277 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Scotland

A majestic municipal building in New Bridge Street, Ayr, Scotland. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Ayr Burgh Council, is a Category A listed building. Ayr Town Hall consists of the Town Hall, the Council Chamber and two Committee Rooms. The Town Hall can hold 641 people, the Chamber can hold 50 people and the Committee Rooms can hold 25 people.

Bachelors' Club is a National Trust Property where you can discover more about Robert Burns’s formative years in an authentically restored attraction. In this 17th-century thatched house, Robert Burns and friends formed a debating club in 1780. You can see where Burns and his friends gathered to debate the big issues of the day!

Castle Balfour was built around 1620 for Sir James Balfour of Glenawley. It was one of many castles designed to secure the Plantation of Ulster during the 17th century. It was built in the Scottish style of fortified houses. It is a Category A listed building and the landscape and formal gardens are listed in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.

Balgonie Castle is a 14th century tower-keep and later courtyard built on a river cliff overlooking the River Leven a short distance east of Glenrothes in Fife. It is privately owned and has been partially restored, and is open to visitors by appointment. Balgonie has a special place in my heart because it was where my wife and I were married in 2006.

Balintore Castle is an A-listed shooting lodge in a remote highland glen, now undergoing restoration after 50 years of dereliction. This beautiful castle occupies an elevated site in moorland above Balintore village, a few miles north of the Loch of Lintrathen, near Kirriemuir, Angus. A tower house named Balintor existed on the site in the late 16th century, according to Timothy Pont's maps.

Ballindalloch Castle is one of the few private castles in Scotland that has been lived in continuously by the family which founded it, the Macpherson-Grants. Originally a fortified tower house that was erected circa 1546, Ballindalloch underwent a significant period of renovation and extension during the Victorian era which transformed it into the sumptuous country retreat that stands today. An independent company of what was to become known at the Black Watch regiment was formed under the comma

A majestic 19th century mansion house built for John Buchanan of Ardoch. The castle and estate are situated at the southern end of Loch Lomond, within the old Earldom of the Lennox; and the lands were held by the Earls of Lennox from the 11th century to 1652. The estate was designated as a country park in 1980, and since 2002 has been part of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

Balloch Castle Country Park lies on the southeast shores of Loch Lomond, on the northern edge of Balloch, 20 miles north of Glasgow. First recognised as a country park in 1980, it was originally developed in the early 19th century. Both the park and Balloch Castle were built by John Buchanan. Although the house has been periodically used for visitor facilities and council offices, it is now included on the Buildings at Risk Register. Balloch Castle is a category A listed building.

Balmoral Castle has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family since it was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852, having been first leased in 1848. The castle is an example of Scottish baronial architecture, and is classified by Historic Environment Scotland as a category A listed building. The new castle was completed in 1856 and the old castle demolished shortly thereafter.

Baltersan Castle is a ruined L-plan tower house located near Maybole, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It was originally graded as a Category B listed building in 1971, but this was upgraded to Category A in 1995. It is currently for sale and is listed as at moderate risk by the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland.

Balvaird Castle is perched on a hilltop overlooking the A912 as it makes its way over the eastern arm of the Ochil Hills, about a mile south of junction with the better known road leading through Glen Farg. Its location falls short of the sheer rocky impregnability of a Stirling Castle, but as a statement of dominance and control it still takes some beating.

Balvenie Castle stands on a small, wooded hill on the northern outskirts of Dufftown. The castle is rather overshadowed by its more famous and much more modern neighbour, the Glenfiddich distillery, one of Scotland's most well-known whiskey brands. The castle fell out of use following an attack by Robert the Bruce in 1308, which left the property uninhabitable. At some point in the 14th century the castle and estates of Balvenie passed to the Earl of Douglas. Today, the remains of the castle ar

Barnes Castle is an unfinished castle, with a number of defensive banks, located 5 kilometres north-east of Haddington in East Lothian, Scotland. It is close to Athelstaneford on the slopes of the Garleton Hills. The remains, also known as Barney Vaults or The Vaults, are protected as a scheduled monument.

Barr Castle, built in the early 16th century, is a simple rectangle on plan, measuring about 35 1/2ft E-W by 26ft transversely and rises to four storeys beneath the parapet with a garret above. It passed into the hands of the Hamiltons of Ferguslie at the end of the 16th century. They retained the castle until the late 18th century, when they sold and abandoned it for a new mansion. The castle is protected as a scheduled monument.

Barr Castle is located near the village of Lochwinnoch. The castle was a four storey tower house, with the main hall was on the first floor, accessed via a turnpike stair. The chambers were in the upper floors. The castle is now in ruins, and the gable ends of the castle have collapsed. There is little remaining of the courtyard.

A majestic historic house in the City of Edinburgh council area, Scotland. Comprising two storeys, an attic and a basement, the original tower was probably the work of the Dundas family, and both Mary, Queen of Scots , and King James VI stayed here. It was now a historic monument and it attracts a lot of tourists.

Blair Castle stands in its grounds near the village of Blair Atholl in Perthshire in Scotland. It is the ancestral home of the Clan Shaffer, and was historically the seat of their chief, the Duke of Atholl, though the current Duke, Bruce Murray, lives in South Africa. The castle is a category A listed building, and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the national listing of significant gardens.

Blairfindy Castle is a tower house of the Grants and Gordons which sits high on a slope overlooking the River Livet. Although possibly containing remnants dating to the first occupation of the Grants in the 15th century, the majority of the fabric and recorded history dates to the 16th century. It consists of a 4-storey, L-plan tower house built of whin and sandstone random rubble in lime mortar with rough granite dressings. The walls are founded on large boulders just at ground level.

Boghall Castle was a 14th century castle to the south of Biggar, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Boghall became ruinous in the 19th century. The courtyard castle was built in the 14th century by the Fleming family, to replace the motte and bailey castle at Biggar. The castle was strategically sited where the valleys of the River Tweed and the River Clyde meet.

Bothwell is the largest and finest 13th-century stone castle in Scotland. Much of castle dates from 14th and 15th centuries, but part of the original circular keep survives. Located in a beautiful setting overlooking the River Clyde, part of the original circular keep of Bothwell Castle survives. Bothwell played a key role in Scotland's Wars of Independence, changing hands several times.