Day Trips From Edinburgh

Borders: Meet Abbots and Sir Walter Scott on the Road Less Travelled

For a great day out from Edinburgh, head south into the empty landscapes of the soft rolling hills of the Borders region. Along the way discover old and new – weaving looms, distilleries, castles and abbeys – in quaint villages. This long fought over land is full of folklore and history. Have yourself inspired like Sir Walter Scott.

East Lothian: Discover Seaside Towns, Castles and Walks

Take your shoes off and walk on one of the beautiful beaches or put boots on and walk along the lovely rocky coastline – explore the Museum of Flight or a castle. Discover lovely seaside towns or a bustling market town inland. What is the making of golf courses and farming here, what the old industries? Find the answers. Make it cultural or active! You choose how to spend a day trip from Edinburgh!

You may be forgiven if our Central Belt reminds you of industry and busy towns.

But here you can bathe in the contrasting moments of modern technology and historical villages. 

Take the chance to see Linlithgow Palace sited beautifully above a swan lake where Mary Queen of Scots was born. Linlithgow is a charming Fairtrade town and a very popular place to live. 

Photo opportunity:

The Kelpies are now as famous as Eilean Donan Castle in advertising Scotland. you feel dwarfed by the world’s largest equine sculpture, standing100 ft (30m) tall. All plated steel. The sculptor, Andy Scott, was inspired by the importance of horses in the local industries of the past and Scottish myths alike. 

Also in Falkirk, you can marvel at the ingenuity of the Falkirk Wheel. This unique Millennium boat lift is amazing. It lifts boats up 100 feet from the Forth-Clyde Canal to the Union Canal, using the electricity of only eight water kettles – and it looks very aesthetic too ! It replaces the 16 locks of the old days. 

Crossing to the northern side of the Firth, there are more photo opportunities. You could include a visit to Dunfermline, the old capital of Scotland with the Abbey aptly used for filming “The Bruce”. The hero is buried here ( see walks near Edinburgh ) . Or choose Culross, a conservation village of Outlanders fame in three episodes ! Soak up the atmosphere of a village that seemingly stood still in time , in the 17 / 18 century. The merchant’s palace (Culross Palace) and it’s beautiful gardens or Culross Abbey further up the hill invite to stay – with no shortage in cafés and eateries.

Highlights

• See the old castle where Mary Queen of Scot’s life began 

• Admire the world’s only boat lift in shape of a wheel 

• Take a photo of the photogenic sculpture of the Kelpies.

• Roam the streets of Culross – the place where Outlander was filmed

• Take in the sight of 16/17th century Culross Palace. The home of a merchant it also has a beautiful garden on a steep hill within the village.

• Hear the stories of the old times and today.

• If you have children in your party – there are some great options to entertain them along the way

When everybody else heads up north to the Highlands – set off south into the rolling hills of the Southern Uplands!

Once the scene of many battles and raiding, this is now a very peaceful and sparsely populated land. It was the part of the country that suffered most from invasions up and down the country – and has the ruins of four ancient abbeys to show for. They were built to impress the king in the south and help secure the border to England ! 

You can choose from Jedburgh Abbey, Melrose Abbey, Dryburgh Abbey or Kelso Abbey. Each one of them has its own character and may be combined with other highlights and visits to beautiful villages on the way.

Be impressed by these imposing ruins that give you a feel for a very different way of life or head for a grand mansion, like Floors Castle or Traquair House – not to mention Rosslyn Chapel.  

Fans of Dan Brown’s “da Vinci Code” book and film have helped pay for the new visitor centre and secure the Chapel’s future. The Chapel itself is truly memorable! You can combine this with a short walk to Roslin Castle … ! 

How about a Sir Walter Scott themed tour? Here, he built his home Abbotsford House not far from Melrose Abbey. Visit Jedburgh where Sir Walter Scott worked and Mary Queen of Scots stayed,  admire the Abbey too. Discover some wonderful independent shops. As a child, he stayed with his grandfather near Smailholm Tower listening to the old Borders Ballads. Enjoy the amazing views at Scott’s View – it is one of the finest views of the Eildon Hills and Dryburgh Abbey.

Make the most of a day out in the home of Rugby Sevens and the Armstrong clan! Visit the working weaving mill where Princess Diane’s tartan is woven.

Brand new Visitor Centre – opened 26 August 2022 – 

The Great Tapestry of Scotland. The new visitor centre has been built to house this new exhibition of 32 tapestries of the history of Scotland, woven by the people of Scotland. Alexander McCall-Smith was instrumental in this venture.

McCall Smith is an Edinburgh author, best known for his crime novels Mma Ramotswe, set in Botswana and novels set in Edinburgh, like 44 Scotland Street.

Highlights

• A visit to a Borders Abbey

• Scott’s View and a walk to the Wallace monument

• Picturesque villages with lovey independent shops – food and drink, arts & crafts

• A visit to Rosslyn Chapel, a mansion or a castle

• A walk in a country park

• Hear the stories of the Borders Reivers and the local festivals of today!

It needs more than a day trip to really discover Glasgow. But it is a good start to get an insight to this cosmopolitan City that keeps reinventing itself. And it is the “People that Make Glasgow”, something that has stood the test of time.

This city is home to Charles Rennie MacIntosh – the big Art Nouveau architect and artist. Go on his trail and find schools, tearooms and lighthouses designed by him.

Check out the variety of museums and art galleries in Glasgow here – all for free! A joy for old and young, have a closer look at the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery. The Kelvingrove is a stunning building with an eclectic mix of exhibitions from a Salvador Dalí painting to the Spitfire plane hanging from the ceiling. Enjoy a walk in Kelvingrove Park.

The new Riverside Museum houses the transport collection where you can meander an old cobbled Glasgow street with shops or visit the Tall Ship, Glenlee. It is the UK’s only floating Clyde-built sailing ship. All very child friendly and interactive.

See the new Glasgow at the Clyde, the river that made Glasgow. Once a trademark of excellent ship building and heavy industry, it is now a cultural centre with new industries emerging. Here you find Call Centres, TV and filming studios, Museum and Conference and Event Centres for up to 13.000 people.

Glasgow is a popular shopping weekend destination and equally loved by culture vultures. Shop till you drop or enjoy food and drink, Glasgow has shops from artisan to modern indoor shopping centres and bars, restaurants and pubs for all tastes and purses. Stroll down hidden Ashton Lane, attracting all with a love for a flavour of the unusual, be it food, drink or shops.

Highlights

• Have some fun and learn ! Do your own experiments to learn about all the sciences (entry fee applies) at the Science Centre.

• Delve into the past and see the C19 new build of Glasgow University, founded C15 or visit the impressive St Mungo’s Cathedral.

• If you prefer the great outdoors, there are 70 parks to recharge your batteries or get rid of some excessive energy…!