57 Best Sights in Scotland

This excellent museum, which incorporates the 1593 Provost Ross's House, tells the story of the city's relationship with the sea, from early inshore fisheries to tea clippers and the North Sea oil boom. The information-rich exhibits include the bridge of a fishing boat and the cabins of a clipper, in addition to models, paintings, and equipment associated with the fishing, shipbuilding, and oil and gas industries. The Gateway to the North gallery on the top floor is a lively introduction to the archaeology of the region, with exhibits spanning the years 1136–1660.

Founded by Elsie Bell Pettigrew in memory of her husband, James, a former professor of medicine, this fascinating collection of zoological specimens takes you from sea to jungle, mountain to sky. The antiquated manner of their presentation reminds you of their significance in an age when most of these creatures were still unknown to most people. In the handsome 16th-century St. Mary's Quadrangle, home to the St. Andrews University's divinity and psychology departments, you'll find an impressive holm oak and a thorn tree supposedly planted by Mary, Queen of Scots.

To learn more about the history and culture of rural Fife, visit the wonderful Fife Folk Museum in the attractive nearby village of Ceres. The life of local rural communities is reflected in fascinating artifacts and documents housed in a former weigh house and adjoining weavers' cottages. Refreshments and food are served in the Weigh House Tearoom with views of Ceres Burn. The museum is 3 miles southeast of Cupar via A916 and B939. Next door is the wonderfully peaceful St. John's Garden with a meadow labyrinth, beehives, kitchen garden, pond, and mysterious vaults (it's private but welcomes respectful visitors Thursdays or by appointment via emailing  [email protected]).

Explore reconstructed Highland buildings, including a Victorian-era schoolhouse, at this open-air museum 2 miles west of Kingussie. You can also watch tailors, clock makers, and joiners demonstrating their trades. Walking paths (or old-fashioned buses) take you to the 18th-century township that was a setting for the hit TV show Outlander and includes a peat house made of turf and a weaver's house. Throughout the museum there are hands-on exhibits like a working quern stone for grinding grain.

This museum traces the country's fascinating story from the oldest fossils to the most recent popular culture, making it a must-see for first-time visitors to Scotland. Two of the most famous treasures are the Lewis Chessmen, a set of intricately carved 12th-century ivory chess pieces found on one of Scotland's Western Isles, and Dolly the sheep, the world's first cloned mammal and biggest ovine celebrity. A dramatic cryptlike entrance gives way to the light-filled birdcage wonders of the Victorian grand hall and the upper galleries. Other exhibition highlights include the hanging hippo and sea creatures of the Wildlife Panorama, beautiful Viking brooches, Pictish stones, and Queen Mary's clarsach (harp). Take the elevator to the lovely rooftop terrace for spectacular views of Edinburgh Castle and the city below.

Designed by Zaha Hadid to celebrate the area's industrial heritage, this huge metal structure with curving walls echoes the covered yards where ships were built on the Clyde. Glasgow's shipbuilding history is remembered with a world-famous collection of ship models. Locomotives built at the nearby St. Rollox yards are also on display, as are cars from every age and many countries. You can wander down Main Street, circa 1930, without leaving the building: the pawnbroker, funeral parlor, and Italian restaurant are all frozen in time. Relax with a coffee in the café, wander out onto the expansive riverside walk, or board the Tall Ship that is moored permanently behind the museum. Take Bus 100 from the City Centre, or walk from Partick subway station.

On the waterfront in the coastal town of Irvine, this museum brings together ships and boats—both models and the real thing—to tell the tale of Scotland's maritime history, as well as chronicle the lives of its boatbuilders, fishermen, and sailors. The atmospheric Linthouse Engine Building, part of a former shipyard, hosts most of the displays. The museum also includes a shipyard worker's tenement home that you can explore. In Dumbarton, 35 miles to the north, you can visit the Denny Tank (part of the museum), where ship designs were tested. Children are admitted free.

Nine miles south of Sandwick, just outside Dunrossness, this 19th-century thatched house reveals the way of life of rural Shetlanders, which the traditionally attired attendant will be delighted to discuss with you. The peat fire casts a glow on the box bed, the resting chair, and the wealth of domestic implements, including a hand mill for preparing meal and a straw "keshie" for carrying peat. One building made from an upturned boat was used for storing and drying fish and mutton; huts like this inspired the design of the new Scottish Parliament.

On the last remaining stretch of the old waterfront at the restored Hay's Dock, the striking Shetland Museum, with its sail-like tower, is the area's cultural hub and a stimulating introduction to local history. The two-story space is filled with displays about archaeology, textiles, and contemporary arts. Standout exhibits include depictions of the minutiae of everyday Shetland life across the centuries, the last remaining sixareen (a kind of fishing boat), and the collection of lace shawls donated by Shetland families. Its informal spaces make this a wonderful place to hang out; look for vintage vessels moored in the dock and seals that pop up to observe everyone at the glass-fronted café--restaurant terrace. The museum shop is a must-visit, with a beautiful selection of nicely priced postcards and useful things inspired by the museum's collection.

Housed in a stone 17th-century house and former fisherfolk dwelling, this charming museum run by friendly volunteers contains furniture, shop fittings, curious objects, and displays relating to St. Andrews's history. The real draw though—especially in bonnie weather—is the flower and herb-filled garden and curious outbuildings including a laundry and twin-bowled privy.

The enchanting Stromness Museum has the feel of some grand Victorian's private collection but has, in fact, been community owned since it opened in 1837. Home to fascinating exhibits on fishing, shipping, and whaling, it's also crammed with interesting trinkets from all over the world. They found their way here via the Hudson's Bay Shipping Company, which recruited workers in Stromness between the late 18th and 19th centuries (as they were considered more sober and therefore more reliable than other Scots). Also here are model ships and displays on the German fleet that was scuttled on Scapa Flow in 1919. Head upstairs to see the beguiling collection of birds and butterflies native to the British Isles.

After viewing the cliffs at Eshaness, call in at Tangwick Haa Museum, the 17th-century home of the Cheynes, now packed full with photographs, household items, and knitting, farming, and fishing equipment from the 18th to early 20th century. Upstairs is the Laird's Room, a traditional sitting room of the 19th century and a room of curiosities, including whale eardrums. Downstairs—next to the help-yourself café—there are rows of folders; ask one of the staff to let you hear what's in them and you will be rewarded with the soft, gentle voices of local elders telling you of life lived in Shetland.

Its Roman occupation may be one of the least known periods of Scottish history, but this exciting museum, focused on the excavation of the site of the Roman settlement of Trimontium in nearby Newstead, brings it to life. Interactive displays illustrate the lives lived in the fort during its 100-year occupation, not just with displays of weaponry and military dress, but also with the everyday objects discovered at the site and used by the families of troops. There is a Roman-themed shop, and guided walks around the site itself are available on Thursdays and Saturdays.

With four intimate thematic galleries, this museum tells engaging stories about St. Andrews University, the world, and the universe through its wonderful collections. It also showcases groundbreaking research. You'll find ecumenical regalia, decorative arts, and early scientific instruments, including Humphrey Cole's astrolabe of 1575. It also has sweeping views over St. Andrews Bay.

In the town center, the small but fascinating West Highland Museum explores the history of Prince Charles Edward Stuart and the 1745 rebellion. Included in the museum's folk exhibits are a costume and tartan display and an excellent collection of Jacobite relics. One of the most intriguing objects here is a tray decorated with a distorted image of Bonnie Prince Charlie that only becomes visible when reflected in a wine glass or goblet. This elaborate ruse enabled clandestine supporters among the nobility to raise a (treasonous) toast without fear of discovery.

This award-winning, community-run museum, housed in an early 20th-century livestock auction mart, has a fascinating collection of local memorabilia and allows a glimpse into the history of Alford and the surrounding region.

A typical Arran cottage, a re-created 1940s schoolroom, and farm buildings filled with antiquated implements that were in use within living memory make this lively little museum a must-see for anyone interested in the island's social history.

Located in the old courtroom that had cells in its cellars, the Brechin Town House Museum houses a small but interesting collection of objects from inhabitants of the area: from Bronze Age jewelry to a Jacobite sporran to a letter from a World War I soldier. There is a small tourist information desk within the museum.

Nearly every city and town in Scotland once had a tolbooth. Originally a customhouse, where tolls were gathered, it soon came to mean town hall and later prison, as there were detention cells in the cellar. The building where Canongate's town council once met now has a museum, the People's Story Museum, which focuses on the lives of everyday folk from the 18th century to today. Exhibits describe how Canongate once bustled with the activities of the tradespeople needed to supply life's essentials. There are also displays on the politics, health care, and leisure time (such as it was) in days of yore. Other exhibits leap forward in time to show, for example, a typical 1940s kitchen.

The story of this trading and fishing town can be found in the delightfully crammed Crail Museum and Heritage Centre, entirely run by local volunteers. There is a small tourist information desk within the center and fascinating guided walks start here regularly during the summer on Sundays or by advance appointment; check the website for the schedule or to request a walk.

A camera obscura is essentially a huge reflecting mirror that projects an extraordinarily clear panoramic view of the surrounding countryside onto an internal wall. The one at the Dumfries Museum, which claims to be the oldest in the world, is housed in the old Windmill Tower, built in 1836. The museum itself covers the culture and daily life of the people living in the Dumfries and Galloway region from the earliest times.

Using state-of-the-art technology, the 14 themed galleries at this interactive science museum educate and entertain as they explore the wonders of the planet, from polar regions to tropical rain forests. Geological history, from the big bang to the unknown future, is also examined, all topped off with an eye-popping, 360-degree planetarium experience.

Once over the Spey Bridge and past the cricket ground (a very unusual sight in Scotland), you can find the symmetrical, 18th-century Fochabers village square. The old Pringle Church is now the home of the Fochabers Folk Museum, which boasts a fine collection of items relating to past life of all types of residents in the village and surrounding area. Exhibits include carts and carriages, farm implements, domestic labor-saving devices, and an exquisite collection of Victorian toys.

Tucked off the main square, Halliwell's House Museum was once an ironmonger's shop, which is now re-created downstairs. Upstairs, an exhibit tells the town's story, illustrates the working lives of its inhabitants, and provides useful background information on the Common Ridings.

Located in a historic house on the town´s attractive Wilton Lodge Park, the Hawick Museum is a comprehensive look at local history, with changing art exhibitions in its two first floor galleries. The War Room tells the story of local men who fought in World War I as well as memorabilia from the POW camps in the area and copies of a newspaper produced by German prisoners in the town. A moving metal sculpture outside the museum commemorates the battle of Passchendaele. One of Hawick's favorite sons, Jimmy Guthrie, a world champion motorcyclist, has his own exhibition that draws motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world.

Set within Glasgow University, this museum, dating from 1807, showcases part of the collections of William Hunter, an 18th-century Glasgow doctor who assembled a staggering quantity of valuable material. Check out Hunter's hoards of coins, manuscripts, scientific instruments, and archaeological artifacts in this striking Gothic building. A permanent exhibit chronicles the building of the Antonine Wall, the Romans' northernmost defense.

The small but excellent Inverness Museum and Art Gallery covers archaeology, art, local history, and the natural environment in its lively displays. The museum is also home to the Highland Photographic Archive.

The little community of Kirkbean is the backdrop for the bright-green landscape of the Arbigland Estate; in a cottage here, now the John Paul Jones Museum, John Paul (1747–92), the son of an estate gardener, was born. He eventually left Scotland, added "Jones" to his name, and became the founder of the U.S. Navy. The cottage where he was born is furnished as it would have been when he was a boy. There is an informative video, which you watch in a reconstruction of his captain's cabin. Jones returned to raid the coastline of his native country in 1778, an exploit recounted in an adjoining visitor center.

This small museum has a number of interesting artifacts related to the Uists and their people. The small details, like how locals filled their mattresses or the names for the tools they used in their houses, are what make this place interesting. There is also a craft shop and an excellent café renowned for its filled baked potatoes and house-made cakes.

To see a little of the region's prehistoric past, start at this museum 8 miles north of Crinan and then explore some of the more than 300 ancient remnants within a 6-mile radius. Exhibits provide information about stone circles, burial mounds, and carved stones dating from the Bronze Age and earlier. After a £6.7 million expansion, the museum now displays many more of the 22,000 ancient artifacts in its care than was previously possible, spanning some 7,000 years of the region's history, including quarts blades used to carve local symbol stones, Bronze Age jewelry, and intricately carved Celtic crosses. A (free but often muddy) walk leads to a weird, sprawling cairn that marks the site of an ancient tomb, rediscovered in the 19th century.