Ayr Racecourse
With racing throughout the year, with both flat and jumps meetings,
Ayr Racecourse is Scotland’s premier racecourse. It is home
to both the Coral Scottish Grand National (April) and the William
Hill (Ayr) Gold Cup (September), with many more racing festivals
at other times. Whether you want to have a flutter or not, a day
at the races is always exciting and a great day out.
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Website
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Ayr Central
Ideally situated just a few yards from the train station and, with
plenty of underground parking, just over a mile from the main A77
road, Ayr Central Shopping Centre is right in the heart of the town
centre. This modern shopping mall has a wide range of large stores,
smaller shops and cafes.
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Ayrshire Coastal Path
If you want to do some walking without the golf clubs, you would
enjoy some of the 100 miles of the Ayrshire Coastal Path. Stretching
south from Skelmorlie near Largs to Glenapp near Ballantrae, this
path is divided into two sections, each of which offers spectacular
and ever-changing views of the coast and countryside. The views
and wildlife have helped it be recognised by Scottish Natural Heritage
as one of “Scotland’s Great Trails”.
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Website
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River Ayr Way
Another walk to consider is along the River Ayr Way. This route
follows the River Ayr from its source at Glenbuck near Sorn, for
67km through woodlands and open country down to the seafront at
Ayr. The route is steeped in history, with links to many famous
Scottish figures including Robert Burns, William Wallace and John
Loudoun Macadam. It also offers the chance to spot wildlife such
as otters, badgers, herons and the magnificent hen harrier.
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Ayr
Flower Show
If you’re having an Ayrshire golf holiday in late July/early
August, then a visit to the Ayr Flower Show is a ‘must do’.
Scotland’s answer to the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show,
the Ayr Flower Show is usually held on the first weekend in August
at the beautiful Rozelle
Estate in Ayr. You’ll find the very best of British horticulture
displayed in the stunning, specially-created show gardens, along
with the chance to sample speciality food and drinks.
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Rozelle Estate
This stunning 96-acre estate was a gift to the public by its owner,
Commander J. Hamilton, in 1968, with the stipulation that it could
only be used for cultural and recreational pursuits. Combining mature
woodland, rhododendron walks, open parkland and ornamental ponds,
Rozelle Estate offers visitors a charming environment in which to
spend a few hours. Rozelle is also used for several different sporting
events throughout the year.
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Website
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Rozelle
House
Rozelle House, without its historic interiors, was gifted to the
Royal Burgh of Ayr in 1968 and it became the Council's Museum &
Art Gallery. It is home to the Ayrshire Yeomanry Museum, Rozelle
Craft House and a coffee shop/café. As a result it is now
a major display venue, with a varied year-long programme of exhibitions,
many from the Council’s own collections. Opening times vary,
check the website for details.
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Website
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Maclaurin Art Galleries
In 1975-76 the servants’ quarters and stable block of Rozelle
House were converted into the Maclaurin Galleries, using funds bequeathed
by Mrs Mary Maclaurin in memory of her late husband. The collection
includes sculptures and prints, mostly of the 20th century, and
a small body of 19th-century work formerly owned by the Hamilton
family and the award-winning work by children in the Maclaurin Art
Competition.
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website
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Septembayr
Ayr’s annual arts festival takes over the pubs, clubs, cafes
and even the streets, during September, offering the widest range
of talks, performances, concerts and tours you could imagine. Music
to suit all tastes and all ages, performers and authors well-known
and less so and a smattering of local folk ‘made famous’
– all well worth a visit if you’re having an Ayrshire
golf holiday in the early autumn.
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Ayr Gaiety Theatre
Once the premier theatre in south-west Scotland, the Gaiety Theatre
in Ayr has had a chequered and, at times, difficult history. Originally
built in 1902, it was given an art deco façade in 1935 and
then rebuilt after a fire in 1955. In 1974 it acquired an annex
incorporating a café and box office and studio space was
added in 1995. The Ayr Gaiety was relaunched in late 2012, following
3 years of major redevelopment and refurbishment.
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Burns an’ a’ that!
This week-long annual celebration of the best of Scottish culture
ancient and modern, including the Bard himself of course, takes
place in Ayr at the end of May. Offering a wide mix of music, readings,
plays, exhibitions and the best of Ayrshire food and drink, the
festival has something for everyone.
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Robert
Burns Monument Centre
This stunning new £5M centre in Kilmarnock’s Kay Park
is a one-stop resource centre which brings genealogy, official registrations,
old parish records, directories and other archives and a library
all together under one roof. This is a must-visit place if you want
to combine some research on your family history with your Ayrshire
golf holiday. The statue of Robert Burns there, was sculpted by
W.G. Stevenson of Edinburgh and unveiled in 1879.
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Website
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Burns
Cottage Museum & Rabbie Burns’ Cottage
The birthplace of Robert (Rabbie) Burns is a cottage in the picturesque
village of Alloway, and probably Ayrshire’s most famous tourist
attraction. Visitors can tour the cottage and experience his family’s
living condition. There is an education centre adjacent to the Cottage
and, a short walk away is the stunning new Robert Burns Birthplace
Museum which houses the world’s most important collection
of his life and works.
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Burns House Museum (Mauchline)
For four years, Robert Burns lived and worked in the Ayrshire town
of Mauchline and it was here he also met and married Jean Armour.
The museum, among the cobbled back streets of the town, hosts interactive
displays as well as several original objects, poems and manuscripts,
including an original Kilmarnock Edition of his works.
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Website
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Palace Theatre Kilmarnock
Beside Kilmarnock’s Grand Hall in Green Street is the Palace
Theatre, where the year-round programme offers music, comedy, drama,
dance and light entertainment shows. Known to the locals as the
‘best little theatre in the west’, the Palace also has
a relaxing café bar and restaurant, for pre-show meals and
drinks.
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Website
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Dean
Castle & Country Park
Visiting Dean Castle and its surrounding 200-acre country park
you are guaranteed a great, free day out, with something for all
the family. In the heart of the town of Kilmarnock, the 14th-century
Dean Castle was once home to the powerful Boyd family and it has
connections with both William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. There
are free guided tours of the castle, which has collections of armour,
weaponry and historical musical instruments.
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Dundonald
Castle
Set high in the countryside with magnificent views over the Firth
of Clyde to Arran, is Dundonald Castle. Originally built for Robert
II, grandson of Robert the Bruce, this ancient building has a special
place in Scotland’s history. By enquiring at the Visitor Centre
down the hill from the castle, you can arrange a guided tour of
the castle itself, view an exhibition about its history, or simply
visit the cafe and souvenir shop.
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Website
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Culzean Castle & Country Park
No visitor to Ayrshire should miss visiting Culzean, one of Scotland’s
best-loved castles. It sits in 600 acres of beautiful gardens and
woodlands on the top of a rocky outcrop. It houses impressive collections
of armoury, furniture and paintings and has an oval staircase with
glazed cupola overhead. General Eisenhower spent time here during
WWII and the apartment he used is available for anyone to book and
enjoy.
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Website
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Kelburn
Castle, Country Centre & Estate
Just south of Largs, high on a wooded hill and stretching inland,
the Kelburn Estate with its 13th- century castle, is well worth
a visit. There are well-kept gardens, many historical features and
dramatic walks through the grounds, particularly through Kelburn
Glen, with deep gorges and spectacular waterfalls. It also has many
child-friendly activities, including a ‘secret forest’,
a ‘crocodile swamp’ and an adventure course.
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Dumfries House
This stunning mid-18th century country house was designed by the
Adam Brothers in the Palladian style. Saved for the nation by the
intervention of HRH Prince Charles in 2007, it sits in a large estate
less than 2 miles from Cumnock and has a magnificent collection
of furniture by such famous names as Thomas Chippendale, Alexander
Peter, Francis Brodie and William Mathie.
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Website
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Paddle Steamer Waverley
Step aboard Waverley, the last seagoing paddle steamer in the world,
relax and sail round Arran, Bute, Cumbrae and explore the sea lochs
of this splendid coastline. With departures from many of the Ayrshire
ports throughout the summer, you can enjoy an afternoon, an evening
or even a whole day cruising. Watching the enormous paddles turning
as Waverley progresses through the water is a sight not to be missed.
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Scottish
Maritime Museum
The rich shipbuilding history of Scotland, and particularly the
Clyde, is celebrated by the Scottish Maritime Museum. The recently-refurbished
Linthouse by the harbourside at Irvine gives a fascinating insight
into Scottish maritime history, with exhibits and collections dating
back to the 18th century, a restored pre-1920s shipyard worker’s
tenement flat and the chance to board the world’s oldest floating
Clydebuilt vessel.
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Website
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Eglinton
Country Park
Situated between the towns of Kilwinning and Irvine, Eglinton Country
Park offer organised activities or the opportunity to enjoy more
tranquil country pursuits, like fishing, horse-riding or simply
walking, all year round. The visitor centre (opening times vary,
see website for details) includes displays on the history of the
Country Park and a well-stocked gift shop.
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Website
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Vikingar!
At the north end of Largs promenade, overlooking the seafront,
is the award-winning Vikingar! The Viking Experience incorporates
an interactive display, storytellers retelling Viking tales and
myths and a short film about these Norsemen, whose many raids on
the west coast of Scotland ended with the Battle of Largs in 1293.
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Website
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Dalgarven
Mill
Take a step back into a forgotten world and visit Dalgarven Mill.
It is almost all that remains of the original Dalgarven community,
with its mills, blacksmith, joiner and carpenter, stonemason, weavers
and embroiderers. Formerly at the centre of the community was the
mill which was used by everyone and once provided the most basic
of foodstuffs – oatmeal and flour. In recent years, Dalgarven
Mill has been painstakingly and lovingly restored.
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Website
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Craft
Town Scotland
Set in West Kilbride, Craft Town Scotland is a community-inspired
development which highlights Scottish-designed and created craftworks.
There are several small craft studios, where visitors can meet the
artists, see the creative work in progress and also buy quality
craft and design work all in one place. The new Barony Centre serves
as an exhibition, education and events venue.
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Website
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The Isle of Arran
In the Firth of Clyde between the Kintyre Peninsula and the mainland,
the beautiful Isle of Arran is easy to reach by ferry from Ardrossan
Harbour. Ferries sail all year and the journey takes under an hour.
Arran is often described as “Scotland in Miniature”,
it has mountains – Goat Fell is the highest and dominates
views from many Ayrshire golf courses – lochs, beaches and
moorland, castles and a rich and diverse wildlife on land and in
the sea.
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Brodick Castle, Arran
If Arran courses feature in your Ayrshire golf holiday, you should
take time to visit Brodick Castle, its Gardens and country park.
Part of the castle dates from the 13th century and, with its magnificent
views over the Firth of Clyde, it’s easy to see why the Vikings
built a fortress here. The Victorian red sandstone castle, houses
fine collections of silver, porcelain, furniture, paintings and
sporting trophies.
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Website
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Glasgow
Scotland’s
largest city and within an hour of the delights of the Ayrshire
golf courses, Glasgow is justified in describing itself as “Scotland
with Style”. One of Europe's most exciting destinations, Glasgow
has embraced its historic roots and combined them with everything
needed to become a great international city again. With stunning
architecture, global designer brand names to be found on its wide
streets and shopping malls, many parks and open green spaces, home
to Scotland’s national ballet and opera companies, with world-renowned
art galleries and museums, Glasgow complements all these with a
vibrant, sophisticated nightlife.
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If you’d like to learn more about the history of the city
and its people, you could always take a walking tour or a sightseeing tour on an open-topped bus.
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Burrell Collection
Named after its donor, shipping magnate and avid collector Sir
William Burrell, and housed in an award-winning building set among
the parkland of Pollok Country Park on the south side of Glasgow,
the Burrell Collection comprises more than 8,000 items. Permanent
displays include work from artists such as Cezanne, Degas and Rodin,
as well as important artworks and objects from the late mediaeval
period and Chinese, Islamic and Ancient Civilisations.
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Website
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Kelvingrove
Art Gallery & Museum
In the west end of the city, overlooked by the Gilbert Scott building
of Glasgow University, Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum is one
of the country’s most popular attractions. Its 22 themed galleries
display art and artefacts from the extensive, wide-ranging and internationally-significant
collections. Kelvingrove also receives many important touring exhibitions.
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Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA)
The city centre Gallery of Modern Art houses the city’s impressive
collection of modern art and its permanent and temporary exhibitions
showcase work highlighting the influences and practices of artists
from Glasgow and around the world.
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Riverside Museum
As its name suggests, the Riverside Museum is right on the edge
of the Clyde and housed in one of the city’s newest buildings,
the work of the award-winning architect Zaha Hadid. It is where
to find examples, models and recreations of all matters travel and
transport-related with links to Glasgow. It showcases the best of
Glasgow’s pioneering ship-building and engineering skills
and people over the centuries.
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Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery
Among the world’s finest university collections which include
scientific instruments used by James Watt, Joseph Lister and Lord
Kelvin; outstanding Roman artefacts from the Antonine Wall; major
natural and life sciences holdings; impressive ethnographic objects
from Captain Cook’s Pacific voyages. The Hunterian is also
home to a significant art collection, including the works of James
McNeill Whistler and the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
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St Enoch Centre
When the St Enoch Centre first opened in 1989, it was Scotland’s
first large shopping mall. Later extended and since completely redeveloped,
the Centre makes a major contribution to Glasgow’s vibrant
retail sector, with world-renowned global brand names and specialist
boutiques. Situated at the junction of two of Glasgow’s most
famous streets – Argyle Street and Buchanan Street –
with the restaurants, cafés.
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Princes
Square
Situated half way along Buchanan Street is this airy, elegant and
architecturally-important 4-storey shopping and dining mall. Originally
built as an open merchant square in yellow sandstone, the buildings
were redeveloped in the 1980s creating a stylish modern centre.
Independent, boutique shops are to be found beside some larger well-known
names on two floors, with cafés and restaurants on the bottom
and top floors.
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Buchanan Galleries
At the very top of Buchanan Street, at its junction with Sauchiehall
Street and with the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall at its front, the
Buchanan Galleries shopping mall is home to many of the biggest
names in retail as well as many high-quality independent stores.
It is set over three storeys and has its own large multi-storey
car park.
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Website
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Silverburn
Just 5 miles south of Glasgow city centre and with hundreds of
free spaces in its open car parks, Silverburn has more than 100
shops, boutiques, cafés and restaurants, set along an airy
‘street’ built to high environmentally sustainable ‘green’
standards.
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Braehead & Xscape
Near Renfrew, close to Glasgow Airport is Braehead shopping centre,
where you’ll find more than 100 well-known stores and superstores,
as well many options for eating. There is also an ice rink in the
centre itself, and one in the adjacent Braehead Arena. At the nearby
Xscape, you’ll find a cinema, urban and lifestyle retail outlets,
an indoor snow slope with ‘real’ snow, a climbing wall
and many bars and restaurants.
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Edinburgh
Scotland’s
capital city, Edinburgh is less than 2 hours away from the Ayrshire
golf courses and hotels by car and also enjoys excellent public
transport links with the west of Scotland. Edinburgh is a city of
contrasts, packed full of ‘must-see’ attractions, both
historic and modern. Across the road from the ancient Royal Palace
of Holyroodhouse, for example, is the award-winning Scottish Parliament
building. Scotland’s national art and museum collections are
to be found in the city, as are department stores and smaller shops
selling global brand designer fashion, high street favourites and
small boutiques. Visit the website to find out just what Edinburgh
has on offer.
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To learn about the history of the city and its people, take a guided
walking
tour or climb aboard an open-topped bus for a sightseeing
tour.
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Edinburgh Castle
At the top of the Royal Mile, sitting high on its own volcanic
rock, Edinburgh Castle not only overlooks the city itself, it also
has commanding views across the River Forth to Fife and the hills
beyond. The Scottish Crown Jewels are held here, as is the Stone
of Destiny. The stunning international Military Tattoo takes place
on the castle esplanade in the late summer every year and the One
O’Clock Gun fires from the ramparts daily.
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website
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National War Museum
This is housed in Edinburgh Castle and, through military artefacts
and personal collections, tells the tales of Scotland and its people
at war over 400 years.
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Palace of Holyroodhouse
The Royal Family’s residence when in Scotland on official
duties, it lies in the shadow of Salisbury Crags. The site was originally
a 12th-century abbey founded by King David I, later much extended
by successive Stuart kings so that the Palace of today is virtually
unchanged from the reconstructions completed in 1679. It is possible
to tour the State Rooms and other areas of the Palace and its gardens.
Pre-booking is essential.
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Website
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Museum of Childhood
About half way up the Royal Mile, on the High Street, is the Museum
of Childhood, the first museum in the world dedicated to telling
the history of childhood. With toys, games and costumes from across
the generations, this is a chance to become nostalgic about and
relive moments from your own childhood!
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Website
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St Giles’ Cathedral
A few yards further up the Royal Mile on the High Street is the
High Kirk of Edinburgh, St Giles’ Cathedral. Edinburgh’s
historic city church, its crown spire is recognisable the world
over and forms a notable feature of the city’s skyline. It
houses the Chapel of the Order of the Thistle.
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Website
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Mary King’s Close
Something completely different from visiting museums, galleries,
monuments and shops would be a visit to Edinburgh’s deepest
secret. Beneath the Royal Mile with its many steep closes and vennels,
there is a warren of hidden underground streets. A tour through
Real Mary King’s Close will let you see, smell and hear what
it was like for the hundreds of people who lived, worked and died
there between the 17th and 19th centuries.
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Website
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Scotch Whisky Experience
If you haven’t got time during your Ayrshire golf holiday
to visit a real whisky distillery, you can do the next best thing
by taking a ride through a replica at the Scotch Whisky Experience
in Castlehill near the top of the Royal Mile. Here you can learn
how whisky is made, how to tell what makes a good malt and improve
your all-round knowledge of Scotch whisky.
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Website
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National Museum of Scotland
The treasures on display here represents only part of the collections
of national and international importance held by the Museum. Others
can be found in: The National War Museum (Edinburgh Castle); the
National Museum of Flight (East Lothian); the National Museum of
Rural Life (East Kilbride) and the National Museum of Costume (Dumfries).
The collections cover science, technology, natural history, the
environment, archaeology, etc.
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Website
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Fruitmarket Gallery
At the very northern edge of the Old Town in Market Street behind
Waverley Station is the Fruitmarket Gallery. Formerly the city’s
fruit and vegetable market, this stunning space now holds exhibitions
of contemporary art which combine the work of Scottish artists with
those from overseas, as well as talks, workshops and screenings
of short art films.
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Scott Monument
Across the bridge over the railway line is Princes Street Gardens,
where you will find the Scott Monument. Built to commemorate the
novelist Sir Walter Scott and finished in 1846, it is another of
Edinburgh’s iconic attractions. Rising 200 feet from street
level, it is a masterpiece of classic Victorian gothic stonemasonry.
If you can cope with the 287 steps to the top, you’ll be treated
to spectactular panoramic views across the city.
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Website
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National Galleries of Scotland
The National Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Portrait
Gallery make up the three National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.
All have permanent displays from the collections of some of the
world’s finest Scottish and international art, as well as
hosting visiting exhibitions throughout the year. The National Gallery
is at the foot of the Mound, about half way along Princes Street
and it is home to the Royal Scottish Academy.
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Website
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Royal Botanic Gardens
If you need to get away from the city bustle, then the 72 acres
of the Royal Botanic Gardens are where you’ll find space to
relax, just a short walk north from Princes Street. Dating back
to 1670, the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh are considered among
world’s the finest gardens, with hothouses, open parkland,
an arboretum of international significance, landscaped gardens and
more informal green areas.
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Royal Yacht Britannia
On the shores of the Forth at Edinburgh’s port of Leith,
you’ll find the Royal Yacht Britannia. This ocean-going floating
palace was built to allow the Queen to carry out some of her official
overseas tours and in its working lifetime, sailed more than 1 milllion
miles around the world. Now officially retired, it is permanently
moored at Leith and has become a very popular museum.
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Website
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Shopping in Edinburgh
As well as the boutiques, independent shops and department stores
of the city centre, Edinburgh boasts several exciting shopping centres
and covered malls, with easy transport links and ample parking spaces.
They all, of course, have bars, cafés and restaurants where
you can take a rest while shopping, or you could visit the fabulous
glass-fronted Omni
Centre at the top of Leith Walk.
In the city centre you’ll find Princes
Mall beside Waverley Station and at the east end of Princes
Street is the St
James Centre, both housing familiar names and Scottish heritage
stores.
A little further out are Ocean
Terminal in Leith, near the Royal Yacht Britannia and overlooking
the Firth of Forth, with its range of high street names and smaller
independents, a large cinema, beauty salon and a gym. Meanwhile,
on the western outskirts of Edinburgh is the Gyle
Shopping Centre , which also has familiar-named stores, all
open for late-night shopping.
If it’s discount high-end designer items you’d like
to buy, then you should head west through the countryside to the
Livingston
Designer Outlet in West Lothian, where there are more than 90
designer stores under one roof.
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Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
Less than an hour’s drive from most of the Ayrshire golf
courses and covering ~720 square miles (1,865 sq km) of some of
Scotland’s finest scenery, the National Park offers many contrasting
landscapes as you travel from the gentle hills and rolling lowlands
to the high mountains in the north. As well as Loch Lomond, it has
many other lochs, rivers and mountains. It is also has two Forest
Parks offering a wide range of outdoor activities.
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Website
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