Rannoch, Scotland - May 11, 2016: The Caledonian Sleeper train crosses Rannoch Viaduct on the scenic West Highland Line railway in the Scottish Highlands.

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Central Scotland

The country's historic roots are deeply embedded in central Scotland. Key battles around Stirling shaped the nation's fortunes; significant castles from the region's history pepper the landscape; and Perth, the former capital, is where kings were crowned on the Stone of Destiny.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom – December 20, 2019: Stirling Castle is a fortified wall sitting atop Castle Hill and is part of the Stirling Sill, a quartz-dolerite formation millions of years old. Records date it back to the early 12th century and the inner grounds are home to replicas of the famous Unicorn Tapestries. The castle offers spectacular views of Stirling from the Outer Defences.

    Stirling Castle

    Stirling

    Hold Stirling and you control Scotland. This maxim has ensured that a fortress of some kind has existed here since prehistoric times. You cannot help…

  • Reflections of The Falkirk Wheel at night 1366835562 boat, calm, circles, colourful, famous, forth and clyde canal, imaginative, innovative, landmark, mechanism, nobody, outdoor, reflections, rotating, scenic, tranquil, unique, waterway

    Falkirk Wheel

    Central Scotland

    Completed in 2002, the Falkirk Wheel is a modern engineering marvel, a rotating boat lift that raises vessels 115ft from the Forth & Clyde Canal to the…

  • Innerpeffray Library

    Innerpeffray Library

    Lowland Perthshire & Kinross

    Scotland’s oldest lending library (founded in 1680) houses a huge collection of rare, interesting and ancient books, some of them 500 years old. If you…

  • Kelpies

    Kelpies

    Central Scotland

    The Kelpies, the stunning equine statues gracing the eastern entrance to the Forth & Clyde Canal, are named after mythical Scottish water-horses. The two…

  • Old Town Jail

    Old Town Jail

    Stirling

    This impressive Victorian prison building lay derelict from the 1960s until 2015, when it was reopened as a visitor attraction. Costumed guides lead tours…

  • View of the Wallace monument from the castle of Stirling in Scotland.

    National Wallace Monument

    Stirling

    Perched high on a crag above the floodplain of the River Forth, this Victorian monument is so Gothic it deserves circling bats and croaking ravens. In the…

  • Bannockburn Heritage Centre

    Bannockburn Heritage Centre

    Stirling

    Robert the Bruce's defeat of the English army on 24 June 1314 at Bannockburn established Scotland as a separate nation. The Bannockburn Heritage Centre…

  • Castle Campbell

    Castle Campbell

    Lowland Perthshire & Kinross

    Castle Campbell is one of central Scotland's most dramatically situated castles, on a spur between two deep, wooded ravines known as the Burn of Sorrow…

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