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List of Historic Environment Scotland properties facts for kids

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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.

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

  • 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

Dundee: Coastal Forts

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

Glasgow: Historic Castles and Cathedrals

Highland: Brochs, Cairns, and Loch Ness Views

Inverclyde: Riverside Strongholds

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

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

  • 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

Scottish Borders: Abbeys, Castles, and Roman Roads

Shetland: Brochs, Forts, and Ancient Settlements

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.

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List of Historic Environment Scotland properties Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.