Just a short walk from Falkirk town centre lies the 170-acre green oasis of Callendar Park. The centrepiece is Callendar House - a mansion fashioned in the style of a French Renaissance chateau, fused with elements of Scottish Baronial architecture, while a far older tower structure sits at the core. The opulent building has a varied 600-year history and is now in the care of Falkirk Council - functioning as a museum and art gallery. Entry is free and the splendid tea room of

Most people probably associate the National Trust with grand country mansions, surrounded by extensive grounds. Or perhaps a historic castle with sweeping views across the landscape. There's plenty of that in the portfolio, but the organisation also maintain properties in the heart of our biggest cities. The Georgian House is the Trust's prize asset in Edinburgh's New Town. The wide boulevards and terraced stone villas were constructed for the professional classes between 17

I read about a British Museum Spotlight Loan coming to the Smith Museum and Art Gallery in the City of Stirling. The travelling exhibition explores the Kushi Kingdom - a civilisation that flourished in Sudan nearly 3000 years ago. It had been a few years since I had visited the Stirling cultural institution and I took the bus from Dunfermline on a Sunday morning. Just a short walk from the main shopping precinct, the museum was founded in 1874 and funded by the estate of loca

A wildlife-themed exhibition at the Carnegie Galleries in Dunfermline? Let me think about that for a minute. Yes, I'm going. Nicole accompanied me and the event had just a few days left to run. Upon arrival, Nicole realised the source material was based on a book of illustrated poetry (in the form of spells) she had immensely enjoyed. Published in 2017, The Lost Words was created as a response to the belief that children are losing touch with the natural world around them. A

It's always nice to be out and about between Christmas and New Year. A chance to walk off some of the prandial excess. A few days of winter sunshine brought many people into Dunfermline town centre and the place was buzzing over the festive period. It's easy to neglect treasures on your own doorstep and one way of appreciating your local assets is to show visitors around your town. Which is exactly what we did. Friends of Nicole's father were holidaying in Edinburgh and they

Much fanfare surrounded the return of passenger services to Leven last year. The Fife coastal town lost its railway station in 1969, although the seafront power station received freight deliveries until the turn of the century. The double-track line then rusted away for years before being slated for reopening. But train whistles could occasionally be heard in Kirkton Yard, an old marshalling facility next to the inactive route. Fife Heritage Railway - then known as the Kingdo

The birth of the modern passenger railway can be traced back to 1825, with the opening of the Stockton & Darlington line in County Durham. Many events have been organised this year to commemorate the bi-centenary and I was determined to catch Inspiration - an exhibition train currently touring the UK (until March 2026). Curated in conjunction with the National Railway Museum, entry tickets are free although a timeslot must be booked in advance. The aim is to showcase ground-

One year on from our last foray to the Fatherland, we were on a plane to Berlin, en route to the Uckermark region where my mother-in-law B ärbel lives. As our flight wasn't due to land until early evening, we arranged to stay the night at Nicole's cousin's place on the outskirts of the capital city. The flight ran to schedule and we left our car at a large parking facility just off the M8. A shuttle bus took us to the terminal building. Two hours later, Madeleine picked us

Unsurprisingly, Scotland's most popular paid visitor attraction is Edinburgh Castle. In second place is the Stirling counterpart - a...

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway - the world's first steam passenger line to...

Summertime always brings a new exhibition to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The current offering is Monkeys: Our Primate...

Southwest Scotland receives little tourist traffic in comparison to the Highlands and Islands. The rural Galloway region (west of...

Summer has been very warm this year and my annual London walking project was sure to be thirsty work. I travelled south on the Lumo...

A brand new museum opened in Perth last year. Based within the old City Hall, the facility showcases local history and also houses the...

This year (2025) marks the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, widely regarded as the world's first working steam...

After perusing the excellent Joseph Noel Paton exhibition at the Carnegie Library and Galleries, Dunfermline, we found another...

There are many examples of artists who didn't achieve major success in their own lifetime, but were greatly appreciated in later years....

While visiting visiting the National Museum of Scotland for the major computer gaming exhibition, I also checked out Cold War Scotland -...

In addition to the superb range of permanent galleries, the National Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street, Edinburgh, hosts a couple of...

The Fair City of Perth has a brand new museum, located within the City Hall. The Edwardian civic building (B-listed) had struggled to...