Places to visit

Aberdour Castle and Gardens

Aberdour Castle is possibly Scotland's oldest standing castle, once grand enough for a Regent of Scotland.

Arbroath Abbey

Visit the Medieval Powerhouse exhibition, learn the stories about the Declaration of Arbroath and see the copy of the Stone of Destiny.

Argyll's Lodging

Admire Scotland’s most splendid and complete example of a 17th-century townhouse.

Open days or guided tours only 

Blackhouse, Arnol

Gain a unique insight into island life at Arnol Blackhouse, a traditional, fully furnished thatched house that once sheltered a family and its animals under the same roof.

Currently closed 

Blackness Castle

Blackness Castle's mighty fortifications make this 15th-century castle look like a ‘ship that never sailed’. It's now a star of the screen.

Bothwell Castle

Visit Bothwell Castle, a dramatic site hotly fought over during the Wars of Independence with England.

Caerlaverock Castle

Visit the epitome of the medieval stronghold: Caerlaverock Castle has a wide moat, twin-towered gatehouse and lofty battlements.

Some restrictions in place 

Calanais Standing Stones

Walk among the megaliths at one of Scotland’s most magnificent and best-preserved Neolithic monuments - the Calanais Standing Stones.

Not included in Explorer Pass

Craigmillar Castle

Step inside Edinburgh’s ‘other castle’, once a rural retreat from Scotland’s capital. Craigmillar Castle was close to the political cauldron of the capital, yet pleasantly separate from it.

Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery

Step back in time at this picturesque distillery, to see and hear how whisky was made in the 1900s.

Not included in Explorer Pass

Dirleton Castle

This magnificent fortress–residence served three successive noble families over 400 years. Badly damaged in Cromwell’s 1650 siege, Dirleton’s fortunes were revived by its new owners in the 1660s.