List of Historic Environment Scotland properties facts for kids
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is like a special team that looks after over 300 amazing old buildings and places across Scotland. They are responsible for finding out about, taking care of, and sharing Scotland's history. These places include ancient castles, grand houses, old abbeys, and even underground passages! More than 3 million people visit them every year to learn about Scotland's past.
Contents
- Historic Treasures Across Scotland
- Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire: Ancient Stones and Castles
- Angus: Abbeys and Pictish Art
- Argyll and Bute: Island History and Ancient Forts
- Ayrshire: Castles and Stone Circles
- Clackmannanshire: Hilltop Fortresses
- Dumfries and Galloway: Castles, Cairns, and Crosses
- Dunbartonshire: Roman Walls and Mighty Castles
- Dundee: Coastal Forts
- Edinburgh: Famous Landmarks and Royal History
- Falkirk: Roman Frontiers and Strongholds
- Fife: Abbeys, Castles, and Royal Connections
- Glasgow: Historic Castles and Cathedrals
- Highland: Brochs, Cairns, and Loch Ness Views
- Inverclyde: Riverside Strongholds
- Lanarkshire: Roman Walls and Medieval Castles
- Lothian: Hill Forts and Historic Churches
- Moray: Cathedrals and Ancient Wells
- Orkney Islands: Neolithic Villages and Viking Sites
- Outer Hebrides: Traditional Homes and Ancient Stones
- Perth and Kinross: Towers, Cathedrals, and Roman Sites
- Renfrewshire: Ancient Crosses and Churches
- Scottish Borders: Abbeys, Castles, and Roman Roads
- Shetland: Brochs, Forts, and Ancient Settlements
- Stirling: Royal Castles and Historic Bridges
- Images for kids
Historic Treasures Across Scotland
Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire: Ancient Stones and Castles
- St Machar's Cathedral Transepts
- These are the ruined parts of a very old cathedral in Aberdeen.
- Brandsbutt Symbol Stone
- This is an early stone carved by the Picts, an ancient people of Scotland.
- Corgarff Castle
- A tall tower house surrounded by a cool star-shaped wall from the 1700s.
- Cullerlie Stone Circle
- A circle made of eight stones, a mystery from long ago.
- Culsh Earth House
- A really well-preserved underground passage, like a secret tunnel!
- Deer Abbey
- The remains of an old Cistercian monastery.
- Duff House
- A grand mansion designed by a famous architect, William Adam.
- Easter Aquhorthies Stone Circle
- A stone circle that is about 4,000 years old!
- Glenbuchat Castle
- A Z-plan tower house, which means it's shaped like the letter 'Z'.
- Huntly Castle
- The ruins of a large, fancy old home.
- Kildrummy Castle
- A castle built in the 1200s.
- Kinnaird Head Castle Lighthouse And Museum
- A 1500s castle that was turned into Scotland's first lighthouse!
- Maiden Stone
- A Pictish cross slab from the 800s AD, with cool carvings.
- Tolquhon Castle
- A castle built in the late 1500s by William Forbes.
- Tomnaverie Stone Circle
- Another stone circle that is about 4,000 years old.
Angus: Abbeys and Pictish Art
- Aberlemno Sculptured Stones
- These stones have amazing Pictish carvings, showing hunting and battle scenes.
- Arbroath Abbey
- This abbey is famous for the Declaration of Arbroath, an important document in Scottish history.
- Ardestie Earth House
- A curved underground passage.
- Brechin Cathedral Round Tower
- One of only two Irish-style round towers left in Scotland.
- Carlungie Earth House
- A complex underground structure from the Iron Age.
- Caterthuns
- Two very large hill forts, like ancient walled towns.
- Edzell Castle
- A ruined castle from the 1500s with a beautiful walled garden from the 1600s.
- Restenneth Priory
- The remains of a monastery founded in 1153.
- St Vigeans Sculptured Stones
- A collection of over 30 carved Pictish stones.
- Tealing Earth House
- An Iron Age underground house.
Argyll and Bute: Island History and Ancient Forts
- Ardchattan Priory
- The ruins of a priory founded in 1230.
- Bonawe Historic Iron Furnace
- The most complete old ironworks in Britain, started in 1753.
- Carnasserie Castle
- The home of John Carswell, the first Protestant Bishop of the Isles.
- Castle Sween
- One of the oldest castles in Scotland.
- Dunstaffnage Castle and Chapel
- A strong castle that belonged to the MacDougalls family.
- Iona Abbey
- One of Scotland's most historic and sacred places.
- Iona Nunnery
- One of the best-preserved medieval nunnery churches in the British Isles.
- Kilchurn Castle
- A four-storey tower built in the mid-1400s by Sir Colin Campbell.
- Kildalton Cross
- The best-preserved ancient cross in Scotland, carved in the late 700s.
- Achnabreck Cup And Ring Marks
- Ancient carvings on rocks from early prehistoric times.
- Dunadd Fort
- A well-preserved hill fort in Kilmartin Glen, an important ancient site.
- Nether Largie Cairns
- Ancient burial mounds from the Stone Age and Bronze Age.
- Rothesay Castle
- A castle with a long connection to the Stewart Kings of Scotland.
- Skipness Castle and Chapel
- A castle from the 1200s with a tower house added in the 1500s.
Ayrshire: Castles and Stone Circles
- Loch Doon Castle
- A castle with a cool eleven-sided wall.
- Rowallan Castle
- A castle surrounded by beautiful parkland.
- Auchagallon Stone Circle
- A Bronze Age stone circle.
- Carn Ban
- One of the most famous Neolithic long burial mounds in southwest Scotland.
- Kilwinning Abbey
- The remains of an old abbey.
- Lochranza Castle
- A castle shaped like an 'L' on the Isle of Arran.
- Machrie Moor Stone Circles
- The remains of six stone circles from the Bronze Age.
- Crossraguel Abbey
- An abbey founded in the early 1200s.
- Dundonald Castle
- A castle built by King Robert II in the 1370s.
Clackmannanshire: Hilltop Fortresses
- Castle Campbell
- A 1400s fortress high above Dollar Glen.
- Clackmannan Tower
- A tower from the 1300s.
Dumfries and Galloway: Castles, Cairns, and Crosses
- Barsalloch Fort
- An Iron Age fort defended by a deep ditch.
- Caerlaverock Castle
- A castle with a moat, two towers, and impressive battlements.
- Cairn Holy Chambered Cairns
- Two Neolithic burial mounds, typical of this area.
- Cardoness Castle
- A well-preserved six-storey tower house from the 1400s.
- Carsluith Castle
- The well-preserved ruins of a 1500s tower house.
- Drumtroddan Cup And Ring Marked Rocks
- Ancient cup and ring carvings on rocks, probably from the Bronze Age.
- Drumtroddan standing stones
- Three prehistoric standing stones in a line.
- Dundrennan Abbey
- A Cistercian abbey built in the late 1100s.
- Glenluce Abbey
- An abbey founded around 1192.
- Kirkmadrine Early Christian Stones
- Three of the earliest Christian memorial stones in Britain.
- Lincluden Collegiate Church
- The remains of a church and living quarters for its canons, founded in 1389.
- MacLellan's Castle
- A grand home from the late 1500s.
- New Abbey Corn Mill
- A fully restored mill that uses water power to grind corn.
- Ruthwell Cross
- An ancient cross from the late 600s.
- St Ninian's Cave
- A cave traditionally linked to St Ninian.
- Sweetheart Abbey
- An abbey founded by Lady Dervorgilla of Galloway in memory of her husband.
- Threave Castle
- A 1300s tower built on an island in the River Dee.
- Torhouse Stone Circle
- A Bronze Age stone circle with 19 large boulders.
- Whithorn Priory
- Known as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland.
Dunbartonshire: Roman Walls and Mighty Castles
- Antonine Wall: Bar Hill Fort
- The highest Roman fort on the Antonine Wall.
- Antonine Wall: Bearsden Bath House
- The remains of a Roman bath-house from the 100s AD.
- Dumbarton Castle
- This castle was the main place for the ancient kingdom of Strathclyde for many centuries.
Dundee: Coastal Forts
- Broughty Castle
- A castle that played a part in two national emergencies over 450 years.
- Claypotts Castle
- A castle from the 1500s.
Edinburgh: Famous Landmarks and Royal History
- Craigmillar Castle
- A well-preserved medieval castle with a tower house, courtyard, and gardens.
- Edinburgh Castle
- A world-famous castle that stands high above Edinburgh.
- Holyrood Abbey
- The ruined part of a 12th and 13th-century abbey church.
- Holyrood Palace
- A 1500s home for the Scottish royal family.
- Holyrood Park
- A historic park in the city with dramatic hills and cliffs.
- Trinity House
- Home to a collection of items related to the sea.
Falkirk: Roman Frontiers and Strongholds
- Antonine Wall: Rough Castle
- This part of the Antonine Wall has the best-preserved rampart and ditch.
- Blackness Castle
- A castle built by the Crichtons, one of Scotland's most powerful families.
- Kinneil House
- A 1400s tower that was updated by the Earl of Arran.
Fife: Abbeys, Castles, and Royal Connections
- Aberdour Castle
- A castle with a walled garden and terraces.
- Culross Abbey
- The remains of a Cistercian monastery founded in 1217.
- Dunfermline Abbey
- Many Scottish kings and queens are buried here.
- Dunfermline Palace
- A former Scottish royal palace.
- Inchcolm Abbey
- A group of monastery buildings on Inchcolm island.
- Ravenscraig Castle
- One of the earliest castles in Scotland built to withstand cannons.
- St Andrews Castle
- The main home for the bishops and archbishops of St Andrews.
- St Andrews Cathedral
- The remains of medieval Scotland's largest and most magnificent church.
- St Andrews: West Port
- One of the few city gates still standing in Scotland.
Glasgow: Historic Castles and Cathedrals
- Crookston Castle
- The ruins of an unusual castle from the 1400s.
- Glasgow Cathedral
- A cathedral built where St Mungo was thought to be buried.
Highland: Brochs, Cairns, and Loch Ness Views
- Ardclach Bell Tower
- A fortified bell tower built in 1655.
- Beauly Priory
- The ruined church of a priory founded in 1230.
- Cairn o'Get
- An ancient burial mound with a horned shape.
- Castle of Old Wick
- The best-preserved Norse castle in Scotland.
- Clava Cairns
- A well-preserved Bronze Age cemetery.
- Dun Beag
- A great example of a Hebridean broch (an ancient round tower).
- Fort George
- The biggest artillery fortification in Britain.
- Fortrose Cathedral
- A beautiful cathedral made of red sandstone.
- Glenelg Brochs: Dun Telve and Dun Troddan
- Two ancient broch towers.
- Grey Cairns of Camster
- Two Neolithic burial mounds.
- Hill O' Many Stanes
- More than 22 rows of low stone slabs.
- Inverlochy Castle
- One of Scotland's earliest stone castles.
- Ruthven Barracks
- Army barracks built in 1719 after a Jacobite uprising.
- Urquhart Castle
- Once one of Scotland's largest castles, right on the banks of Loch Ness.
Inverclyde: Riverside Strongholds
- Newark Castle
- A castle on the Firth of Clyde.
Lanarkshire: Roman Walls and Medieval Castles
- Antonine Wall: Croy Hill
- Part of the Antonine Wall, which was Rome's northwest border.
- Biggar Gasworks Museum
- The only surviving town coal-gas works in Scotland.
- Bothwell Castle
- Scotland's largest and finest 13th-century castle.
- Cadzow Castle
- A ruined castle hidden in the woods of Hamilton.
- Craignethan Castle
- An early fort designed for cannons, with a residential tower.
Lothian: Hill Forts and Historic Churches
- Chesters Hill Fort
- One of the best-preserved Iron Age hill forts in Scotland.
- Dirleton Castle
- A medieval fortified home with a garden.
- Dunglass Collegiate Church
- A church founded in 1450.
- Hailes Castle
- A ruin that includes a fortified manor from the 1200s.
- Preston Market Cross
- The only market cross of its kind still standing in its original spot.
- Seton Collegiate Church
- An old church set in wooded surroundings.
- Tantallon Castle
- The home of the Douglas Earls of Angus, a very powerful family.
- Cairnpapple Hill
- An ancient burial site dating back to 3,000 BC.
- Linlithgow Palace
- The ruins of a palace set in a park next to a loch.
- Torphichen Preceptory
- The tower and transepts of a church built by the Knights Hospitaller.
Moray: Cathedrals and Ancient Wells
- Auchindoun Castle
- A castle built around 1480.
- Balvenie Castle
- A ruined castle built in the 1100s.
- Burghead Well
- A well carved into the rock.
- Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery
- A distillery built in 1898 to make whisky.
- Duffus Castle
- One of the best examples of a motte and bailey castle in Scotland.
- Elgin Cathedral
- Home to Scotland's finest octagonal chapter house.
- Spynie Palace
- The home of the bishops of Moray.
- Sueno's Stone
- A large Pictish monument with carvings.
Orkney Islands: Neolithic Villages and Viking Sites
- Barnhouse
- A Neolithic settlement, very old houses.
- Bishop's Palace, Kirkwall
- A palace built for the first bishop of Orkney.
- Broch of Gurness
- An Iron-Age broch (round tower) and the settlement around it.
- Brough of Birsay
- A site that was a power-base for Pictish and Norse people, with an ancient well.
- Brough of Deerness
- The site of an 11th-century Norse chapel and Viking settlement.
- Cobbie Row's Castle
- One of the earliest stone castles still standing in Scotland.
- Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn
- A Neolithic chambered tomb.
- Dounby Click Mill
- The last water mill of its kind left in Orkney.
- Dwarfie Stane
- A Neolithic burial chamber carved into a huge stone.
- Earl's Palace, Birsay
- The 16th-century remains of the home of Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney.
- Earl's Palace, Kirkwall
- A 17th-century palace built by Patrick Stewart.
- Grain Earth House
- An Iron Age underground house.
- Holm of Papa Westray Chambered Cairn
- A massive ancient tomb.
- Knap of Howar
- Probably the oldest standing stone houses in north-west Europe.
- Maeshowe Chambered Cairn
- The finest chambered tomb in north-west Europe.
- Midhowe Broch
- A well-preserved broch with remains of other buildings around it.
- Midhowe Chambered Cairn
- A large stone burial tomb from the Neolithic period.
- Noltland Castle
- A ruined Z-plan tower, started in the 1560s but never finished.
- Orphir Round Church
- The remains of an early 12th-century round church.
- Quoyness Chambered Cairn
- A large stone tomb with a passage and main chamber.
- Rennibister Earth House
- An Orkney underground house.
- Ring of Brodgar
- A circle of standing stones with a ditch, from the late Neolithic period.
- Skara Brae
- One of the best-preserved groups of prehistoric houses in Western Europe. It's part of a World Heritage Site!
- Stones of Stenness
- The remains of a stone circle.
- Taversöe Tuick Chambered Cairn
- A Neolithic chambered cairn.
- Unstan Chambered Cairn
- A mound covering a stone burial chamber.
- Watchstone
- A tall standing stone near the Stones of Stenness.
Outer Hebrides: Traditional Homes and Ancient Stones
- Arnol Blackhouse
- A traditional thatched house.
- Callanish Stones
- A cross-shaped arrangement of standing stones, put up around 3000 BC.
- Dun Carloway
- One of the best-preserved broch towers in Scotland.
- Kisimul Castle
- The only important medieval castle still standing in the Western Isles.
- St Clement's Church, Rodel
- A 15th-century church built for the Chiefs of the MacLeods.
- Steinacleit Cairn and Stone Circle
- The remains of a mysterious ancient burial site.
Perth and Kinross: Towers, Cathedrals, and Roman Sites
- Abernethy Round Tower
- One of only two Irish-style round towers left in Scotland, from the late 1000s.
- Ardunie Roman Signal Station
- The site of a Roman watch tower from the first century.
- Balvaird Castle
- A late 1400s tower house.
- Burleigh Castle
- The complete ruins of a tower house from about 1500.
- Dunfallandy Stone
- A well-preserved Pictish cross-slab.
- Dunkeld Cathedral
- A cathedral that holds a fine statue of King Robert III's brother.
- Elcho Castle
- A complete fortified mansion from the 1500s.
- Huntingtower Castle
- This castle has a beautiful painted ceiling.
- Lochleven Castle
- This castle was the setting for a very important year in the life of Mary Queen of Scots.
- Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum
- A museum with a collection of carved stones from the late 700s to late 900s.
- Stanley Mills
- A unique group of cotton mills powered by water from the River Tay.
- Tullibardine Chapel
- One of the most complete and unchanged small medieval churches in Scotland.
Renfrewshire: Ancient Crosses and Churches
- Barochan Cross
- A free-standing cross from early medieval times.
- Castle Semple Collegiate Church
- A church built in the late Gothic style.
Scottish Borders: Abbeys, Castles, and Roman Roads
- Cross Kirk, Peebles
- The remains of a friary.
- Dere Street Roman Road, Soutra
- A stretch of an ancient Roman road.
- Dryburgh Abbey
- The ruins of a medieval abbey.
- Edin's Hall Broch
- One of the few Iron Age brochs (round towers) found in lowland Scotland.
- Greenknowe Tower
- A tower house built in 1581.
- Hermitage Castle
- A castle from the 1200s/1300s.
- Jedburgh Abbey
- An abbey founded in 1138, often attacked by invading armies.
- Kelso Abbey
- The west end of a great abbey church.
- Melrose Abbey
- A ruined abbey that was very grand and had richly decorated stone carvings.
- Smailholm Tower
- A well-preserved rectangular tower from the 1400s.
Shetland: Brochs, Forts, and Ancient Settlements
- Clickimin Broch
- An Iron Age broch tower.
- Fort Charlotte
- A five-sided fort with bastions (projecting parts) for cannons.
- Jarlshof
- An ancient settlement with remains dating from 2500 BC all the way up to the 1600s AD.
- Mousa Broch
- A very well-preserved Iron Age broch tower.
- Muness Castle
- A late 1500s tower house.
- Scalloway Castle
- A castle-like mansion.
- Staneydale Temple
- A Neolithic hall.
Stirling: Royal Castles and Historic Bridges
- Cambuskenneth Abbey
- Home to the tomb of King James III and Queen Margaret.
- Doune Castle
- A courtyard castle from the late 1300s.
- Doune Roman Fort
- A Roman fort from the 1st century.
- Dunblane Cathedral
- A medieval church with parts from the 1200s.
- Inchmahome Priory
- A monastery from 1238 on an island in the Lake of Menteith.
- Stirling Castle
- One of Scotland's grandest castles because of its impressive location and architecture.
- Stirling: Argyll's Lodging
- A great example of a 17th-century townhouse.
- Stirling: King's Knot
- The earthworks of a formal garden.
- Stirling: Old Bridge
- A bridge built in the 1400s or early 1500s.
Images for kids
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
List of Historic Environment Scotland properties Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.