Rising from the east shore of Loch Lomond to a height of 974m (3,193ft), Ben Lomond offers exhilarating walking and spectacular views across Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park.

Details of walking routes are available from the Information Centre at Rowardennan car park. These range in difficulty from an arduous but rewarding ascent to the summit of Ben Lomond, to the leisurely Ardess Hidden History Trail - a low-level walk the whole family can enjoy.

Why not enhance your group visit by pre-booking a ranger as a guide? They'll be able to tell you all about this magnificent terrain and the vital conservation work that's going on, as well as help keep you on the right path!

Caithness Horizons opened to the public on the 1st December 2008 following the refurbishment of the Thurso Town Hall and adjacent Carnegie Library. Caithness Horizons was officially opened by His Royal Highness, The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothsey on 3^rd August 2009. Since opening the Museum has been awarded a 5 Star Visitor Attraction rating by VisitScotland and it has achieved Full Museum Accreditation.

Caithness Horizons houses a permanent exhibition which uses the Museum’s Collection of objects to tell the story of the county of Caithness from the geological period known as the Devonian (about 416 to 359 million years ago) to the present day. Some of the star objects that are on display in the permanent exhibition are:

• Examples of the famous fossil fish of Caithness which date from the Devonian period
• A Bronze Age clay beaker that was found near Achavanich
• A late Neolithic/early Bronze Age carved stone ball that was found in the Thurso River
• Two Pictish Stones – the Ulbster Stone and the Skinnet Stone
• A Viking cross shaped gravestone which is incised with runic letters that was found near to old St. Peter’s Kirk in Thurso in 1896
• Geological and botanical specimens that were collected by Robert Dick (1811–1866) a local baker and renowned self-taught botanist, geologist and naturalist
• Technical models of the Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR) and the Dounreay Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR)

Caithness Horizons is also home to a temporary exhibition gallery, which plays hosts to an annual programme of changing exhibitions. In addition Caithness Horizons has a lovely Gift Shop and Café which serves delicious home-baking.

Caithness Horizons is fully accessible and is located on the High Street in Thurso at the north east end of the pedestrianised area. Parking is available immediately opposite the Museum on the High Street. There is more parking within an easy walk of Caithness Horizons on Meddow Lane.

For more information please see the website

Fairytale-like turrets, gargoyles of fantastic design and the ancient Horn of Leys given in 1323 by Robert the Bruce are just a few of the features of this historic castle.

The Crathes gardens and estate are ideal for a family day out. A delight at any time of year, the famous gardens feature great yew hedges and colourful double herbaceous borders.

Further afield, the 595-acre estate offers six separate trails to enjoy.

Scotland's most famous explorer and missionary was born here in 1813, in a single-roomed house in Shuttle Row - today a Grade A listed tenement.

It is now part of the museum that tells the story of Livingstone's explorations in Africa and is home to a wide range of his personal belongings and travel aids.
Find out how he grew from a lowly factory boy to become an African explorer and a hero of the Victorian age.

The museum also gives a fascinating insight into the harsh conditions endured by industrial workers in the 19th century.

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With its spectacular views across the Firth of Clyde, Finlaystone offers colourful gardens, imaginative woodland play areas and tumbling waterfalls. The estate combines history with adventure in a fun day out for the family, where your dog can run freely. Step back in time and uncover its secrets.

Events Information:

Meet at the Visitor Centre 5 minutes before the time stated. We reserve the right to amend or cancel any activity and accept no responsibility or liability for any accidents, loss or injury arising out of or in connection with these events and activities or your visit to the Estate.

Admission Charges:

Adults £4, Children and Concessions £3

Finlaystone Members Free
(except Charity or ticketed events)

The museum takes you on a journey through time showing how local people lived and worked in Gairloch through the ages.

Step back in time to the elegance and refinement of Edinburgh's New Town in the late 18th century - a time when Edinburgh's well-to-do left the cramped, squalid conditions of the Old Town to settle in the fashionable New Town.

Imagine how it must have felt to be John Lamont, the first owner of this magnificent Robert Adam designed town house - and to pay just £1,800 for the privilege! Explore John’s home to discover what life was like for the wealthy in Edinburgh 200 years ago.

Contrast this with the ‘below stairs’ life of the household staff who made this elegant lifestyle possible. For more information please see website.

Step back in time to bustling and turbulent 17th-century Edinburgh. Thomas Gledstanes, a wealthy merchant who owned this six-storey tenement, rented each floor to tenants of various means.

Explore Thomas Gledstanes' land to discover the lives of his tenants and experience what life was really like in Edinburgh’s Old Town 400 years ago.
It is decorated and furnished to give visitors an impression of life in Edinburgh's 17th-century Old Town. Highlights include an original painted ceiling and the reconstructed shop booth complete with replicas of 17th-century goods.

Glencoe is one of Scotland's most beautiful places and you can find out about its history, landscape and wildlife in the Trust's visitor centre.

The peaks of Glencoe stand as a monument to one of the most tragic events in Scotland's history - the infamous massacre that took place here on a snow-driven February night in 1692.

The site offers a dramatic backdrop for some of the finest climbing and walking in the country. Red deer, wildcat, golden eagle and rare arctic alpine plants can be found among the breathtaking peaks and spectacular waterfalls in the glen. An easy walk is to Signal Rock, by tradition the gathering point for the MacDonalds of Glencoe at times of emergency.

Historic parkland near Edinburgh, Scotland – part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site.

A magnificent stretch of West Highland scenery - the estate includes the Falls of Glomach and the Five Sisters of Kintail. There is a countryside centre at Morvich Farm, off the A87, which is the best access point to the mountains. Red deer, eagles and other wildlife can be seen in abundance. 

 

Mar Lodge Estate occupies nearly 7% of the Cairngorms National Park, covering in total 29,380 hectares of some of the most remote and scenic wild land in Scotland, including four of the five highest mountains in the UK.

Within its boundaries are fine examples of classic features of a Highland landscape: remnants of the ancient Caledonian pine forest, heather moorland, juniper scrub and a part of the high Cairngorm plateau.

The estate is recognised as one of the most important nature conservation landscapes in the British Isles.

Journey from Strathnaver's mystical past, through the emergence of the Clan Mackay to the tragedy of the Highland Clearances.

Discover the vibrant culture, inherited from Norse and Gaelic ancestors. Strathnaver Museum is a heart which keeps the blood of tradition pumping; sustaining and preserving it for future generations.

Museum Opening Hours:  April to October:  10.00 am to 5.00 pm (closed Sundays)

Admission:  Adults - £2.00; Concessions - £1.50; Students & Family Groups 6 or more - £1.00; Children - 50p (under 5 free)

Disabled Access:  Limited access, no ramp due to tomb stones at front entrance.  A small wheelchair is available for use in the downstairs main room.  We also have a 'tour of the museum' on DVD which can be viewed outwith the building.

Out of Hours:  Send an email or telephone and arrangements can be made, if atall possible, for a viewing outwith opening hours.

A crannog is a type of ancient loch-dwelling found throughout Scotland and Ireland dating from 5,000 years ago. Many crannogs were built out in the water as defensive homesteads and represented symbols of power and wealth. The Scottish Crannog Centre features a unique reconstruction of an early Iron Age loch-dwelling, built by the Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology (STUA), registered charity no. SCO18418. This authentic recreation is based on the excavation evidence from the 2,600 year old site of 'Oakbank Crannog', one of the 18 crannogs preserved in Loch Tay, Scotland. The STUA continues to explore other underwater sites in Loch Tay and further afield, regularly adding new discoveries to its award-winning centre at Kenmore, Perthshire.

Discover how and why these ancient people built their homes in the water, and experience first-hand how they lived at the awardwinning Scottish Crannog Centre.

A visit to the Centre includes a self-guided exhibition, a guided crannog tour, and 'hands-on' ancient crafts and technology demonstrations. There is also a themed giftshop in which to browse offering an excellent selection of books, crafts, and related items. Special events run regularly featuring artists, musicians, skilled craft workers, and other specialists who, together with our own team of Iron Age Guides, actively bring the past to life. All in all, an excellent day out for adults and children alike, from ages 4+.

For further information  please see website.