Southern Scotland
The Scottish National Trust's flagship property, magnificent Culzean (kull-ane) is one of the most impressive of Scotland's stately homes. On approach the…
Must-see attractions in Southern Scotland
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Dumfries & Galloway
‘Lead mining’: even the phrase has a sort of dulling effect on the brain, and you’d think it’d be a tough ask to make the subject interesting. But this…
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Robert Burns Birthplace Museum
Southern Scotland
This impressive museum has collected a solid range of Burns memorabilia, including manuscripts and possessions of the poet, like the pistols he packed for…
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Dumfries & Galloway
The ruins of Caerlaverock Castle, by Glencaple on a beautiful stretch of the Solway coast, are among the loveliest in Britain. Surrounded by a moat, lawns…
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Southern Scotland
A Palladian mansion designed in the 1750s by the Adam brothers, Dumfries House is an architectural jewel: such is its preservation that Prince Charles…
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Southern Scotland
The main attractions of this World Heritage mill town are accessed via a single ticket. These include a huge working spinning mule, producing woollen yarn…
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Dumfries & Galloway
Ruined Whithorn Priory (Scotland's earliest recorded church) is part of this excellent complex, which introduces you to the history of the place with a…
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Dumfries & Galloway
Scotland's southernmost point is a spectacular spot, with windswept green grass and views of Scotland, England, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland. The…
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Dumfries & Galloway
Seven miles east of Caerlaverock Castle, in tiny Ruthwell, a church holds one of Europe’s most important early Christian monuments. The 6m-high 7th…
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Dumfries & Galloway
This is a place of pilgrimage for Burns enthusiasts. It's here that the poet spent the last years of his life, and there are various possessions of his in…
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Southern Scotland
Dundonald Castle commands impressive views and, in its main hall, has one of the finest barrel-vaulted ceilings preserved in Scotland. It was the first…
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Southern Scotland
Boat lovers should check out Irvine's Scottish Maritime Museum. In the massive Linthouse Engine Shop – an old hangar with a cast-iron framework – is an…
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Dumfries & Galloway
Three miles east of Stranraer, these magnificent gardens are among Scotland's most renowned. They cover 30 hectares and are set on an isthmus between two…
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Dumfries & Galloway
Stretching for 9 miles northwest of Castle Douglas between the A713 and A762, Loch Ken is a popular outdoor recreational area. The range of water sports…
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Biggar & Upper Clydesdale Museum
Southern Scotland
This museum is an enthusiastic community project that is well worth a visit. The pièce de résistance is Gladstone Court, a reconstructed street with…
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Dumfries & Galloway
If your kids are complaining about historic sights and Robert Burns, pack up the clan and get down to this spot, between Dumfries and New Abbey off the…
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Dumfries & Galloway
The 18th-century Broughton House displays paintings by EA Hornel, one of the Glasgow Boys (he lived and worked here). The library, with its wood panelling…
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Southern Scotland
A well-loved local institution that runs matinée shows every couple of days throughout the summer using miniature Victorian puppets and bizarre glow-in…
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Dumfries & Galloway
The mild climate in this southwestern part of Scotland is demonstrated at Logan Botanic Garden, a mile north of Port Logan, where an array of subtropical…
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Dumfries & Galloway
Surrounded by wooded hills, Eskdalemuir is a remote settlement 13 miles northwest of Langholm. About 1.5 miles further north is this, the first Tibetan…
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Dumfries & Galloway
Two miles west of Castle Douglas, this impressive tower sits on a small river island. Built in the late 14th century, it became a principal stronghold of…
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Southern Scotland
In Kilmarnock, a 15-minute walk from bus and train stations, this castle, restored in the 20th century, has a virtually windowless keep (dating from 1350)…
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Dumfries & Galloway
Ideal for families, this offers a plethora of activities and events at the home of that delicious ice cream you’ll see around the region. There are 4…
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Dumfries & Galloway
The shattered red-sandstone remnants of this 13th-century Cistercian abbey stand in stark contrast to the manicured lawns surrounding them. The abbey, the…
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Southern Scotland
With a commanding position in a stunning, tranquil spot above the River Nethan, this extensive ruin includes a virtually intact tower house and a caponier…
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Dumfries & Galloway
At the centre of the village of Gretna Green, the touristy Famous Blacksmith’s Shop complex has a number of mediocre shops and eateries, a maze, and a…
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Southern Scotland
Between the towns of Maybole and Kirkoswald, by the A77, Crossraguel Abbey is a substantial ruin dating back to the 13th century that’s good fun to…
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Dumfries & Galloway
As well as catering for today's local artists and holding a cinema, this centre has an exhibition on the history of the town's artistic development. The…
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Dumfries & Galloway
This protects 546 hectares of salt marsh and mudflats, the habitat for numerous birds, including barnacle geese. There are various activities, including…
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Dumfries & Galloway
Six miles northwest of Dumfries, you can visit the farm that Robert Burns leased in 1788 by the River Nith. He had the house built for his family and…
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Dumfries & Galloway
This new conversion of the town hall into a shiny new gallery opened just after we last passed by. There's a permanent exhibition on this town's artistic…
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Southern Scotland
This is the only remnant of the church that hosted a parliament in 1315, the year after the celebrated victory at the battle of Bannockburn. John Knox’…
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Dumfries & Galloway
A worthwhile Burns exhibition in an old mill on the banks of the River Nith; it tells the story of the poet and Dumfries in the 1790s. The optional…
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Dumfries & Galloway
You can climb the lighthouse at the Mull of Galloway for views over four different political entities: Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and the Isle of…
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Dumfries & Galloway
Near the harbour, this is a large, atmospheric ruin built in 1577 by Thomas MacLellan, then provost of Kirkcudbright, as his town residence. Inside, look…
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Dumfries Museum & Camera Obscura
Dumfries & Galloway
This museum covers local history and prehistory with a wide range of displays from fossils to farm implements. In the tower is a camera obscura, built in…
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Dumfries & Galloway
The red sandstone bridges arching over the River Nith are the most attractive feature of the town. Devorgilla Bridge (1431) is one of the oldest bridges…
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Dumfries & Galloway
Burns' mausoleum is in the graveyard at St Michael's Kirk. It's in the far corner (ie eastern corner) from the entrance. There’s a grisly account of his…
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Dumfries & Galloway
One mile southwest of Gatehouse of Fleet just off the A75, this well-preserved stronghold was the home of the McCulloch clan. It’s a classic 15th-century…
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Southern Scotland
Millport boasts Britain’s smallest cathedral, the lovely Cathedral of the Isles, which was completed in 1851. Inside, it’s quite ornate with a lattice…
