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Attractions Nearby Edinburgh
(Edinburgh, Scotland, UK)



Edinburgh is full of many fantastic tourist attractions, but within a short journey from Edinburgh city centre there are countless other superb tourist attractions. These popular tourist attractions are within easy reach from the city of Edinburgh and are well worth visiting during your stay here.

Whether you are looking for historical attractions nearby Edinburgh, beautifully landscaped gardens or spreading parklands, you can be sure that you won't have to travel far from Edinburgh. Here are some of the top tourist attractions and sights nearby Edinburgh.




Attractions Nearby Edinburgh: Glasgow - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Glasgow is Scotland's largest city and is thriving city, well-known for its excellent entertainment, shopping, nightlife and general culture. Situated around one hour's drive from central Edinburgh, many tourists visiting the Edinburgh area also travel to nearby Glasgow to enjoy the tourism and popular tourist attractions. These attractions in Glasgow include:

• Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum - a wonderful Victorian museum housing a world-class permanent collection of fine art, including paintings by Rembrandt, Van Gogh and art work by the famous Scottish artist, Charles Rennie Mackintosh
• Burrell Collection - one of Scotland's finest private collections on display in a stunning, purpose-built museum
• Glasgow Botanic Gardens - these beautiful landscaped gardens are dominated by the huge dome of the Victorian Kibble Palace,
• Glasgow Cathedral - founded almost 1,500 years ago, this stunning cathedral features impressive architecture and many historic attractions
• Glasgow School of Art - Charles Rennie Mackintosh's architectural masterpiece and a true icon of modern 20th-century design
• Glasgow Science Centre - with cutting-edge architecture, fun interactive exhibits and stunning panoramic views of Glasgow
• Holmwood House - Glaswegian Alexander Thomson's finest and most elaborate villas
• The Glasgow Lighthouse - Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Glasgow Herald building, which is now Scotland's centre for architecture and design, featuring a permanent exhibition about the life and work of Mackintosh himself
• The People's Palace - one of Glasgow's most popular exhibitions, covering all aspects of life in Glasgow

Visit our Glasgow World Guide for further information...

Attractions Nearby Edinburgh: East Lothian - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
The flat landscape of East Lothian is bordered by the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills. East Lothian is within easy reach from Edinburgh and attractions include the sandy beaches of Gullane and Yellowcraig.

• Belhaven Brewery - founded in 1719 by local monks, this distillery has guided tours which should be booked in advance
• Dirleton Castle and Gardens - dating back to the 13th century, this fortress features an old bowling green, an arts and crafts centre and a restored Victorian garden
• Gosford House - this central core of this grand, three-storey building was designed in the 18th century and the vast marble hall is very luxurious
• Inveresk Lodge - a National Trust property with stunning gardens, sloping down to the River Esk's peaceful riverside walks
• John Muir House - this important and historic house has recently been renovated
• Myreton Motor Museum - a privately owned collection of lovingly restored vehicles, including bicycles and general motoring memorabilia
• National Museum of Flight - a popular destination for families, attractions include an 1896 glider
• North Berwick Museum - an informative and interesting museum, situated on the Old School Road, near the tourist information office
• Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum - full of interesting reminders of this historic local industry
• Scottish Sea Bird Centre - situated on the Harbour of North Berwick, with video cameras showing nesting birds more than one mile away
• Tantallon Castle - a 14th-century castle located on the cliff edge nearby North Berwick

Attractions Nearby Edinburgh: Midlothian - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
The spectacular Pentland Hills cover more than 20,000 acres in the area, south of Edinburgh on the A702. The Pentland Hills Regional Park is one of the main tourist attractions in this area nearby Edinburgh and features a golf course, the longest dry ski slope in Europe, and a vast country park.

• Crichton Castle - near Pathhead, this historic castle was built in 1591 for the Earl of Bothwell and has many impressive original features
• Dalkieth Country Park - in the centre of Midlothian, surrounding the 18th-century Dalkieth House
• Scottish Mining Museum - a purpose-built three-storey visitor centre, featuring interactive exhibitions and a hands-on operations centre

Attractions Nearby Edinburgh: West of Edinburgh - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
To the west of Edinburgh, many old slag heaps provide a reminder of the area's coal mining and heavy industrial past. Close to Edinburgh and south of Edinburgh Airport, the village of Ratho is home to many popular tourist attractions. Other areas of interest to the west of Edinburgh include Tamfourhill, Linlithglow, the Firth of Forth and South Queensferry.

• Blackness Castle - built in the 1440s, this spectacular castle offers views across the Forth
• Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway - featuring steam trains running an 11 km / 7 mile round trip to the Birkhill Claymines
• Cairnpapple Hill - near Torphichen, this is a burial site dating from 3000 BC, with some of Scotland's most important prehistoric remains
• Dalmeny House - a Gothic revival mansion designed in 1814 and home of the Earls of Rosebery
• Edinburgh Canal Centre - in the village of Ratho, this centre reflects on the construction of the canal in the 19th century
• Falkirk Wheel - a massive new landmark in this area nearby Edinburgh, which lifts boats from the Forth and Clyde Canal and places them in the Union Canal
• Hopetoun House - designed in 1699 for Charles Hope, the first Earl of Hopetoun, this house in surrounded by parkland and overlooks the Firth of Forth
• House of the Binns - dating from the 17th century, this is the ancient seat of the Dalyells
• Inchcolm Abbey - founded in 1123, this abbey comprises a number of monastic buildings and is located on Inchcolm Island in the Firth of Forth
• Linlithgow Palace - overlooking the Loch and the Peel, a grassy area next to the Loch
• Linithgow Canal Centre - including a museum, tearoom and scenic towpath
• South Queensferry Museum - providing an insight into the history of the bridges and the village
• Torphichen Preceptory - a 13th-century tower built by the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem

Attractions Nearby Edinburgh: Fife - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Fife is situated to the north of Edinburgh and from any high point in Edinburgh you will see Fife on the far shore of the Firth of Forth. With many picturesque views and popular tourist attractions, Fife has much to offer to visitor to the Edinburgh area.

• Abbot House Heritage Centre - an interesting 15th-century building which is full of Dunfermline history
• Craigtoun Country Park - a large, scenic park in Mount Melville, near St. Andrews
• Deep Sea World - on the coast at North Queensferry, this huge aquarium features a tunnel walkway, with sharks and rays
• Dunfermline Abbey - one of the finest Norman naves in the whole of Scotland, founded in 1070 by Queen Margaret
• Falkland Palace - in the Royal borough of Flakland, this grand palace was once the home of Mary, Queen of Scots, and in the ground is one of the few remaining 'real' tennis courts, dating from 1539
• Hill of Tarvit Mansionhouse - near Cupar, a grand house with an impressive collection of French furniture
• St. Fillan's Cave - in Cove Wynd, this cave was once used as a chapel by the 7th-century missionary
• Scottish Fisheries Museum - overlooking the harbour, this museum tells the story of the development of the fishing industry in Fife

Attractions Nearby Edinburgh: The Borders - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
The Borders, nearby Edinburgh, is one of the most scenic areas of Scotland, with pastoral landscapes, a stunning coastline, picturesque towns and numerous historic abbeys.

• Abbotsford - home of Sir Walter scott, with views of nearby Tweed
• Daywyck Botanic Garden - an outpost of Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden, with many impressive landscaped gardens and beautiful plants
• Floors Castle - overlooking the Tweed, Floors Castle is Scotland's largest inhabited castles and was designed in 1721 and remodelled in the 19th century
• Mellerstain House - near Gordon, construction began on impressive house in 1725 and attractions include a lake and folly
• Melrose Abbey - founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks, this abbey is reputed to the be resting place of Robert the Bruce's heart
• Neidpath Castle - with a number of scenic walks and attractions nearby, including the River Tweed
• Traquair House - a handsome house which is over 1,000 years old and is famous for being the oldest inhabited house in the whole of Scotland
• Tweedale Museum and Gallery - on the High Street, with impressive plaster copies of the Parthenon Frieze and grand works of art

Attractions Nearby Edinburgh: Stirling - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
For many hundreds of years, Stirling, nearby Edinburgh, has been one of Scotland's key strongholds and is situated just above the River Forth. Home to two of the most important battles against the English, Stirling is steeped in history and has many interesting attractions for tourists and visitors from Edinburgh.

• Argyll's Lodging - a stunning 17th-century grand townhouse
• Bannockburn Heritage Centre - situated on the Stirling's Bannockburn battle site, this heritage centre has many interesting exhibits and artefacts
• Church of the Holy Rude - an important church which has one of the few surviving medieval timber roofs in Scotland
• Mar's Wark - the impressive stone remains of a grand Renaissance-style house that was built by the Earl of Mar
• National Wallace Monument - built in 1860, commemorating the hero of the Battle of Stirling Bridge
• Stirling Castle - dating from the 15th century, this castle combines a strong fortress with a royal palace

 
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