Scotland
Known as the 'Iona of the East', the island of Inchcolm (meaning 'St Columba's Island') lies east of the Forth bridges, less than a mile off the Fife coast. Only 800m long, it's home to the ruins of Inchcolm Abbey, one of Scotland's best-preserved medieval abbeys, founded by Augustinian priors in 1123.
Access is by ferry from Queensferry. The trip also gives you the chance to see the island's grey seals, as well as puffins and other seabirds.
6.84 MILES
Edinburgh Castle has played a pivotal role in Scottish history, both as a royal residence – King Malcolm Canmore (r 1058–93) and Queen Margaret first made…
13.26 MILES
Many years may have passed since Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code and the subsequent film came out, but floods of visitors still descend on Scotland's…
25.83 MILES
Hold Stirling and you control Scotland. This maxim has ensured that a fortress of some kind has existed here since prehistoric times. You cannot help…
27.68 MILES
'So thanks to all at once and to each one, whom we invite to see us crowned at Scone.' This line from Macbeth indicates the importance of Scone …
5.86 MILES
Built on Clydeside, the former Royal Yacht Britannia was the British Royal Family's floating holiday home during their foreign travels from the time of…
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
6.18 MILES
Edinburgh's gallery of modern art is split between two impressive neoclassical buildings surrounded by landscaped grounds some 500m west of Dean Village…
7.3 MILES
The Scottish Parliament Building, on the site of a former brewery and designed by Catalan architect Enric Miralles (1955–2000), was opened by the Queen in…
5.74 MILES
Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden is the second-oldest institution of its kind in Britain (after Oxford), and one of the most respected in the world…
1.76 MILES
Long a residence of the Douglases of Morton, this impressive structure exhibits several architectural phases, from tumbled 12th-century masonry with…
3.46 MILES
With its moored yachts, stately swans and whitewashed houses spilling down the hillside at the mouth of the River Almond, Cramond is the most picturesque…
3.49 MILES
Alongside the River Almond in Cramond, opposite the cottage on the far bank, is the Maltings, which hosts an interesting exhibition on Cramond’s history.
3.78 MILES
If the kids are tiring of historic buildings, a trip here might make them feel more kindly towards Fife. Situated at North Queensferry, beneath the Forth…
4.16 MILES
Lauriston Castle has one of the most remarkable Edwardian interiors in Scotland, with elements dating back to the 16th century. Gifted to the nation in…
4.53 MILES
On the pretty, terraced High St is the small Queensferry Museum, tracing the town's social history down the centuries. Highlights include a handwritten…
4.9 MILES
A hidden gem loved by local hikers and dog walkers, Cammo is all ancient woodlands, crumbling ruins and faded grandeur. Located on Edinburgh’s…
5.29 MILES
Newhaven was once a distinctive fishing community whose fishwives tramped the streets of Edinburgh’s New Town selling caller herrin (fresh herring) from…