320 Old Ruins to Explore in United Kingdom

Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles, the United Kingdom, Great Britain, Scotland. The summit is 1,345 meters (4,413 ft) above sea level and is the highest land in any direction for 459 miles (739 km). The mountain is a popular destination, attracting an estimated 100,000 ascents a year. The summit, which is the collapsed dome of an ancient volcano, features the ruins of an observatory which was operational between 1883 and 1904.

Berwick Barracks, sometimes known as Ravensdowne Barracks, is a former military installation of the British Army in Berwick-upon-Tweed, England. Built in the early 18th century to the design of the distinguished architect Nicholas Hawksmoor, the Barracks was among the first in England to be purpose built. The 'By Beat of Drum' exhibition gives you an insight into the life of the British infantryman from the Civil War to the First World War.

The Winding Engine House is the last remaining part of Bestwood Colliery - one of the busiest coal mines in Nottinghamshire. The winding engine lowered colliers into the mine shaft, and winched mined coal up to the surface. The tall brick building houses a huge winding engine. Originally it was powered by steam, but today's visitors see the massive engine moved by an electrical motor. The engine dates back to 1876, the heyday of Victorian industrial engineering.

The Earl's Palace in Birsay, Orkney, Scotland, is a ruined 16th-century castle. It was built by Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Orkney , illegitimate son of King James V and his mistress Euphemia Elphinstone. The palace is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces are located in Kirkwall. It is essentially a simple, two-storey hall house and, although little of the first-floor hall remains, the ground level is largely intact. You can also climb to the top of the tower, known locally as the 'Moosie Toor', for views over Kirkwall. Earl's Palace, which was constructed around 1606 by Patrick, Earl of Orkney - one of Orkney's most notorious rulers.

Blackhammer Chambered Cairn is a Neolithic cairn on Rousay, in Orkney, Scotland. It is a scheduled monument in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.It is thought to date from around 3000 BC. The structure is a typical stalled cairn, with an interior divided into seven compartments by pairs of upright stone slabs. The cairn has a modern roof, as the cairn originally was only a few feet high. Access is by a hatchway and ladder in the roof, as the original entrance was sealed

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.

Blists Hill Victorian Town is one of the 10 Ironbridge Gorge Museums set within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site.The museum attempts to recreate the sights, sounds and smells of a Victorian Shropshire town in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is like stepping back in time, with the historic streets lined with shops, cottages and places of work. This town also hosts events, such themed festivals, outdoor theatre and sporting trials.

Bobby’s Bus Shelter in Unst has become a Shetland attractionin recent years, and arguably one of the most visited and photographed attractions on Shetland’s most northerly island. It might be the only bust stop in the world that is visited by bus loads of tourists every day during the summer. The shelter is equipped with a sofa and a television. It is furnished and redecorated periodically.

Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge. It hosts one of the largest bat roosts in south-east England, and is home to five species of bats. The castle survives physically as a moated ruin within the Rother valley, but its spirit resides in its power to capture your imagination and allow you to ‘look into another world’.

Bodmin Jail has played an important role in Cornwall’s history and this bold re-development gives visitors the chance to delve into an intriguing hidden history. Explore the many cells and features that make your visit to the Jail a fun and educational adventure, and just a little bit scary. The Jail you see today was built with the help of the prisoners who brought 20,000 tons of granite from Bodmin’s Cuckoo Quarry.

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.

Bolingbroke Castle was one of three castles built by Ranulf de Blundeville, Earl of Chester and Lincoln, in the 1220s after his return from the Crusades. After Blundeville’s death, the castle remained in the ownership of the Earls of Lincoln and was later inherited through marriage by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Today the castle is an evocative ruin preserved to ground floor level, with several rooms within the towers still surviving.

Bolton Castle is a stark and imposing medieval fortress at the entrance to Wensleydale, begun by Richard le Scrope in 1378. It was a grand family home as well as a defensive fortress and, despite being partially ‘slighted’ by Cromwell’s’ men during the Civil War siege, is still preserved in outstanding condition with many interesting rooms and features to discover. The castle is still in the private ownership of Lord Bolton, the direct descendant of the castle’s original owner Sir Richard le Sc

Bolton Abbey lies in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales near Skipton. The land was gifted to the Augustinian canons by Alice de Rumilly in 1154. The canons lived and worshipped here until 1539 when the dissolution of the monasteries stripped the Priory of its assets. Despite the loss of most of the Priory buildings during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the western half of the original nave was preserved so that the local parish could continue its worship there.

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.

Brechin Castle is a castle in Brechin, Angus, Scotland. The castle was constructed in stone during the 13th century. Most of the current building dates to the early 18th century, when extensive reconstruction was carried out by architect Alexander Edward for James Maule, 4th Earl of Panmure, between approximately 1696 and 1709. They have fairy trails, zip slide, maze, go karts, water play and more. They also have a separate yard just off the play area for play tractors and sand pits.

The Bressay Heritage Centre, situated at the Bressay ferry terminal, is a local exhibition space, which shows Bressay life and history, as well as information about the mysterious Bronze Age mound that has been relocated alongside. Current displays include information and photographs documenting Bressay’s role in WW1, photographs of Bressay’s flora and a lovely ‘ben end’, a 1960’s living room – Bressay style.

This is a late medeival high single arched bridge crossing the River Doon at the south end of Alloway. It is believed to have been built in the 1400s: until then it had been necessary to cross the river using a ford. As a result a new bridge was built a couple of hundred yards downstream. This opened to traffic in 1816, and today still carries the main road through Alloway south towards Maybole and beyond.

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village on the northeast coast of Mainland Orkney in Scotland overlooking Eynhallow Sound, about 15 miles north-west of Kirkwall. It once housed a substantial community. It is perched on the edge of the Orkney's west mainland - part of a coastline that, at one point, would have been lined with brochs. Across Eynhallow Sound you can see another well-preserved example at Midhowe in Rousay.