Other Places to Visit
| 04 August 2009
The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, 0131 225 2290
9.30am-6pm
Adult £5.95 concession £4.50
One of the world's greatest mysteries remains unsolved, but now you don't have to travel all the way to Loch Ness to find out why. Adrian Shine, scientist and the foremost authority on Loch Ness, presents the whole story and his findings in a 3D exhibition. Does Nessie exist? Pick through the sightings, hoaxes and real eyewitness accounts and make up your own mind.
| 04 August 2009
The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, 01334 460 046
Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm, Sun 10am-5pm
Adult £5.50, child £2.90, concession £4.50
http://www.britishgolfmuseum.co.uk
A comprehensive history of the game of golf, from its origins in the Middle Ages to the cash-rich modern game. The British Golf Museum tells the story chronologically, exploring the events, personalities and equipment used throughout the ages and explaining exactly what the various golf terms mean: what is a birdie and why do golfers shout 'fore'?
| 04 August 2009
North Berwick, 01620 850 330
9.30am-5.30pm
Adult £4.70, child £2.35, concession £3.70
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
This splendid 13th century castle was home to three noble families in the space of 400 years - the de Vauxes, Haliburtons and Ruthvens. After the downfall of the Ruthvens, it was abandoned as a noble residence. Badly damaged during Cromwell's siege of 1650, it was rescued in the 1660s by the Nisbet family, who built a new mansion nearby. They also revitalized the gardens, which now include the world's longest herbaceous border.
| 04 August 2009
North Berwick, 01620 892 337
11-16 August, times vary
From free
http://www.fringebythesea.co.uk
Formerly a fixture in George Square Gardens, this year Speigeltent has decamped to this mini festival on the seashore. Perfect for a day away from the madness of Edinburgh in August, you’ll nonetheless be able to catch acts such as Ginger and Black, Orkestra del Sol and kids’ favourite Mr Boom. And all the performances are timed to coincide with the trains, so you know you’ll be able to get back to the city at night.
| 04 August 2009
Glamis, Angus, 01307 840393
10am - 6pm
Adult £8.50, child 5.30, concession £7.50
http://www.glamis-castle.co.uk
Brimming with history and charm, Glamis is one of most visited castles in Scotland and certainly one of the most grand. The ancestral home of the Earls of Strathmore, it is also the setting for Shakespeare's Macbeth. Duncan's Hall commemorates the killing of King Duncan by Macbeth. This was also the childhood home of the Queen Mother. Experienced guides are available for tours - highlights include the majestic Victorian dining room, which was designed in the mid 19th century. The sublime Italian garden, which is bounded by yew hedges, was created by Countess Cecilia, the Queen’s grandmother, in 1910.
| 04 August 2009
Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Aberfoyle, 0845 643 9215
Mon-Fri, 8am-9pm, Sat 8am-7pm, Sun 9pm-7pm
Adult £25, child £20
This award-winning high wire forest adventure course is the most fun it’s possible to have whilst hurtling towards the ground at high speeds. Set in the stunning location of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, it’s a hair-raising assault course of extreme rope bridges, Tarzan swings and zip slides. Suitable for anybody who is able to climb a rope ladder, children under 18 are welcome as long as they are accompanied by an adult. The course is home to the two longest zip wires in Britain.
| 04 August 2009
Bonnington House, nr Edinburgh, 0131 257 4170
Thu-Sun, 10am-4pm
Adult £5, child £3
After selling their homeopathic business and moving into a 17th century mansion house outside Edinburgh, Robert and Nicky Wilson wanted to do something nice with the garden - so they turned it into a sculpture park. Their highly ambitious dream paid off: this spectacular collection of newly-commissioned contemporary sculpture features works by Anthony Gormley, Marc Quinn, Alec Finlay, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Anish Kapoor and Cornelia Parker. Visitors are advised to leave an hour and a half for the visit. Booking essential.
| 04 August 2009
High Street, Dunbar East Lothian, 01368 865899
Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm, Sun 1pm-5pm
Free
The birthplace of the pioneering naturalist, author, and early conservationist. Born in Dunbar in 1838, Muir emigrated with his parents to the United States where he campaigned for the preservation of natural environments through his work as a geologist and botanist. This centre is a chance to figuratively follow in his footsteps as he traversed the then largely unspoilt wilderness of North America, read extracts from his journals and view some of his sketches of wildlife and plants.
| 04 August 2009
Linlithgow, 01506 842 896
9.30am-5.30pm
Adult £5.20, child £2.60, concession £4.20
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
Mostly in ruins and minus a roof, Linlithgow Palace is a shadow of its former glory but still manages to convey a sense of awe and history. Built in 1424 by James I, it was largely used as a royal nursery for James V (born 1512), Mary Queen of Scots (born 1542) and Princess Elizabeth (born 1596). But when James VI moved the royal court to London following his coronation as James I of England in 1603, the palace fell into disrepair.
| 04 August 2009
Mercat House, Blair Street, Edinburgh, 0131 225 5445
Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm
Adult £8.50, child £5, concession £7.50
A genuinely bone-chilling tour of the capital with a paranormal twist. Trained guides lead groups of no more than 40 through a variety of old buildings and narrow closes with something unmistakably sinister in the air - if you believe in that sort of stuff. Hear tales of murder, torture and hangings and find how the plague left a haunting legacy on the city's Old Town. Ghostly apparitions are not guaranteed but this tour is not for the faint-hearted. The company also runs history tours. Booking essential.
| 04 August 2009
Newhailes Road, Musselburgh, 0844 4932125
Thu-Mon 12am-5pm
Adult £10.50, concession £7.50
Ever wondered what life was like for the incredibly rich in 18th century Scotland? This remarkably well-preserved historic house is packed with decorative Rococo interiors and collections, 18th century-designed landscaped gardens, woodland walks, open parkland, and the remains of water-gardens and features such as a shell grotto and classical summerhouse. The coffee house serves tea, coffee and delicious locally produced bakery products.
| 04 August 2009
Castlehill, the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, 0131 220 0441
9.30am-6pm
Adult £11, child £5.95, concession £8.50
http://www.whisky-heritage.co.uk
Everything you ever needed to know about whisky but were afraid to ask. The new tour is a beginner's guide to the ancient art of making whisky from the raw ingredients to the maturation process. Learn about the country's diverse whisky regions and which kind of whisky comes from where. There is also an opportunity to peek into the vault containing the Diageo Claive Vidiz Scotch Whisky collection; the world's largest collection of Scotch whiskies. Then take all that knowledge to the whisky shop and try it out for real.
| 04 August 2009
Kenmore, Loch Tay, Aberfeldy, Perthshire, 01887 830583
10am to 5:30pm
price Adults: £6.25, children £4.50, concession £5.25
Dating back 5,000 years, a crannog was a type of ancient loch-house found in Scotland and Ireland. The Scottish Crannog Centre is a reconstruction of an early Iron Age loch dwelling, built by the Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology (STUA). It is based on a 2,600-year-old crannog, the remains of which were found in Loch Tay. Back in the day, they were used as farmers' homesteads, hunting and fishing stations and even holiday residences. Find out what life was like in a crannog during the Iron Age.
| 04 August 2009
The Harbour, North Berwick, 01620 890 202
Mon-Fri, 5pm; Sat-Sun, 5.30pm
Adults £7.95, child £4.50, concession £5.95
From gannets to guillemots and puffins to peregrine falcons, the Scottish Seabird Centre is the place to see the seabirds in action. One of Scotland's five star attractions, its stunning location overlooks the sea and the islands of the Forth and the white sandy beaches of North Berwick. From the inside, the Discovery Centre has state of the art cameras to allow visitors to zoom in close on the seabirds and marine wildlife. Learn more about the lifecycle of these birds at the Wildlife Cinema; daily Seabird Seafari boat trips take in the famous Bass Rock gannet colony, described by Sir David Attenborough as "one of the twelve wildlife wonders of the world".
| 04 August 2009
North Berwick, 01620 892 727
9.30am-5.30pm
Admission: Adult £4.70, child £2.35, concessions £3.70
http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
There are bigger and more impressive castles in Scotland but as an example of medieval architecture Tantallon takes some beating. A formidable cliff-top military stronghold overlooking the Firth of Forth, it was the seat of the Douglas Earls of Angus, one of the most powerful baronial families in Scotland. Over three centuries it endured three sieges: its mighty stone curtain wall was built to withstand stone-throwing machines, battering rams and arrow attacks by land, whilst the sheer cliffs did the job at the other side. However, the invention of the gun was to prove its undoing and in 1651 Oliver Cromwell's artillery finally breached Tantallon's defences. Visitors to the castle can enjoy the rare wild flowers and see the replica cannon. Refreshments are available in the visitor centre.
| 04 August 2009
West Henderson's Wynd, Dundee, 01382 309060
10am - 6pm, Sun 11am-6pm
Adult £7, child £4, concession £5.25
At the height of the Industrial Revolution, Dundee was the jute capital of the world. Its uses included ropes, carpets, tents, tarpaulins and sandbags and demand meant workers flooded to Dundee (between 1841 and 1901 the city's population tripled to 161,000). However, life in the mills was tough for the mainly women and children who worked there in poor conditions for low wages. Verdant Works tells the tale of jute, and the people whose livelihood depended on it, in a series of interactive exhibitions and guided tours.
| 04 August 2009
Lady Stair's Close, Edinburgh, 0131 529 4901
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm free
A tribute to Scotland’s rich literary history, with a particular focus on the works of Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. The collection includes manuscripts, first editions, portraits and personal items such Burns’ writing desk, Scott’s chessboard and dining table and the Ballantyne Press on which Scott originally published his Waverley novels. In Makar’s Court inscribed commemorative flagstones celebrate Scottish writers from John Barbour in the 14th century to Ian Crichton-Smith who died in 1998.
