31 1/3 Ways to Fill the Holidays this Summer!

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FILL THE HOLIDAYS thi S Summer

WHY DON'T YOU ... ? CLIMB + ROLL + EAT + HUNT + STOMP SEE + HEAR + HIDE + FIND + MAKE + EXPLORE… HISTORICENVIRONMENT.SCOT

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Hello Summer !

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berdour Castle...........................1 A Arbroath Abbey..........................2 Balvenie Castle............................3 Blackness Castle.........................4 Bonawe Iron Furnace ............5 Bothwell Castle............................6 Caerlaverock Castle.................7 Cairnpapple Hill...........................4 Calanais Standing Stones...............................................8 Cardoness Castle.......................9 Castle Campbell....................... 10 Dirleton Castle ...........................11 Doune Castle...............................12 Dryburgh Abbey.......................13 Duff House.....................................14 Duffus Castle...............................15 Dumbarton Castle...................16 Dunblane Cathedral...............17 Dundonald Castle....................18 Dunfermline Abbey................19 Dunstaffnage Castle................5 Dwarfie Stane............................ 20 Edinburgh Castle......................21 Edzell Castle................................22 Elcho Castle.................................23 Elgin Cathedral.........................24 Engine Shed................................25 Fort George.................................26 Glasgow Cathedral................27 Holyrood Park.............................21 Huntingtower Castle.............28 Huntly Castle..............................29 Inchcolm Abbey...........................1 Inchmahome Priory.............. 30 Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement.......31 Linlithgow Palace.......................4 Lochleven Castle.....................32 MacLellan’s Castle..................33 Maiden Stone..............................34 Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum........................35 Melrose Abbey..........................36 Neolithic Orkney WHS........37 Ring of Brodgar........................37 Rothesay Castle........................38 Skara Brae.....................................37 St Andrews Castle & Cathedral...............................39 Stirling Castle.............................25 Stones of Stenness.................37 St Vigeans Stones......................2 Tantallon Castle..........................11 Threave Castle..........................40 Urquhart Castle.........................41 Wideford Hill Chambered Cairn.................42

ALL CHARACTER ILLUSTRATIONS BY GINGERPAWS

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How to fill the school holidays? Let us count the ways.

Caerlaverock Threave We have more than 330 historic Castle sites in our care, Castle providing heaps of inspiration for legendary days out with your family. Whatever your little people are into, no matter their age, you’ll find ideas here to fire their imaginations. Go on, get out and see how many fun, frightening and fantastical experiences you can tick off!

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Hug a tree

Show your love for Mother Nature – press your face against the bark and look up into the canopy.

In the grounds of Dryburgh Abbey (above), you’ll find ancient yew trees and cedars of Lebanon, said to have been planted by knights returning from the Crusades.

Fruit fans can hug apple, pear and plum trees in the orchard at Elcho Castle.

ALSO AT Bonawe Iron Furnace DONE IT!

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Roll down a hill

Grass on your face, your clothes, in your mouth: all around beautiful Linlithgow Palace (below), the lawns slope away to the loch, inviting you to roll down. At the medieval fortresses of Bothwell Castle and Duffus Castle, grassy embankments – once defensive earthworks – are just perfect too. Explore the imposing ruins, then lie down, stretch out and tumble your way to the bottom!

DONE IT!

SHUTTERSTOCK

Caption here

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Hear gunfire

Brace yourself for the deafening bang of the One o’Clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle (below). Every day at precisely 1pm, the 105mm field gun is fired from Mills Mount Battery, so gather round to watch and listen. Fort George is still a working army barracks with a firing range nearby, so don’t be surprised if you hear gunfire (or spot soldiers) on your visit!

DONE IT!

Dress the part 5

Everyone loves a bit of dressing-up to set the imagination alight. If you’re visiting Shetland this summer don't miss Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement, where you can get togged up as a Pict or a Viking and explore settlements from the Bronze Age to the Renaissance.

Dress up in true medieval style at Caerlaverock Castle or don the robes of a princess at Doune Castle.

ALSO AT Stirling Castle, Castle Campbell DONE IT!

Climb a tall tower 4

It’s a long way to the top of St Rule’s Tower at St Andrews Cathedral (right) – 156 steps to be precise!

But it’s worth the effort for the views of the town and surrounding coast. Climb Queen Margaret’s Bower at Linlithgow Palace and gaze out over the loch and parkland below.

DONE IT!

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Hunt for clues

You can embark on a fact-finding mission at many of our properties, with explorer quiz sheets for kids available from the ticket desk.

At Rothesay Castle on the Isle of Bute the quiz takes you up and down stairs from the tower to the pit prison in a quest for answers.

ALSO AT All our staffed properties DONE IT!

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Meet the royals

At Stirling Castle you may come face to face with Mary Queen of Scots’ mother, Mary of Guise, along with her servants and court officials, who’ll transport you back to the life of the 16th-century Stewart monarchs. You might also catch a glimpse of her famous daughter! Don’t worry, they’ve not risen from the grave – these are costumed interpreters who’ll entertain you with tales of castle life in ages past.

DONE IT!

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Dance among standing stones

Heading to Orkney this summer? Channel your inner pagan and dance among mighty megaliths at some of Scotland’s most enigmatic prehistoric monuments.

Ring of Brodgar Stone Circle and Stones of Stenness are both part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site. If you’re visiting the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides be sure to swing and sway among the magnificent Calanais Standing Stones (below).

DONE IT!

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Scale a volcano 9

In the heart of Edinburgh is Holyrood Park (below), a slice of wild landscape dominated by Arthur’s Seat, an impressive hill and, in fact, a long-extinct volcano. It’s a short, sharp climb to the summit, where amazing 360-degree views of the city and the Firth of Forth await.

Over on the Clyde, Dumbarton Castle is perched on Dumbarton Rock, also an extinct volcano.

DONE IT!

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Get your geek on

Discover how Scotland’s buildings were made at the Engine Shed, opening on 3 July. Explore the country’s heritage with the Augmented Reality app, and participate in family-friendly demonstrations and hands-on workshops.

Try your hand at 3D scanning and thermal imaging, or even build a bridge with your own bare hands!

DONE IT!

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Play hide and seek

With so many nooks and crannies in old castles, who’d not be tempted to play a game of hide and seek? Some of our favourite places include the dramatic, rambling ruins of Huntly Castle and Huntingtower Castle, where you can find the secret hiding place that safeguarded the Ruthven treasures – a cupboard within a cupboard, hidden behind a stone!

ALSO AT Craigmillar Castle and Elcho Castle 6 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

SHUTTERSTOCK

DONE IT!

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Cosy up to a cannon

Edinburgh Castle’s famous Mons Meg is one of the greatest medieval cannons ever made and was capable of firing a stone ball almost two miles, while the cannons of Half Moon Battery date from the Napoleonic Wars.

At Fort George (below) you can touch cannons of all shapes and sizes on the ramparts, which look out over the Moray Firth.

ALSO AT Dumbarton, Stirling, Caerlaverock and Broughty Castles DONE IT!

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Hunt a Pictish beast

What has the body of a whippet, the nose of a dolphin, two tails (one on its backside and one on its head) and four legs that curl up like snakes? Not some crazy creature from a sci-fi film, but the Pictish beast, unique to the Picts and found on more than 50 carved stones from Fife to Orkney. See if you can spot this mysterious beast on the St Vigeans Stones, the Meigle Stones (right) and the Maiden Stone.

ALSO AT Aberlemno Sculptured Stones, Dunfallandy Stone, Dyce Symbol Stones DONE IT!

Crawl into a tomb 14

Descend into the gloom of a 5,000-year-old tomb at Wideford Hill Chambered Cairn on Orkney – inside you’ll find rare Neolithic scratch art. Another prehistoric chambered tomb is the Dwarfie Stane on the island of Hoy. Remarkably, it is carved from a single block of red sandstone.

ALSO AT Temple Wood Stone Circle (above), Cairn Holy Chambered Cairns DONE IT!

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Top 5 events R REMEMBE

Entry to ee for n e ev ts is fr members!

Browse all our events www.historicenvironment.scot/whats-on

Spectacular Jousting

The Rock of Ages

LINLITHGOW PALACE Sat 1 & Sun 2 July CAERLAVEROCK CASTLE Sat 29 & Sun 30 July Horses, knights and lances at the ready for an almighty display of courage and skill.

Visit the medieval encampments on display.

DUMBARTON CASTLE Sat 10 & Sun 11 June Celebrate 2,000 years of west-coast history – watch fearless warriors in thrilling battles and find out about cooking, traditions, armour and weaponry through the ages.

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not to miss History Live!

Renaissance Revelry STIRLING CASTLE Sat 30 September & Sun 1 October Music, dance and drama will bring the castle to life. Meet the colourful characters and learn about their life in the Royal Palace. Visit the kitchen and see the food they would have prepared and eaten, and hear more about the pastimes of the nobility and Mary Queen of Scots.

Siege on the Forth BLACKNESS CASTLE Sat 2 & Sun 3 September Discover the fascinating history of the ship that never sailed, with epic battle re-enactments and encampments.

Revel in the natural history of the Forth with birdwatching from the battlements.

Amazing Ages!

FORT GEORGE Sat 12 & Sun 13 August Don’t miss this brand new event celebrating Scotland’s history and culture with re-enactments, traditional music and plenty of skills and activities for you to try.

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Picnic in the sunshine 17

A family day out needn’t break the bank – keep it cheap and cheerful by packing your own picnic lunch.

Plenty of our sites have handy picnic tables and lovely lawns where young knights and princesses can fuel up and run around: the Queen Anne Garden at Stirling Castle and the lawns around Linlithgow Palace are picnic perfection!

ALSO AT Tolquhon, Hermitage, Huntly, Lochleven and Doune Castles, Dryburgh Abbey (below), Castle Campbell DONE IT!

Hunt for hidden animals 15

Have a good look at the impressive stained glass windows of Glasgow Cathedral – can you find the animals hidden among the colourful designs? There’s a lion and unicorn, doves, a frog and a hedgehog.

See if you can find the bat, ram and elephant carved in wood at Dunblane Cathedral, or the pig with bagpipes at Melrose Abbey (above).

DONE IT!

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Smell the flowers

Soak up the sweet scents and blazing colours of a summer garden at Dirleton Castle. The unique walled garden at Edzell Castle even has flowers growing in the wall niches, where birds would have nested. At Aberdour Castle you can run about in the walled gardens and along the terraces, with views over the Forth.

ALSO AT Stirling Castle, Castle Campbell 10 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

ALAMY

DONE IT!

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Storm the battlements

Imagine yourself as the enemy, trying to fight your way into some of Scotland’s most forbidding fortresses. How would you get past the daunting curtain wall of Doune Castle (below) or the imposing battlements of Blackness Castle? Climb up to the battlements of Dunstaffnage Castle to get an idea of just how strategically this fortress is located.

ALSO AT Castle Campbell, Balvenie and Dundonald Castles DONE IT!

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Make your move

Who’s for a bit of healthy competition? Challenge each other to a game of giant outdoor chess or draughts at MacLellan’s Castle, Threave Castle and Dryburgh Abbey (below). It’s the perfect way to have a laugh together after some serious history hunting.

ALSO AT Urquhart Castle DONE IT!

Dare to enter a dungeon 20

Many of our medieval castles and tower houses have dark dungeons and pit prisons where captives were kept in terrible conditions without as much as a toilet! Dare to step into the darkness at Tantallon Castle and imagine being locked up in the gloom for months at Threave Castle. Creepy!

ALSO AT Dirleton, Dundonald and Crichton Castles DONE IT!

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Pull faces

Can you find stone faces and mimic them? At Elgin Cathedral you’ll find the stone bishop looking very stern and solemn, along with many other expressive medieval carved faces in the Elgin Stones Exhibition. And at Dunfermline Abbey there are carved heads both comic and sombre, and a cast of Robert the Bruce’s skull in the Abbey Church next door.

ALSO AT Dryburgh (above) and Dundrennan Abbeys, Stirling Castle DONE IT!

Trip trap, trip trap – whether you’re looking out for trolls or marching like a soldier, a drawbridge makes an imposing entrance to any stronghold. You can find one to stomp across at Urquhart Castle, Fort George (below), Caerlaverock and Dirleton Castles.

DONE IT!

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Eat cake

It’s the perfect fuel for royalty and history hunters alike, so let them eat cake! After a busy hour of exploring, the whole family will be ready for a sweet treat.

There is no shortage of home-baked delights in the tearoom at Duff House, and parents can grab a muffin and a rest at Urquhart Castle (above). Especially for mums, an indulgent champagne afternoon tea awaits at Edinburgh Castle … ah bliss!

ALSO AT Stirling, Aberdour and Caerlaverock Castles, Skara Brae, Fort George DONE IT!

IDA MASPERO

Stomp across a drawbridge 22

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Wonder at weapons 25

The blood-curdling weaponry and armour on the walls of the Great Hall at Edinburgh Castle are enough to wow even the most battlehardened souls. Among the swords and shields are strange-shaped pole arms, including the terrifying Lochaber axe. At Fort George you’ll discover a massive collection of muskets (below) and other weapons in the grand magazine, designed to hold 2,672 gunpowder barrels. Boom!

ALSO AT Dumbarton Castle, Trinity House DONE IT!

See seabirds, seals and more 24

Many of our coastal properties make great places for spotting sea life.

Tantallon Castle provides a great view of the world-famous gannet colony on Bass Rock. On the boat trip to Inchcolm Abbey you’ll probably see seabirds all around and seals basking on the rocks (above). Fort George is well known for sightings of the Moray Firth dolphins.

ALSO AT Arbroath Abbey

ALAN POTTER, WWW.FORTHTOURS.COM

DONE IT!

Tiptoe through a siege tunnel 26

At St Andrews Castle you can go underground and explore its creepiest feature – the tunnels, or mine and countermine, dug by two opposing sides during a long siege in the 1540s. Are you brave enough to venture through them? It’s definitely not for the claustrophobic or the faint-hearted!

DONE IT!

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Build a sandcastle

Combine a legendary day of history at St Andrews Castle with sandcastle building on the adjacent Castle Sands beach. Inchcolm Abbey, on its own island in the Firth of Forth, is flanked by two golden beaches. If your summer holidays take you to Orkney, don’t miss Skara Brae, dramatically located on beautiful white sands (below).

ALSO AT Blackness and Dunstaffnage Castles, Whithorn Priory, Fort George DONE IT!

Take a boat trip to an island 29

Ahoy there, sailors! Crossing the water by boat is the only way to get to Lochleven Castle, which sits on its own island in the loch. A tranquil wooded island in the Lake of Menteith is home to Inchmahome Priory, while you’ll have to cross the River Dee by boat to reach Threave Castle (below). So jump aboard and putter across the water to explore these magical island ruins.

DONE IT!

Spy red squirrels 28

This adorable native animal is endangered in the UK, but with luck you’ll spot one at Bonawe Iron Furness, where the surrounding woodland provides them with a home. At Cardoness Castle our staff feed the red squirrels, so you have an even better chance of a sighting.

ALSO AT Balvenie and Elcho Castles, Dundrennan Abbey, Spynie Palace 14 HISTORIC SCOTLAND

SHUTTERSTOCK, IDA MASPERO

DONE IT!

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Climb a hill

You’ll need to scale a big hill to reach Dundonald Castle, home to the founder of the Stewart royal dynasty. Climb to the summit of prominent Cairnpapple Hill (above) to check out the Neolithic henge, burial cairn and fantastic views … then race down. Whoohoo!

ALSO AT Crichton and Craignethan Castles, Castle Campbell DONE IT!

Run races round a cloister 30

Cloisters would have been quiet, solemn places in the past but these days they beg to be filled with the sounds of laughter and running footsteps. Race around the cloisters at magnificent Melrose Abbey and at Inchcolm Abbey (above). On your marks, get set, go!

ALSO AT St Andrews Cathedral, Dryburgh Abbey DONE IT!

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Take a selfie

Go on, grab your membership card for a grand day out at one of our 330 properties. Take a selfie and tell us on social media where you’ve caught the history bug this summer! #getthebug DONE IT!

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Get the history bug this summer The history bug is sweeping the nation and the only remedy is regular use of your Historic Scotland membership card!

There have been disturbing reports of frothing at the mouth at Caerlaverock Castle (after a cappuccino in the cafĂŠ), alarming cases of sharp stabbing pains at Linlithgow Palace during jousting events, and uncontrollable outbreaks of curiosity and giggles at Fort George.

Here are some of the pictures documenting the spread of this fantastically fun epidemic ‌ we would love to see yours from your adventures this summer!

Simply share them on social media with the hashtag

#getthebug 16 HISTORIC SCOTLAND