Kelburn Castle - Ayr
The family home of the Earls of Glasgow, Kelburn Castle has long been an inspiration for adults and a paradise for children. Still lived in by the present Earl and his family, Kelburn Castle, dating back to the 13th Century, provides an impressive background to exotic gardens, famous trees and many features of historic interest. Kelburn's romantic Glen, regarded as one of Scotland's most beautiful natural woodlands has a network of pathways and footbridges, leading upwards past waterfalls and deep gorges to spectacular views over the island of the Firth of Clyde.

Kellie Castle - Fife
This very fine example of domestic architecture in Lowland Scotland dates from the 14th Century and was sympathetically restored by the Lorimer family in the late 19th Century. The castle contains magnificent plaster ceilings, a mural by Phoebe Anna Traquair, painted panelling and fine furniture designed by Sir Robert Lorimer. Of particular interest are the Victorian nursery and the old kitchen. The late Victorian features a fine collection of old-fashioned roses and herbaceous plants which are cultivated organically.

Kildrummy castle - Aberdeen
10 miles southwest of Alford on A97 near the hotel and across the gorge from its famous groundsds. The most complete 13th-century castle in Scotland, an HQ for the Jacobite uprising of 1715 and an evocative and very Highland site.

Killiecrankie - Perth
The first battle of the Jacobite Risings where, in July 1689, the Highlanders lost their leader Viscount (aka Bonnie) Dundee, but won the battle, using the narrow Pass of Killiecrankie. One escaping soldier made a famous leap. A well-depicted scenario in the visitor centre; short walk to 'The Leap'. Battle viewpoint and cairn is further along road to Blair Atholl, (2 miles from visitor centre). You get the lie of the land from here. Many good walks in this area.

Kilwinning - Ayr
The town of Kilwinning takes its name from Saint Winning, "a holy man" who arrived at the mouth of the river Garnock, sometime between the sixth and eighth century. There was human habitation in the Kilwinning area prior to the arrival of Winning. This was substantiated many years ago by the discovery of the site of a crannog, in Ashgrove loch. The Abbey was founded by a member of the de Morvilles, and it is known that the Abbey was in existence in 1201, when the Abbot of Kilwinning attended a council of churchmen at Perth. King Robert the Bruce and King James II both stayed at the Abbey and when Glasgow university first opened its doors in 1451 there is evidence that on occasions monks from Kilwinning were involved in the education of the students. The town of Kilwinning as we know it today did not come into existence until the demise of the Abbey in 1560. When the Abbey ceased to exist as a religious house and the property was partially demolished, much of the stone from the old monastery was used to build the Main Street, the Green, Howgate and the Byres.

Kinlochewe - Wester Ross
Kinlochewe and the Torridon area is situated approximately 50 miles west of Inverness on the Garve to Gairloch road and is situated amidst the magnificent scenery of the Torridon Hills, Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve, bordered by Loch Maree and Loch Torridon. The area is ideally situated for both loch and sea fishing, climbing, hill walking , (Slioch, Liathach, Ben Alligan and many other Munros), a quite relaxing holiday birdwatching or just simply taking it easy. This is the perfect base for anyone wishing to explore the north west Highlands. It is difficult to imagine that the shores of Loch Maree were once a centre for iron-smelting and that this area might claim to have been the birthplace of Scotland's iron and steel industry. The denuded landscape owes much to these enterprises which required vast quantities of wood to produce the charcoal used in the smelting process. The small areas of woodland are therefore the last remains of the great forest which once cloaked the hills hereabouts.

Kirkcaldy - Fife
The museum and art gallery houses an outstanding collection of 18th - 21st century Scottish paintings. It boasts the best public collection of work by S J Peploe and William McTaggart, outside the National Galleries of Scotland. An award winning museum telling the history of Scotland, and there is also a lively changing exhibitions programme.

Kirkwall - Orkney
Ancient seat of the Jarls of Orkney, with the famous St Magnus Cathedral, bars and restaurants can be found on or near Harbour Street, shops and businesses on Bridge, Albert and Broad Street, while the town's historical monuments and museum are located on Broad Street and Palace Road.

Kisimull Castle - Barra
The medieval fortress, home of the MacNeils, that sits on a rocky outcrop in the bay 200 yards offshore. Originally built in the 11th century, it was burnt in the 18th and restored by the 45th chief, an American architect, but was unfinished when he died in 1970. An essential pilgrimage for all MacNeils, it is fascinating and atmospheric for the rest of us, a grim exterior belying an unusual internal layout - a courtyard that seems unchanged and remains betwixt renovation and decay. Accessed by local boat.

Lerwick - Shetland
Lively town which shows signs of habitation from neolithic times. Shetland's location, at the crossroads of the North Sea, has resulted in many passing invaders, traders, visitors and settlers influencing Shetland's people over the centuries. The greatest abiding influence coming from the Vikings, arriving in the latter half of the 9th century, swamping the resident Picts and still influencing the culture, traditions and dialect of Shetland today. Scots and Doric influences have also left their mark, as have Hanseatic traders, visiting seafarers and, more recently, the many nationalities of oil workers of the 1970s and 80s. Traditional music is well to the fore here in many of the bars. Moussa Broch is on a nearby island and can be visited.

Letham - Angus
When George Dempster, Laird of Dunnichen Estate, created the village of Letham in 1788, he soon realise that some form of administration was needed as the village grew. He then founded the Feuars' Committee, a unique organisation with the villagers themselves electing and serving on the committee. Early roles included administering the common land and buildings, such as the bleaching ground, school and mill. To celebrate the bi-centenary of the founding of Letham, the Feuars' Committee organised a street market within the Village Square. This was held on 3 July 1988, this being the nearest Sunday to the actual anniversary. The stallholders and Feuars' Committee members were all required to be in Victorian attire. Such was the success of this event that it was decided to hold it every year. The market brings thousands of people into Letham.

Linlithgow Palace - West Lothian
Mary Queen of Scots was born in this 15th Century palace, as was her father James V, Bonnie Prince Charlie visited in 1745 and Oliver Cromwell and his troops stayed here in the 1650s. The most impressive sites amongst the remains are the Great Hall, a chapel and a lovely 16th Century fountain.

Loanhead of Daviot Stone Circle - Aberdeen
Head for the village of Daviot on B9001 from Inverurie; or Loanhead, signed off A920 road between Old Meldrum and Insch. The site is 500 yards from top of village. Impressive and spooky circle of 11 stones and one recumbent from 4000/5000 BC. Unusual second circle adjacent encloses a cremation cemetery from 1500 BC. Remains of 32 people were found here.

Loch Garten Osprey Centre - Grampian
Volunteers of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds run this nature centre at Nethybridge which for many years now has been the home to breeding pairs of ospreys. They migrate to Africa every winter and return in the spring. There are guards permanently on duty to protect the nest as in the past robbers have tried to steal the birds eggs or cut down the tree they nest in. There is a close circuit television link so that visitors can see right into the nest and observe the birds without disturbing them.

Loch Leven Castle - Perth and Kinross
This 14th Century tower on an island in Loch Leven, by Kinross, was used to imprison Mary Queen of Scots before her dramatic escape in May 1568. During the first War of Independence it was held by the English, stormed by Wallace and visited by Bruce.

MacBeth Experience - Perth
Witchcraft, tyranny, murder - hardly the stuff of heroes but all key elements in Macbeth's story. Well, in the story told by William Shakespeare. Others would have you believe Macbeth was a generous and liberal Scottish King overseeing a nation that wanted for little. But is the story true? Here you will see the fascinating multi-media production will tell you about the real Macbeth, a man elected king almost 1,000 years ago, who ruled Scotland when her lands stretched as far south as Lancashire. Watch history come to life, and watch out for the witches...

Mary Queen of Scots House - Borders
After her famous ride to visit her future husband, the Earl of Bothwell, at Hermitage Castle in 1566, Mary Queen of Scots got a fever and stayed in this house to recover. Since then the building in Jedburgh has been turned into a visitor's centre which tells the tragic story of her life in a series of three rooms. It features beautiful tapestries, oil paintings, furniture, coats of arms, armour and some of the Queens possessions all dating back to the mid 1600s.

Melrose Abbey - Borders
At one point this was probably one of the richest Abbeys in Scotland. Built in the 12th Century this Abbey has endured an attack by an invading English army in 1385 and was rebuilt in the 15th Century by Robert the Bruce.His heart was reburied in the grounds just recently after it was recovered in its original lead container. In the 19th Century Sir Walter Scott repaired some more of the Abbey including many on the gargoyles which have among them a pig playing the bagpipes.

Motte of Ur - Dumfries
Near Dalbeattie and 4 miles from the main A75 Castle Douglas to Dumfries road. Most extensive bailey earthwork castle in Scotland dating from 12th century. No walls or excavation visible but a great sense of scale and place. Go through village of Haugh (good pub with food) and on for I mile. Looking down to rightt at farm buildings the minor road crosses a ford; park here, cross footbridge and head to the right - the hillock is above the ford.

Mousa Broch - Shetland
On the small island of Mousa, off Shetland mainland 13 miles south of Lerwick, visible from main A970; but to see it properly, take a boat. Isolated in its island fastness, this is the best preserved broch in Scotland. Walls are 40 feet high (originally 47 feet) and galleries run up the middle, in one case to the top. Solid as a rock, this example of a uniquely Scottish phenomenon would have been a very desirable residence at the turn of the millennium.

Murray Monument - Galloway
Above A712 road to Newton Stewart about halfway between. A fairly austere needle of granite to commemorate a 'shepherd boy', one Alexander Murray, who rose to become a professor of Oriental Languages at Edinburgh University in the early 19th century. 10min walk up for fine views of the Galloway Hills; a pleasant waterfall is nearby.

Museum of Childhood - Edinburgh
For children themselves this museum allows them to see the types of toys that mum and dad used to play with. For mum and dad it is a journey into the past allowing them to revisit their own childhood. It is described as the noisiest museum in the world. It was opened in 1955 and was the first museum in the world to specialise in the history of childhood. Listen to the children chanting multiplication tables in a 1930's schoolroom. Watch the street games of Edinburgh children of the 1950's and find out how children have been brought up, dressed and educated in decades gone by.

Museum of Scotland - Edinburgh
In this unique and purpose built new museum the visitor will be exposed to the remarkable story of a remarkable country. They will discover a land steeped in fascinating cultures and terrible wars, passionate religion and scientific invention. A land of creative struggle - and occasionally of glorious failure. The National Museums of Scotland show Scotland to the World and the World to Scotland through extensive collections built up over more than two centuries. Displays of the collections can be seen at six sites, and research collections that contribute to our knowledge of the human and natural world are available for study.

National Gallery of Scotland - Edinburgh
The gallery features work by Raphael, Hugo van der Goes, Ruebens and Poussin. The interior is beautifully decorated with a fine collection, not only of paintings, but also with sculpture and furniture. The gallery is also the home of the famous painting by Raeburn of the Rev Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch.

National Wallace Monument - Stirling
It is practically impossible to drive around Stirling and not see the Wallace Monument. The 220ft tower dominates the surrounding plain. Take the 246 steps to the top, and you will enjoy spectacular views. At the Monument you get to understand Wallace's battle tactics at Stirling Bridge and feel some of the terror that engulfed the invaders. In the battle tent a dramatised reconstruction and a talking head of William Wallace takes you through those times. You learn the background to Wallace's beliefs and the events that shaped Scotland's history. Outside the tent you are swept into the heat of battle by a vivid combination of the spoken word, powerful images and evocative music. How did Wallace, a guerrilla fighter, outwit such a powerful force?

New Lanark World Heritage Village - Lanarkshire
In the early years of the 17th Century, a young Welshman called Robert Owen chose the mill village of New Lanark as the site for a bold experiment. In an age when working men, women (and children) were routinely exploited in the unscrupulous pursuit of fast fortunes, Owen decided to do things differently. Decent homes, fair wages health care and proper schooling were his priorities. He proved that a happy workforce was a productive workforce - and the world took notice. The village includes a visitor centre which features a dark ride 'The Annie McLeod Experience' and working textile machinery and many other displays, there is also a millworkers' house and Robert Owen's house both of which look exactly the way they would have looked when Owen ran the village.

North Berwick - East Lothian
Coastal town, traditional fishing port on the Firth of Forth, overlooking the famous Craig of Bass or Bass Rock. Home of the Scottish Seabird Centre.

Oban - Argyll
The 'Gateway to the Isles', festivals, Highland Games and many modern visitor attractions provide plenty of activity and entertainment in glorious settings. Admittedly the weather is not always one of Oban's principal attractions, but without the rain the scenery would not be nearly so beautiful and there would not be enough clear, crystal water to make fine whiskies! A visit to Oban Distillery is certainly worthwhile when in Oban. Ferries to many of the ports in the Isles leave from here, and Dunstaffnage Castle (see above) is close by. McCaig's Folly - Oban's great landmark was built in 1897 by McCaig, a local banker, to give 'work to the unemployed' and as a memorial to his family. It's like a temple or coliseum and time has mellowed whatever incongruous effect it may have had originally. The views of the town and the bay are magnificent and it's easy to get up from several points in the town centre.

Palace of Holyroodhouse - Edinburgh
This, unfortunately, is Edinburgh's Buckingham Palace annexe and is in frequent use by the Battenburg Family during their visits to Scotland. When they are in residence the palace is closed to the public therefore it is best to check prior to visiting. The palace has very strong historical links with Mary Queen of Scots whose private apartments have been maintained in the style of the period of her occupancy.

Paisley Abbey - Renfrew
In the town centre. An abbey founded in 1163, razed (by the English) in 1307 and with successive deteriorations and renovations ever since. Major restoration in the 1920s brought it to present-day cathedral-like magnificence. Exceptional stained glass (the recent window complementing the formidable Strachan East Window), an impressive choir and an edifying sense of space.

Peebles - Borders
The historic Peebles Town Walk and Riverside Walk are on your doorstep. Within a mile and on the other side of the town, Neidpath Castle's tall profile shadows the north bank of the Tweed. More dedicated walkers will thoroughly enjoy the fine selection of scenic and stimulating routes among the Manor Hills and St. Mary's Loch. If architectural grandeur is your taste, you can visit Traquair House at Innerleithen, Floors Castle at Kelso, Thirlestane Castle near Lauder or Mellerstain near Gordon, Borders home of the Earl and Countess of Haddington.

Peniel Heugh - Borders
Near Ancrum and Jedburgh. An obelisk visible for miles and on a rise which offers some of the most exhilarating views of the Borders. Also known as the Waterloo Monument, it was built on the Marquis of Lothian's estate to commemorate the battle. It's said that the woodland on the surrounding slopes represents the positions of Wellington's troops.

People's Palace - Glasgow
The People's Palace was built as a cultural centre on Glasgow Green beside the River Clyde at the end of last Century. It charts the story and history of Glasgow, as seen through the generations who have lived there from 1175 to the present day. You can learn the Glaswegian 'patter' and see the unusual but wonderful artefact's that some more traditional museums would not normally display.

Perth
Saint John's Toun of Perth, steeped in history. Once the capital city, Scone lies nearby, original home of Scotland's Stone of Destiny where 42 Kings of Scots were crowned. Perth has been a market town for hundreds of years. Other places here to visit include Elcho Castle, Huntingtower Castle, Megginch Castle at the Carse of Gowrie and last, but not least, Balhousie Castle, - home to the Black Watch Museum. Perth's many gardens include Branklyn Gardens and Cherrybank Gardens (which incorporates National Heather collections). Experience the heritage of Perth in the Victorian Lower City Mills where a massive working waterwheel and working miller continue to mill Scotland's staple - oatmeal. Reminders of medieval times are plentiful and in the city centre you will find the striking St John's Kirk. Around St John's Kirk and Perth City Hall is the perfect place to pause and soak up the atmosphere in one of the many restaurants and coffee shops. If you'd like to find out more about the area's rich agricultural heritage, a visit to the Perth Mart Visitor Centre is a must. In the town centre, Perth's Museum and Art Gallery offers a collection of fine and applied art as well as excellent history exhibitions. You should visit Gask, west of Perth. Here you will find ancient roman remains - or try Abernethy; home to an 11th century Round Tower.

Pineapple - Stirling
From Airth north of Grangemouth, take A905 to Stirling and then the B9124 for Cowie. It sits on the edge of a walled garden at the end of the drive. 45ft high, it was built in 1761 as a grand retreat by an unknown architect and remained 'undiscovered' until 1963. How exotic the fruit must have seemed in the 18th century, never mind this extraordinary folly.

Pitlochry - Perth
Known as the Gateway to the Highlands, Pitlochry makes a perfect base for touring Central and Highland Scotland. With the A9 passing close by and being at a traditional crossroads, it is possible to travel quickly to both east and west coasts, and the Cairngorms, Speyside, Fife and Edinburgh are all within easy reach. Nearby Moulin has a long history as is evidenced by the crusaders' graves in Moulin Kirk's ancient churchyard. Others points of interest include standing stones, castle ruins and the route of the Old North Road.

Pitreavie Castle - Fife
An altered U-plan house of the early 17th century, with many gunloops, and a vaulted basement. Pitreavie was built by the Wardlaws of Balmule, who had acquired the lands in 1608. Following the nearby Battle of Pitreavie / Inverkeithing in 1651, a party of Highlanders (Macleans) sought refuge in the house, but were repelled by the resident Wardlaws. The Macleans cursed the family, and the laird died 18 months later. The family held the property for only another 50 years. It passed to the Primrose family in 1703, then the Blackwoods in 1711, who carried out some alterations. It was abandoned by the mid 19th century , but was bought, restored and renovated by the Beveridge family in 1885. During a period when the estate was utilised as a Royal Navy and Airforce base, the castle acted as a mess hall until the base closed in the 1990's. A facility deep underneath Pitreavie Castle was the naval operations HQ responsible for all operations of the northern sector from the 1940s to 1996. The bunker was modernised in the 1960s and was due for a refit in 1990s. However it fell to the cutbacks, along with Kinross naval yard, and was closed down in 1995/6. The equipment was removed and the access to the bunker was demolished in 1996 by the Royal Engineers, sealing for all time a wonderful underground labyrinth that would have been of great historical interest. A memorial cairn to the Macleans who died in battle there was raised nearby on 20th July 2001.

Pluscarden Abbey - Inverness
Lies between Forres and Elgin. A fully working monastic community in one of the most spiritual of places. Founded by Alexander II in 1250 and being restored since 1948. Benedictine services (starting with Matins at 5am through Prime-Terce-Sext-None-Vespers at 6pm and Compline at 8.05pm) open to public. The ancient honey-coloured walls, the brilliant stained glass, the monks' Gregorian chant: the whole effect is a truly uplifting experience. The bell rings down the valley. Open at all times.