UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Scotland

Scotland is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These landmarks, landscapes and monuments have been designated to highlight and protect their internationally significant cultural and natural heritage. Visit these sites to see ancient traces of the Romans in Scotland, picture Neolithic life in Orkney, or uncover the secrets of the magnificent Old and New Towns of Edinburgh.

Discover fascinating traces of what once was the Roman Empire’s most northerly frontier and one of the civilisation’s most sophisticated military constructions.

Reaching from the Firth of Forth in the east to the River Clyde in the west, the Antonine Wall was an ambitious engineering project, striking fear and dread into the hearts of the people of Scotland around 2,000 years ago. When completed, this formidable border was lined by 17 forts and patrolled by 7,000 soldiers hailing from all corners of the Roman Empire, tasked with protecting the northern frontier of Rome.

Unlike Hadrian’s Wall, which was built from stone, the Antonine Wall was composed of ramparts built from layers of turf and fronted by a wide and deep ditch to deter attackers. Visit Watling Lodge near Falkirk to walk along the best-preserved section of the ditch and rampart, plan a trip to Bearsden to find the remains of a Roman bathhouse, or let the kids play at being Romans for a day at one of the Roman-inspired playparks dotted along the wall.

Find out more on the official website of the Antonine Wall

Stay in the Forth Valley to explore the Antonine Wall

Step into a vast area of rugged beauty in the North Highlands, where ancient landscapes, rich history and a vibrant culture create a place you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

Set in the secluded open landscape of Caithness and Sutherland in the very north of the Scottish mainland, the Flow Country is a seemingly untouched wilderness characterised by blanket bog, sheltered straths, moorland and mountains, with deep roots in Highland history and nature. This extensive blanket bog system is one of Europe’s most important natural resources and the UK’s newest natural World Heritage Site.

Base yourself in one of the quaint local towns and villages that are the gateways to this remote wilderness. Get to know the local nature and wildlife as you listen out for the calls of rare birds in the distance, gaze up at the night sky to see which stars and constellations you can spot or take a moment to enjoy the quiet as you watch the reflection of the sky light up the bog pools in this special corner of Scotland.

Plan your visit with the official website of the Flow Country

Base yourself in the Highlands to visit the Flow Country

Built by the prehistoric people of Orkney around 5,000 years ago, marvel at stone monuments and landmarks that still survive today.

Off the north coast of Scotland, the Heart of Neolithic Orkney brings together four key monumental sites near Stromness on the Orkney Mainland: Skara Brae, Maeshowe, the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar. These outstanding examples of architecture illustrate a significant stage in human history – a time when the first large ceremonial monuments were built. These ancient sites are not only fascinating to visit today, but they also provide incredible insights into life in prehistoric Orkney.

Visit the Heart of Neolithic Orkney and you’ll get a real sense of place as you see how the sites highlight the ancient landscapes around them. Take your time, watch how the changing light, weather and seasons affect them, and imagine what it must have been like to use these monuments thousands of years ago.

Find out more about the Heart of Neolithic Orkney with Historic Environment Scotland

Plan your trip to Orkney

A place ahead of its time, visit the birthplace of social reforms such as shorter working days and comprehensive education for children.

New Lanark was founded in 1785 by David Dale, a Glasgow banker and entrepreneur, and Richard Arkwright, the inventor and pioneer of industrial cotton spinning. When Dale’s son-in-law, Robert Owen, took over after 15 years, he turned the cotton mill into a world-renowned blueprint for what could be the ideal working and living environment for workers and their families.

Today, New Lanark is an exceptional example of a purpose-built 18th century mill village, less than an hour’s drive away from Glasgow. Thanks to an ongoing process of conservation and rehabilitation spanning almost half a century, the appearance of the village today is still close to that of the early 19th century. Visit the award-winning restored attraction to see this progressive story brought to life in a series of buildings, exhibitions and attractions and discover how one man improved the lives of generations of families.

Plan a trip to the New Lanark World Heritage Site

Base yourself in the Clyde Valley to visit New Lanark

Experience how the dramatic contrast of its Old and New Towns shapes the historic heart of Edinburgh, one of the most striking and architecturally significant in the world.

Incorporated into a landscape of crags, dips and rolling hills, Edinburgh offers a constantly changing range of perspectives. From the turreted skyline of the medieval Old Town with its towering tenements to the neat and ordered grid of the neoclassical New Town, a new discovery is waiting whichever way you turn.

Go on an adventure through the labyrinthine closes and vennels of the Old Town and admire the grand symmetry and elegant boulevards of the New Town. Visit some of the world-renowned museums and galleries which tell the story of the people who have built, worked and lived in these streets and buildings, and find out how spots such as private dining rooms and libraries have become incredible eateries, places to stay and impressive stores.

Discover Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage Site

Plan your stay in Edinburgh

Immerse yourself in a place of rare beauty and drama, with untouched landscapes, thrilling boat trips and an array of birdlife to spot.

St Kilda is part of the Outer Hebrides, sitting to the north-west of North Uist in the Atlantic Ocean. The remote archipelago is composed of the five islands Hirta, Dùn, Soay, Boreray and Levenish. It is the UK’s only dual UNESCO Heritage Site, having been recognised for both its extraordinary natural and cultural importance. Although St Kilda is now uninhabited, people once lived and thrived here, just as they did on the main Outer Hebridean islands.

The heritage site is a protected environment which cannot accommodate many visitors. Tours by boat are available but strictly controlled. If you decide to visit the islands, you’ll have a rare experience of walking through a landscape abandoned by an entire community in 1930. Explore the haunting remains of the village in the bay on Hirta and see seabirds circling the impressive sea stacks and rugged cliffs that they call home.

Learn more about St Kilda with National Trust for Scotland

Travel to the Outer Hebrides

The Forth Bridge is an impressive feat in engineering and has been a unique icon of Scotland since building was completed in 1890.

100 metres tall (328 feet) and 2,467 metres long (8,094 feet), the Forth Bridge is an unmistakeable landmark stretching proudly across the Firth of Forth only a few miles north-east of Edinburgh. It was the first major structure to be built from mild steel, held together by millions of rivets. Today, the bridge still plays a key role in connecting both sides of the Firth of Forth with around 200 trains crossing it every day.

Walk along the shore of the Firth of Forth to admire the sheer scale of the remarkable red cantilevers. Take the train from Dalmeny station in South Queensferry to North Queensferry to see the impressive construction up close or book a boat tour for an extra special experience. Hear the gentle lapping of the waves against the hull as the boat takes you ever closer to the Forth Bridge, Forth Road Bridge and Queensferry Crossing so you can see them from an entirely new perspective.

Discover the Forth Bridge UNESCO World Heritage Site

Visit Fife on the northern side of the Forth Bridge