UK – Scotland

N.E. HIGHLANDS

N.W. HIGHLANDS

TAYSIDE

GRAMPIAN

Provost Skene’s House, Guestrow, Off Broad Street, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, AB10 1AS, Scotland.
01224 641 086 – www.aagm.co.uk
Open all year (Mon-Sat) 10.00-17.00 Sun 13.00-16.00
One of Aberdeen’s few remaining examples of early burgh architecture. Interior attractions include a suite of Georgian rooms, an Edwardian nursery, 17C wood panelling and ceilings. The Painted Gallery houses the most important collection of religious pain.

James Dun’s House, 61 School Hill, Off Union Street, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, AB10 1JT, Scotland.
01224 646 333
Open all year (Mon-Sat) 10.00-17.00
Restored 18C Town House named after the rector of Aberdeen Grammar School when Lord Byron was a pupil. The house contains a museum and a gallery with various exhibitions including photography, arts and crafts, paintings, textiles, science and technology.

FIFE

(NOT FREE) Abbot House, Maygate, Dunfermline, Fife, KY12 7NE, Scotland.
01383 733 266 – dht@abbothouse.fsnet.co.uk – www.abbothouse.co.uk
Open 10.00-17.00 Daily – Access to the ground floor, café and garden free – charge for upper floors
This is the oldest dwelling house in the town and has been converted into a Heritage Centre with variety of displays covering the history of Dunfermline and Scotland from Pictish times to present day.

Pan Ha, Dysart, Fife, Scotland.
Exterior View Only
A group of 17C fisher houses that have been restored by the National Trust For Scotland.

Scotstarvit Tower, Off A916, 2 miles S of Cupar, Ceres, Fife, Scotland.
Summer 13.00-17.00 Keys available from Tarvit Mansion House
A 16C keep owned by the Wymyss family. Ask for the key at the Hill Of Tarvit Mansionhouse, which is in Cupar on the A916. Admission is free but you will need to leave a small deposit for the key.

ISLANDS

Knap Of Howar, West Side of Island of Papa Westray, Approx 2.5 miles W of Holland Farm, Papa Westray, Orkney, Scotland.
01856 872 044
Access at all times
Two Neolithic rectangular dwellings with stone cupboards and stairs, probably the oldest standing stone houses in NW Europe.

Earl’s Palace, In Birsay, 11 miles N of Stromness, At the N end of Mainland Orkney, Stromness, Orkney, Scotland.
Access at all times
Remains of a courtyard palace built in the 16C by the Earl Of Orkney.

Grain Earth House, Hatson, 1 mile NW of Kirkwall, Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland.
01856 841 815
Access at all times, key available from the Ortak shop in Kirkwall.
Well built Iron Age Earth House with an underground chamber supported by stone pillars.

Rennibister Earth House, On the A965, 4.5 miles WNW of Kirkwall, Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland.
Access at all times
Example of an Orkney Earth House with a passage and underground chambers supporting roof pillars.

BORDERS

Old Gala House, Scott Crescent, Galashiels, Scottish Borders, TD1 3JS, Scotland.
01750 720 096
April – Sept Tues – Sat 10.00-16.00 July – Aug Mon – Sat 10.00 – 16.00 Also Sun 14.00-16.00 Oct Tues- Fri 13.00-16.00 Sat 10.00 – 16.00
Dating from 1583 and set in its own grounds. Former home of the Lairds of Gala it is now an interpretative centre. Displays tell the story of the house, it’s residents and the growth of the surrounding town. Internal features include painted ceilings.

DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY

Robert Burns House, Burns Street, Dumfries, Dumfries & Galloway, DG1 2PS, Scotland.
01387 255 297 – www.dumgal.gov.uk/museums
April-Sep ( Mon-Sat) 10.00-17.00 (Sun) 14.00-17.00 Oct-March ( Tue-Sat ) 10.00-13.00 & 14.00-17.00
In this house Robert Burns Scotland’s National poet spent the last years of his life, and it is now a place of pilgrimage for Burns fans across the globe. The house retains its 18C appearance and contains many relics and artefacts of the famous poet.

Drumcoltran Tower, Dalbeattie, off the A711 7 miles NE of Dalbeattie, Dalbeattie, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland.
0131 668 8800
April – Sept Mon-Sun 09.30-18.30 Oct – March Mon-Sat 09.30-16.30 Sun 14.00-16.00
16C fortified L Plan Tower House next to 18C Farmhouse.

Orchardton Tower, Off the A711, 1.5 miles S of Palnackie, Palnackie, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland.
0131 668 8800
April – Sept Mon-Sun 09.30-18.30 Oct – March Mon-Sat 09.30-16.30 Sun 14.00-16.00
Common in Ireland this is the only cylindrical style Tower House to be built in Scotland. It dates from the 15C and is set in picturesque surroundings.

CENTRAL SCOTLAND (PERTHSHIRE & STIRLINGSHIRE)

Mar’s Wark, Top of Castle Wynd, Stirling, Stirlingshire, Scotland.
Outside view
Renaissance Mansion built by the Regent Mar in 1570, the façade is the main surviving part.

Earthquake House, On the outskirks of Comrie on the A85 Comrie, Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland.
Open all year
In 1874 a small building was constructed to house the seismological apparatus that was developed by the Comrie Pioneers to measure seismic activity in the area.

ARGYLL

AYRSHIRE, STRATHCLYDE & LANARKSHIRE

GLASGOW CITY

City Chambers, 80 George Square, Glasgow, Strathclyde, G2 1DU, Scotland.
0141 287 2000
Open 08.30-17.00 Mon-Fri – Free guided tours weekdays 10.30 & 14.30.
Opened by Queen Victoria in 1888. The interior has many attractive features including the entrance hall’s vaulted ceilings, marble and alabaster staircases and a banqueting hall.

Templetons Carpet Factory, Glasgow Green, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland.
Exterior View Only
A Victorian factory built to copy the design of Doge’s Palace in Venice.

Merchants House, 7 West George Street, West side of George Square, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland.
0141 221 8272
(Mon-Fri) 14.00-16.00
Built in 1874 this attractive building is topped by a gold sailing ship and is the home of Glasgow’s Chamber Of Commerce. Inside is the Merchant’s Hall with fine stained glass and portraits.

Provand’s Lordship, 3 Castle Street, Glasgow, Strathclyde, G4 0RH, Scotland.
0141 552 8819
Mon-Thurs & Sat 10.00-17.00 Fri & Sun 11.00-17.00
Glasgow’s oldest house built in 1471 in which Mary Queen Of Scots is reputed to have stayed. In the past it has been a sweet shop, junk shop, soft drinks factory and the home of the city’s hangman. Now restored and houses a museum.

Pollok House, Pollok Country Park, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, Strathclyde, G43 1AT, Scotland.
0141 616 6410 – pollokhouse@nts.org.uk
Daily 10.00-17.00 Free Entry Only Nov – March ( April – October £8 Adults and £5 Children )
Dating from the mid 1700 the house had fine gardens and over looks the White Cart River and Pollock Park. Inside the house are the Stirling Maxwell Collections of paintings.

Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow, Strathclyde, G3 7DN, Scotland.
0141 287 2999 – lil@cls.glasgow.gov.uk
Mon – Thurs 09.00-20.00 Fri – Sat 09.00-17.00
The largest public reference library in Europe.

EDINBURGH CITY

Parliament Hall, 2-11 Parliament Square, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH1 1RQ, Scotland.
0131 225 2595
Mon – Fri 10.00-16.00
Built 1632-39 this was the seat of Scottish government until 1707. Now the Supreme Law Courts Of Scotland. Parliament Hall has hammer beam roof and portraits by Raeburn and other Scottish artists.

National Library Of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH1 1EW, Scotland.
0131 226 4531
events@nls.uk – www.nls.uk
Exhibition Opening Times – Mon – Fri 10.00-17.00 Saturdays 10.00-17.00 Sundays 14.00-17.00
One of Britain’s 4 largest libraries with an unviralled collection of Scottish History and Culture, various exhibitions on Scottish Themes open to the public.

LOTHIANS

Greenknowe Tower, On the A6105 Earlston Road, 0.5 miles W of Gordon, Gordon, Berwickshire, Scotland.
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
Access at any reasonable time
A Handsome Tower House on an L-Plan design. Built in 1581 and still retaining it’s iron gate.