38 Monuments to Explore in Scotland

The Hopetoun Monument is in the Garleton Hills, near Camptoun. It is 95ft (29m) tall and is situated on the summit of Byres Hill 560ft . The monument was erected in memory of John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun (1765-1823). The monument is often referred to as the Garleton Monument or the "Galla Monument" by locals, after Garleton Farm on Byres Hill.

The Pencil was built in 1912, to commemorate the Battle of Largs 1263, when the Scots defeated King Haco of Norway's troops on the shore at Largs, after the 160 long ships got caught in a storm. The Pencil is built of whinstone and stands 70 feet high and is topped by a conical cap. The style is modelled after the round towers at Abernethy and Brechin, wrongly thought by historians at the time to have been built for defence against the Norse.

The Nelson Monument is a commemorative tower in honour of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, located in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is situated on top of Calton Hill, and provides a dramatic termination to the vista along Princes Street from the west. The monument was built between 1807 and 1816 to commemorate Nelson's victory over the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and his own death at the same battle. In 1852 a mechanized time ball was added, as a time signal to shipping i

Nelson Tower was built by the Forres Trafalgar Club to commemorate Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar. From the top it affords spectacular views of the town and Findhorn Bay while it overlooks the town from the summit of Cluny Hill. When you get to the tower you will be able to climb the 96 steps to the viewing area on the roof. Please take care inside the tower as the floor and stairs have uneven stone surfaces.

The heavily fortified Noltland castle lies approximately half a mile from Pierowall Bay and was built by a Scotsman, Gilbert Balfour from Fife. It has 7ft thick stone walls and no less than 71 gun holes. Its position above Pierowall Bay would also have given those inside the building the perfect view of any potential attackers. It dates mainly to the later 16th century, although it was never fully completed. The castle is protected as a scheduled monument.

Orchardton Tower is an unusual free-standing round tower, the only one of its type in Scotland. It operated as a fortified residence for a nobleman named John Cairns, who may have acquired the land after James II’s overthrow of the Douglases in 1455. is remarkable as the only cylindrical tower house in Scotland. Orchardton Tower is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Pollok House is the ancestral home of the Stirling Maxwell family. It houses a large private collection of Spanish paintings, glass, silverware, porcelain and antique furnitures. The garden of the house has a collection of over 1,000 species of rhododendrons. The garden also contain a Beech tree which is thought to be 250 years old.

Provand's Lordship is a medieval historic house museum built in 1471. It is one of the four surviving medieval buildings in Glasgow. The house is furnished with a fine selection of 17th century historic furniture and royal portraits.

A simple Celtic cross in tribute to the men of Roslin who fell in the two world wars. This memorial commemorates the residents of Roslin who were killed or missing in World War I and World War II. It was erected by the Roslin Heritage Society at the end of last century, marks the site of the Battle of Roslin.

Scott Monument is one of the most iconic Edinburgh landmarks, a must-visit for tourists and locals alike. Dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, it is one of the largest monuments to a writer anywhere in the world. The tower is 200 feet 6 inches high and has viewing platforms reached by a series of spiral staircases giving panoramic views of central Edinburgh and its surroundings.

Taversöe Tuick is a Neolithic burial cairn on Rousay, Orkney, Scotland, thought to date from between 4000 and 2500 BCE. The monument includes a rare example of a double-tiered chamber, an upper chamber approached via a passageway and a lower subterranean chamber, originally separate, which can now be reached via a modern ladder from the upper chamber. The site is a scheduled monument in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.

A conspicuous white-painted monument on Lyle Hill in Greenock, the Free French Memorial was designed and built by the officers and men of the wartime French Naval Base at Greenock and takes the form of a Cross of Lorraine, the symbol of the Free French Forces. To commemorate their effort and loss of life, this memorial was unveiled in 1946. The memorial is in the shape of the Cross of Lorraine with an anchor at the bottom.

The Mackintosh Church or Queen's Cross Church is a former parish church of Church of Scotland. This is the only church designed by the Scotish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh from whom church came to known as the Mackintosh Church. Unlike most churches in Glasgow, the Mackintosh Church does not have a huge towering spire and is more like a Norman Castle.

This is an outstanding landmark and one of Stirling’s most striking visits - commemorating the life of Sir William Wallace, the patriot and martyr who came to be saluted as Scotland’s National Hero. Inside the Monument you will find yourself transported back to the 13th Century as you discover the story of the warrior who led the Scottish army to victory at The Battle of Stirling Bridge.

The Wallace Tower is a picturesque Gothic structure built to commemorate William Wallace at the time of an upsurge in the Scottish desire for self-determination. The tower is open to the public for an admission fee. Visitors approach by foot from the base of the crag on which it stands. On entry there are 246 steps to the final observation platform, with three exhibition rooms within the body of the tower. The tower is not accessible to disabled visitors.

Sir John De Graeme was William Wallace’s finest knight and was killed in action during the Battle of Falkirk on July 22nd, 1298. His body was carried from the battlefield by William Wallace himself to Faw Kirk Graveyard where he was laid to rest. Over the years his resting place has deteriorated as a result of exposure to the great Scottish weather and vandalism but in 2011 thanks to the Scottish Government’s town centre regeneration fund it was ordered to be restored in to a lasting memorial.

Tomnaverie is a recumbent stone circle, a kind of monument found only in north-eastern Scotland. Their characteristic feature is a large stone on its side, flanked by two upright stones, usually on the south or south-west arc of the circle. Construction started from about 2500 BC, in the Bronze Age, to produce a monument of thirteen granite stones including a massive 6.5-ton recumbent stone lying on its side along the southwest of the circle's perimeter

Wallace's Monument is a category-A-listed building dedicated to the memory of William Wallace located on Barnweil Hill , a prominent location in the parish of Craigie, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is a picturesque Gothic structure and is in a prominent situation, built to commemorate William Wallace at the time of an upsurge in the Scottish desire for self-determination, predating the 1869 Wallace Monument at Stirling.