4 Best Sights in Scotland

The extraordinary 2015 land artwork by Charles Jencks, 45 minutes north of Dumfries near the village of Sanquhar, must surely become a focus for visitors to the region for years to come. Jencks has transformed a 55-acre site, once an opencast mine, into a beautiful and inspiring landscape, at the heart of which are two grass spiral mounds that represent the Milky Way and the Andromeda Constellation. But they are simply the heart of a site where woodland, moor, and mountain meet. Local rocks have been lifted to form avenues and labyrinths across the site. As you look across from its highest point, it is as if you were looking in a mirror in which the skies were reflected on the earth. Set aside two or three hours at least for the experience, and be sure to wear good shoes for the uneven terrain.

This stunning structure, two horse´s heads forged in steel, 85 and 98 feet high respectively, are modeled on Clydesdales, the huge draft horses that hauled barges along the canals before the advent of the railways. The largest works of art in Scotland, their beautiful heads are framed against the Ochil Hills behind. You can book a special guided tour (book online for convenience) which takes you inside the sculptures and provides an insight into the area's past. The Kelpies are found in the Helix, a country park on the edges of Falkirk with cycle and walking paths, play areas, and a wetland. There's also a visitor center with a café and gift shop.

This 30-foot-high granite statue of the Madonna and child is a symbol of island resistance. In the 1950s, the Ministry of Defense proposed building a missile-testing facility on South Uist, but islanders opposed the plans, fearing it would destroy their way of life, culture, and language. So they raised the funds for this ambitious work of art and erected it on land earmarked for development by the MOD. Today, it is a listed monument, making any future building proposals even less likely to succeed.

British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy's extraordinary piece of public landscape art enriches the great natural amphitheater at Cairnhead in the southern uplands of Dumfries and Galloway. His three red-sandstone arches stand 13 feet high and mark out the area, "striding" across the landscape and symbolizing all those who have left the area and migrated in search of work and better lives. There is a marked walking route obtainable from the official website for Dumfries and Galloway.