Scotland Travel Information: Activities

the Royal Yacht Britannia [1] (http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk) - runner-up Best UK Attraction in 2004

Edinburgh Castle [2] (http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/edinburghcastle) - tel 0131 225 9846. Edinburgh Castle, home to the Edinburgh Tattoo, is a magnificently situated royal fortress located on one of the highest points in the city. The castle has been continuously in use for 1000 years and is in excellent condition. The audio tour, which costs £3 per headset, is extremely detailed and worth hiring, providing both location based and chronologically based commentary on the castle. The castle opens at 9:30am and closes at 6:00pm April to October and 5:00pm during the rest of the year. Admission is £9.50 adults, £7 concessions and £2 children.

the Palace of Holyroodhouse [3] (http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page559.asp) - tel 0131 556 5100. fax 020 7930 9625. email [email protected]. The Palace is a royal residence, and hosts the Queen's Gallery containing a collection of art from the Royal Collection. The Palace is best known as the home of Mary Queen of Scots and as the site of the murder of Mary's secretary Rizzio by her husband Lord Darnley. The Palace opens at 9:30am and closes at 6:00pm April to October and 4:30pm during the rest of the year. Palace admission is £8 adults, £6.50 concessions, and £4.00 children. Separate admission to the gallery is £5 adults, £4 concession and £3 children. Joint admission to the gallery and the palace is £11 adults, £9 concessions and £5.50 children.

Museum of Scotland [4] (http://www.nms.ac.uk/scotland/) and Royal Museum [5] (http://www.nms.ac.uk/royal/), Chambers Street, tel 0131 247 4422. fax 0131 220 4819. typetalk 18001 0131 247 4422. email [email protected]. The museum mixes innovative modern architecture with the best of Scotland's heritage. Exhibits include Scottish pottery and weapons from the Roman era and the Renaissance. Opening hours are 10am - 5pm Monday to Saturday with extended opening to 8pm on Tuesdays; and 12pm - 5pm Sundays. Admission is free.

the Scott Monument - built in 1846 to commemorate the life of Sir Walter Scott after his death in 1832, the Gothic spire monument allows you to climb 200 ft above the city centre to enjoy fantastic views and get a closer look at sculpted statuettes of characters from Scott's works. Open April - September Mo-Sa 9-6, Su 10-6; October - March Mo-Sa 9-3, Su 10-3. East Princes Street Gardens, Tel: 0131 529 4068. Admission £2.50.

the National Gallery of Scotland [6] (http://www.natgalscot.ac.uk/) holds much of Scotlands fine artwork and carries exhibitions that change seasonally. The new Western Link was opened in 2004 with an entrance from Prices Street Gardens. It joins The National Gallery with the neighbouring Scottish Academy gallery and gives Scotland it's first world class art space. The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL, tel. +44 (0)131 624 6200

Mary King's Close [8] (http://www.realmarykingsclose.com/), Warriston's Close (opposite St Giles' Cathedral), open daily except Christmas Day - a slice of Edinburgh's medieval history, preserved since being closed over in the 18th century - watch out for the haunting....

Visit Edinburgh Zoo [9] (http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/), entry £8.50 Adults, £5.50 children
The Scottish Parliament, just off the royal mile. A unique building with a staggering £ 400 million + price tag which is ten to twenty times the original estimate !

Scotland Travel Information