it feel more real to me. In the museum there is also a mock up of what it would have been like in one of the trenches in WW1 my boys really enjoyed this part. There are two floors to this museum and it is amazing what they have packed into such a relatively small area. There is a small gift shop here too selling items relating to the regiment and the army in general and I believe they also hold a lot of archive records and will do research for you but they will ask for a donation towards the running of the museum.

I'm a bit conflicted on this. I came here with a group of US students. For them, the Burns museum…read morewas a bust- even after I tried to prepare them. For Scottish children- and maybe young Scottish children- it might be wonderful. For American teens, not so much. I loved it- but I'm an adult and I love Burns' poetry. So it was a great treat for me. There's a little tram you can ride if you have a disability that gets you between the home/museum and the visitor center/cafe/shop. I really, really, liked the visitors center- the food was great, the museum had lovely items, and there are playgrounds out back- perfect for picnics and walks. My teens did like that! And there are maps out there for you, so you don't get lost. The gardens all around are sheer gorgeous. And of course you MUST walk to Brig O'Doon- which is beautiful. My students, of course, had to climb down by the bank and got into something like nettles- so don't let your kids loose near the bank (for many reasons, not the least of which is nettles). Honestly, I didn't expect them to go off the path, but more fool me! Take lots of pictures and maybe read Tam O'Shanter before your visit. We had a guide trying to recite it to our kids while we were there, and that didn't work too well. Read it before hand.

Lovely spot for a stroll around the gardens behind the museum cafe, and then down through the…read moremonument gardens to the famous Brig O'Doon. Loved climbing up into the monument itself for a brilliant view and a lovely spot for a photo opportunity. Well heck the whole place is just one big photo opportunity including the bridge obviously, but also the Auld Kirk where the ghostly tale of Tam O'Shanter is famously set. Best way to experience the place is to park up at the museum (or Burns Cottage) and plan a circular route taking in the poet's path between the museum and Burns Cottage and include the Auld Kirk, monument gardens and brig. There's a big map outside the museum so its easy to figure out. The route is mainly flat and easy to navigate. The Bridge is cobbled and can be a bit slippery. The museum part itself requires an entry fee or National Trust membership. Its small and very engaging but incredibly dark which might not suit everyone especially those with visual challenges. The gardens, cafe and gift shop are accessible to all whether or not you have bought a ticket to the museum. The cafe offers haggis neeps and tatties, including a vegetarian version which is totally yum! Free and charged-for events throughout the year. Check their facebook or website for info. Tip: If you go to the rear of the Brig O'Doon Hotel, open the gate and head down into their gardens you get to walk along the river and get another iconic photo opportunity. Public access is allowed.