15 Best Sights in Scotland

An elegant, ultramodern building of pink sandstone and stainless steel houses thousands of items of all descriptions, from ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman artifacts to Chinese ceramics, bronzes, and jade. You can also find medieval tapestries, stained-glass windows, Rodin sculptures, and exquisite French-impressionist paintings—Degas's The Rehearsal and Sir Henry Raeburn's Miss Macartney, to name two. Eccentric millionaire Sir William Burrell (1861–1958) donated this collection of some 8,000 pieces to the city in 1944. The 1983 building was designed with large glass walls so that the items on display could relate to their surroundings in Pollok Country Park: art and nature, supposedly in perfect harmony. You can get here via Buses 45, 48, and 57 from Union Street, or it's a leisurely 15-minute walk from the Pollokshaws West rail station.

Between a 17th-century mansion and a cathedral, architect Richard Murphy's striking Carlo Scarpa-inspired garage transformation houses one of Britain's most exciting artistic venues. DCA's two galleries house changing shows by internationally acclaimed contemporary artists. There are children's and adult's workshops, special events, and meet-the-artist events throughout the year. Two movie theaters screen mainly independent, revival, and children's films. There's also a craft shop and a buzzing café--bar that's open until late.

This purpose-built museum at the end of Galashiels High Street houses the 160 panels of the stunning Tapestry of Scotland, which showcases major moments in Scotland´s history and culture in stitched panels created by 1000 needles. The handcrafted nature of the visual narratives gives them a kind of warmth and intimacy, as well as an element of wit. The museum itself is extremely user-friendly: the panels are set out in a series of spaces fanning out from the center, with each corresponding to a historical period, but you can follow them by topic or by region using the accessible guides found throughout. You can also grab a magnifying glass or an iPad to examine them more closely. You can even go down to the Makers Space and try stitching yourself. In each space is a central panel that includes interviews with the stitchers. There is ample seating to spend time with the tapestry and an on-site café to relax over coffee and a cake before you continue your visit.

Opposite Glasgow University's main gate, this gallery houses William Hunter's (1718–83) collection of paintings. You'll also find prints, drawings, and sculptures by Tintoretto, Rembrandt, and Auguste Rodin, as well as a major collection of paintings by James McNeill Whistler, who had a great affection for the city that bought one of his earliest paintings. Also in the gallery is a replica of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's town house. Between 1906 and 1914, famed architect Mackintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald lived at 78 Southpark Avenue, just one street away from where their house has been faithfully rebuilt as part of the gallery. Its stunning rooms contain Mackintosh's art nouveau chairs, tables, beds, and cupboards. The upstairs sitting room, with its famous desk, echoes the Japanese motifs so popular with his generation. Free guided tours are available.

The beautiful grounds of a Jacobean manor house have been transformed by an art-loving couple, Robert and Nicky Wilson, into an impressive sculpture park. With the aid of a map you can explore the magical landscapes and encounter works by renowned artists including Anish Kapoor, Anya Gallaccio, Nathan Coley, Tania Kovats, and Ian Hamilton Finlay, among many others. A highlight is walking around Charles Jencks's Cells of Life, a series of shapely, grass-covered mounds.

Worthy of its world-class reputation, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum attracts local families as well as international visitors. This combination of cathedral and castle was designed in the Renaissance style and built between 1891 and 1901. The stunning red-sandstone edifice is an appropriate home for works by Botticelli, Rembrandt, Monet, and others, not to mention the collection of arms and armor. The Glasgow Room houses extraordinary works by local artists. Whether the subject is Scottish culture, design, or storytelling, every room entices you to look deeper; labels are thought-provoking and sometimes witty. You could spend a weekend here, but in a pinch three hours would do one level justice—there are three. Leave time to visit the gift shop and the attractive basement restaurant. Daily free recitals on the magnificent organ (usually at 1) are well worth the trip.

Dundee's principal museum and art gallery, housed in a striking Gothic Revival–style building, has an engaging collection of artifacts that document the city's history and the working, social, and cultural lives of Dundonians throughout the Victorian period and the 20th century. Its varied fine art collection includes paintings by Rossetti, Raeburn, and Peploe as well as thought-provoking yet accessible contemporary works and visiting exhibitions.

Opened to the public in 1859, the Scottish National Gallery presents a wide selection of paintings from the Renaissance to the Postimpressionist period within a grand Neoclassical building. Most famous are the Old Master paintings bequeathed by the Duke of Sutherland, including Titian's Three Ages of Man. Works by Velázquez, El Greco, Rembrandt, Goya, Poussin, Turner, Degas, Monet, and Van Gogh, among others, complement a fine collection of Scottish art, including Sir Henry Raeburn's Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch and other works by Ramsay, Raeburn, and Wilkie. The gallery also has an information center, a quirky gift shop, and the excellent Scottish Cafe and Restaurant.

Set within a magnificent red-sandstone Gothic building from 1889, this gallery is an Edinburgh must-see. Conceived as a gift to the people of Scotland, it divides into five broad themes, from Reformation to Modernity, with special galleries for photography and contemporary art—all centered around the stunning Great Hall. It also plays host to regular temporary exhibitions, including the annual BP Portrait Award.

Opened to worldwide acclaim in 2018, the first outpost of the Victoria and Albert Museum of London is housed in an arresting riverside building by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Scotland's first-ever design museum contains seminal works and inspiring displays by Scots and international designers. The Scottish Design Galleries present the past, present, and future through the V&A collections and loans from around the world. Among the many highlights is Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Oak Room, unveiled for the first time in 50 years. Stellar shows, exclusively created for the new V&A galleries, spark inspiration among young and old. This "living room for the city," as Kuma described his design, is worth a visit for the building and setting alone: the vistas in and around its sea-cliff-like edges and perches provide places to linger, mingle, and reflect. If the weather is bad, the Tatha Bar & Kitchen here is a great place to linger, refuel, and admire the views of the architecture and river, plus the gift shop has a wealth of quirky design gift ideas.

A visit to the studio of renowned Montrosian artist and sculptor William Lamb (1893–1951) provides a glimpse into his intriguing life, travels, and obsessions. In the intimate studio you can walk among the heads of 20th-century royalty, society figures, and everyday Montrose folk. The museum is open only in July and August and by appointment; ask the lovely staff at the Montrose Museum.

Northeast Scotland's most important art gallery now has seven exhibition spaces where more than 1,000 of its treasures are displayed. There's also a penthouse gallery hosting three touring exhibitions each year. The collection contains excellent paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, porcelain, costumes, and more, from 18th-century art to major contemporary British works by Lucien Freud and Henry Moore. Scottish artists are well represented in the permanent collection and special exhibits. Local stone has been used in the interior walls, pillars, and the central fountain, all designed by the acclaimed British sculptor Barbara Hepworth.

One of Glasgow's boldest, most innovative galleries occupies the neoclassical former Royal Exchange building. The modern art, craft, and design collections include works by Scottish conceptual artists such as David Mach, and also paintings and sculptures from around the world, including Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, and Mexico. Each floor of the gallery reflects one of the elements—air, fire, earth, and water—which creates some unexpected juxtapositions and also allows for various interactive exhibits. In the basement is a café, a tourist information center, and an extensive library. The building, designed by David Hamilton (1768–1843) and finished in 1829, was first a meeting place for merchants and traders; later it became Stirling's Library. It also incorporates the mansion built in 1780 by William Cunninghame, one of the city's wealthiest tobacco lords. Standing proudly in front of the gallery is the now-iconic Duke of Wellington statue, rarely seen without a traffic cone (or two) on his head, a playful reflection of the Glaswegian sense of humor.

This museum has a wide-ranging collection, including exhibits on natural history, local history, archaeology, and art, as well as an important glass collection. It also includes work by the great painter of animals Sir Edwin Landseer and some botanical studies of fungi by Beatrix Potter. It also now includes the 6,000 works—paintings, drawings, and prints—by the Scottish artist J. D. Fergusson (1874–1961) and his wife, Margaret Morris, an artist in her own right and a pioneer of modern dance. Fergusson was the longest-lived member of the group called the Scottish Colourists, who took their inspiration from the French impressionist painters in their use of color and light.

Situated down a narrow close off Lawnmarket is Lady Stair's House, a fine example of 17th-century urban architecture. Inside, the Writers' Museum evokes Scotland's literary past with such exhibits as the letters, possessions, and original manuscripts of Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, and Robert Louis Stevenson.