Historic Scotland

In the mid 12th century, King Malcolm IV of Scotland had a problem; the unruly province of Galloway, lying far to the south of his seat of power, on the border with England. Having invaded three times to put the Gallovidians in their place, its leader Fergus, Lord of Galloway, died leaving his la...

Edinburgh Castle looks majestic in any light, which is why the start of the festive season marks the annual Castle of Light spectacular, returning tonight for a fourth amazing year! Delve into 'Magic and Mystery' as a tapestry of all-new immersive illuminations and enchanting installations guide ...

Nearly 500 years ago today, 3,000 Scottish soldiers besieged Broughty Castle, at the mouth of the River Tay. The culmination of a war sparked by two young children, they were desperate to retake this vital fortress. Five years earlier, in November 1542, an army of Scottish nobles suffered a catas...

Scotland is home to some incredible architecture, both past and present. But the only building type unique to our country is the broch, and the most incredible of those is the tallest surviving Iron Age structure in Britain; Mousa Broch.Located just a few metres from a low rocky shoreline on the ...

Early morning overlooking the site of the largest medieval church in Scotland; the magnificent St Andrews Cathedral. For nearly 800 years, this area was the spiritual centre of the Scottish church; the settlement known as Kilrymont changing its name to reflect a saint whose relics were brought he...

For those who know where to look, the rolling farmland of Aberdeenshire reveals examples of a truly unique type of Neolithic monument; the recumbant stone circle. Most examples of these enigmatic monuments are hidden in plain sight across north-eastern Scotland, and the best preserved of these by...

On the 13 November 1093, Scotland lost a 'great chief'. King Malcolm III Canmore was killed at the Battle of Alnwick, alongside his eldest son Edward. As befits a king, he was eventually buried amidst the splendour of Dunfermline Abbey; a final resting place chosen because it was founded by his s...

On this day in the year 1150, construction work began on what would become one of Scotland's most beautiful abbeys, nestled amidst the trees on a looping bend of the River Tweed.Dryburgh Abbey was founded by a 12th Century power couple, Hugh de Morville, lord of Lauderdale and constable of Scotla...

The upper Forth Valley is dominated by the magnificent Stirling Castle, sitting atop a volcanic outcrop with unrivalled views in every direction.As you can see, the view of the outcrop and castle itself is equally stunning, as captured in this fantastic image by @georgia_girl_scottish_world recen...

Fancy getting away from it all this weekend? If so, there aren't many historic locations in Scotland as remote as Eileach an Naoimh. But to get there, you'll need your own boat. 'Rocky Place of the Saint' is a small uninhabited island in the Garvellach group in the Firth of Lorne, roughly midway ...

When is a ship not a ship? When it's a castle... Under a glorious full moon, Blackness Castle looks ready to cast off, hence its nickname 'the ship that never sailed' This is more than just a saying; the three castle towers have nautical names. At the rear is the 'stern' housing the great hall, i...

Happy Halloween! For spooky goings on today, just look up (if you dare) Historic buildings, particularly places of worship, often have carved critters somewhere on their walls, meeting the gaze of those who are brave enough. But did you know they actually serve a purpose?There are two main kinds ...