38 Monuments to Explore in Scotland

Checkout places to visit in Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Mainland Scotland has a 96 mile (154 km) border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast, and the Irish Sea to the south. Scotland includes more than 790 islands.

Monuments by destinations in Scotland

South Ayrshire Council (4)

Aberdeenshire (2)

Angus Council (1)

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Monuments to Explore in Scotland

Airlie Monument

A majestic monument which was erected in memory of the11th Earl of Airlie who was killed in the Boer War on 11th June 1900. The ceremony of laying the memorial stone took place on 2nd September 1901. It is 65 feet high and is 1230 feet above sea level. It is an important landmark and a focal point for the community of Glen Clova, Glen Prosen, Cortachy and the surrounding area – indeed so prominent that it can be seen for many miles around.

Alloway Auld Kirk

Alloway Auld Kirk is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Category A listed ruined church, the associated graveyard is Category B listed. The Kirk and graveyard are best known as the setting for Robert Burns’ poem Tam O’Shanter.

The Burns Monument Centre is a shared venue among East Ayrshire Leisure, East Ayrshire Council and Ayrshire Archives. The local and family history collections at the Centre are cared for by East Ayrshire Leisure. The collection includes items such as newspapers, maps, historic photographs, books and many other local and family history resources.

The historical Burns Monument stand on a sloping site on the north bank of the River Doon overlooking the Brig o' Doon. The Monument and Gardens come under the umbrella of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. IT was the first memorial built to the memory of the Poet Robert Burns in Ayrshire, and is close to the bank of the River Doon in Alloway. It is situated only half a mile South of the thatched cottage where he was born on 25th January 1759.

Calton Hill is one of Edinburgh's main hills, set right in the city centre. It is unmistakable with its Athenian acropolis poking above the skyline. It was situated beyond the east end of Princes Street and included in the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site. Views of, and from, the hill are often used in photographs and paintings of the city. Calton Hill is also the location of several monuments and buildings: the National Monument, the Nelson Monument,the Dugald Stewart Monument, the old Royal H

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Chanonry Point lies at the end of Chanonry Ness, a spit of land extending into the Moray Firth. It is one of the best spots in the UK to view bottlenose dolphins from the land. The dolphins are often visible off Chanonry point, particularly on an incoming tide when they play and fish in the strong currents. An active lighthouse is also situated at the tip of the point.

The Clava cairn is a type of Bronze Age circular chamber tomb cairn. There are about 50 cairns of this type in an area round about Inverness. There are two sub-types, one typically consisting of a corbelled passage grave with a single burial chamber linked to the entrance by a short passage and covered with a cairn of stones. In the other sub-type an annular ring cairn encloses an apparently unroofed area with no formal means of access from the outside.

Culloden Battlefield

The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was defeated by a British government force under William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, on Drummossie Moor near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. It was the last pitched battle fought on British soil.

David Livingstone Birthplace

David Livingstone was a pioneering individual, who rose from humble beginnings in Blantyre, Scotland to become famous for his travels and his medical and missionary adventures in Africa. A Trust was set up in 1929 to hold and maintain a National Memorial and Museum on the site of Livingstone’s birth, which is made available to the public, providing an interesting, educational and enjoyable cultural experience.

Dugald Stewart Monument

This is a memorial to the Scottish philosopher Dugald Stewart, professor of moral philosophy at the University of Edinburgh from 1786 until his death. The monument was situated on Calton Hill overlooking the city of Edinburgh and was built in 1831 to the design of architect William Playfair, who modelled his design on the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens.

Duke of Gordon's Monument

The Duke of Gordon's Monument is a commemorative monument on Lady Hill near Elgin, Scotland. Built in honour of George Gordon, the 5th Duke of Gordon, the monument takes the form of a Tuscan column, 80 feet high, and 6 feet 9 inches wide at the base. The column is hollow, with a spiral staircase leading up the shaft which gives access to the top. It was erected in 1839, and a statue of Gordon, sculpted by Thomas Goodwillie, was installed on the top in 1855. It is designated as a Category A liste

This 500 years old monument lies in a steep sided valley between Quoys and Rackwick on the island of Hoy. A huge block of hollowed-out red sandstone measuring about 8.5 metres long, the Dwarfie Stane is thought to be Britain’s only example of a rock-cut tomb. It should be stressed, however, that not all archaeologists share this opinion. The stone is a glacial erratic located in desolate peatland. The site is managed by Historic Environment Scotland.

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle

East Aquhorthies Stone Circle is a recumbent stone circle – a monument type only found in north-east Scotland. It has a large stone set on its side and flanked by two upright stones, usually on the south or south-west part of the circle. The circle is particularly notable for its builders' use of polychromy in the stones, with the reddish ones situated on the SSW side and the grey ones opposite. The discovery of a possible cist covered by a capstone at the centre of the circle indicates that th

Finnieston Crane

The Finnieston Crane is a giant cantilever crane that is no longer operational. The crane was commissioned in 1928 and was used for loading cargo, in particular steam locomotives, onto ships to be exported around the world. The Finnieston Crane is one of the four such cranes on the River Clyde and one of the the only eleven giant cantilever cranes remaining worldwide.

Named after King George III, George Square is surrounded by architecturally important buildings. It is the principal civic square in the city of Glasgow, and one of the six squares in the city center. The square has a collection of important statues and monuments, and it is the venue for musical events, light shows, ceremonies, sporting celebrations, political gatherings etc..

Glasgow Green is the oldest park of Glasgow City. Located in the middle of the city, it contians a number of monuments, fountains and other recreational spaces.

Glasgow Necropolis

Officially opened in 1833, the Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian cemetery. 50,000 individuals are buried here. The cemetery is the burial place of many notable Scotish individuals.

Govan Old Parish Church

Govan Old Parish Church was the parish church of Govan district from 6th century untill 2007. The church is no longer used for regular sunday services but it still has daily morning services and open for visitors in the afternoon. The church has an internationally significant collection of early medieval sculpture known as Govan Stones.

Map of Monuments to Explore in Scotland