Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland from its position on the Castle Rock. Archaeologists have established human occupation of the rock since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. There has been a royal castle on the rock since at least the reign of David I in the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until the Union of the Crowns in 1603. From the 15th century the castle's residential role declined, and by the 17th century it was principally used as military barracks with a large garrison. Its importance as a part of Scotland's national heritage was recognised increasingly from the early 19th century onwards, and various restoration programmes have been carried out over the past century and a half. As one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle was involved in many historical conflicts from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century to the Jacobite Rising of 1745. It has been besieged, both successfully and unsuccessfully, on several occasions.Few of the present buildings pre-date the Lang Siege of the 16th century, when the medieval defences were largely destroyed by artillery bombardment. The most notable exceptions are St Margaret's Chapel from the early 12th century, which is regarded as the oldest building in Edinburgh, the Royal Palace and the early-16th-century Great Hall, although the interiors have been much altered from the mid-Victorian period onwards. The castle also houses the Scottish regalia, known as the Honours of Scotland and is the site of the Scottish National War Memorial and the National War Museum of Scotland. The British Army is still responsible for some parts of the castle, although its presence is now largely ceremonial and administrative. Some of the castle buildings house regimental museums which contribute to its presentation as a tourist attraction.The castle is in the care of Historic Scotland and is Scotland's most-visited paid tourist attraction, with over 1.2 million visitors in 2011.As the backdrop to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo during the annual Edinburgh International Festival the castle has become a recognisable symbol of Edinburgh and of Scotland.

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The Italian Chapel is a highly ornate Catholic chapel on Lamb Holm in the Orkney Islands. It was built by Italian prisoners of war during World War II, who were housed on the previously uninhabited island while they constructed the Churchill Barriers to the east of Scapa Flow. Only the concrete foundations of the other buildings of the prisoner-of-war camp survive. It was not completed until after the end of the war, and was restored in the 1960s and again in the 1990s. It is now a popular tourist attraction, and a category A listed building.[1]550 Italian prisoners of war, captured in North Africa during World War II, were brought to Orkney in 1942. They worked on the construction of the Churchill Barriers, four causeways created to block access to Scapa Flow.200 were based at Camp 60 on Lamb Holm.In 1943, Major Thomas Pyres Buckland, Camp 60's new commandant, and Father Gioacchino Giacobazzi, the Camp's priest, agreed that a place of worship was required.The chapel was constructed from limited materials by the prisoners. Two Nissen huts were joined end-to-end. The corrugated interior was then covered with plasterboard and the altar and altar rail were constructed from concrete left over from work on the barriers. Most of the interior decoration was done by Domenico Chiocchetti, a prisoner from Moena.He painted the sanctuary end of the chapel and fellow-prisoners decorated the entire interior. They created a facade out of concrete, concealing the shape of the hut and making the building look like a church. The light holders were made out of corned beef tins. The baptismal font was made from the inside of a car exhaust covered in a layer of concrete.

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The Kelpies are 30 metre high horse-head sculptures, standing next to the Forth and Clyde Canal in Falkirk, Scotland.The sculptures were designed by sculptor Andy Scott and were completed in October 2013.The sculptures form a gateway at the eastern entrance to the Forth and Clyde canal, and the new canal extension built as part of The Helix land transformation project. The Kelpies are a monument to horse powered heritage across Scotland.The sculptures will open to the public in Spring 2014,ahead of the opening of a visitor centre in Summer 2014.As part of the project, they will have their own visitor centre, and sit beside a newly developed canal turning pool and extension. This canal extension reconnects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the River Forth, and improves navigation between the East and West of Scotland.The name was chosen by Scottish Canals at the inception of The Helix project, in 2005.The Kelpies name reflected the mythological transforming beasts possessing the strength and endurance of 10 horses; a quality that is analogous with the transformational change and endurance of Scotland's inland waterways. The Kelpies represent the lineage of the heavy horse of Scottish industry and economy, pulling the wagons, ploughs, barges and coalships that shaped the geographical layout of the Falkirk area.According to sculptor Andy Scott "The original concept of mythical water horses was a valid starting point for the artistic development of the structures."“I took that concept and moved with it towards a more equine and contemporary response, shifting from any mythological references towards a socio-historical monument intended to celebrate the horse’s role in industry and agriculture as well as the obvious association with the canals as tow horses.”In 2008 Scott created three-metre-high miniature versions in his Glasgow studio. These were then scanned by lasers to help the steel fabricators create accurate full-scale components.According to Scott the end result would be "Water-borne, towering gateways into The Helix, the Forth & Clyde canal and Scotland, translating the legacy of the area into proud equine guardians."

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Milnathort is a small village in the Perth & Kinross region of central Scotland.The smaller neighbour of nearby Kinross, Milnathort has a population of roughly 2000 people. It is situated amidst picturesque countryside at the foot of the Ochil Hills, and near the north shore of Loch Leven. Recently, it has become more easily accessible due to the development of the M90 motorway.Milnathort's amenities are typical of a small Scottish town. It is home to a nine hole golf course, a large park area, miles of a countryside bike path, a primary school, a range of traditional pubs and cafés and a shop which sells renowned ice cream. Milnathort also benefits from the nearby amenities of Kinross such as a leisure centre, a doctor's surgery and the Loch Leven Community Campus.

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Eilean Donan is a small tidal island in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland; since the castle's restoration in the early 20th Century, a footbridge has connected the island to the mainland. A picturesque castle that frequently appears in photographs, film and television dominates the island, which lies about 1 kilometre from the village of Dornie.Eilean Donan is part of the Kintail National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland.In 2001, the island had a recorded population of just one person,but there were no "usual residents" at the time of the 2011 census.Eilean Donan, which means simply "island of Donnán", is named after Donnán of Eigg, a Celtic saint martyred in 617. Donnán is said to have established a church on the island, though no trace of this remains.The castle was founded in the thirteenth century, and became a stronghold of the Clan Mackenzie and their allies the Clan Macrae. In the early eighteenth century the Mackenzies' involvement in the Jacobite rebellions led in 1719 to the castle's destruction by government ships. Lieutenant-Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap's twentieth-century reconstruction of the ruins produced the present buildings.

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Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands,is an archipelago in northern Scotland, 16 kilometres north of the coast of Caithness. Orkney comprises approximately 70 islands, of which 20 are inhabited.The largest island, known as the "Mainland" has an area of 523.25 square kilometres making it the sixth largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in the British Isles. The largest settlement and administrative centre is Kirkwall.The Mainland is the largest island of Orkney. Both of Orkney's burghs, Kirkwall and Stromness, are on this island, which is also the heart of Orkney's transportation system, with ferry and air connections to the other islands and to the outside world. The island is more densely populated than the other islands and has much fertile farmland.The island is mostly low-lying but with coastal cliffs to the north and west and two sizeable lochs: the Loch of Harray and the Loch of Stenness. The Mainland contains the remnants of numerous Neolithic, Pictish and Viking constructions. Four of the main Neolithic sites are included in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1999.The other islands in the group are classified as north or south of the Mainland. Exceptions are the remote islets of Sule Skerry and Sule Stack, which lie 60 kilometres west of the archipelago, but form part of Orkney for local government purposes. In island names, the suffix "a" or "ay" represents the Norse ey, meaning "island". Those described as "holms" are very small.Orkney has an abundance of wildlife especially of Grey and Common Seals and seabirds such as Puffins, Kittiwakes, Tysties, Ravens, and Bonxies. Whales, dolphins, Otters are also seen around the coasts. Inland the Orkney Vole, a distinct subspecies of the Common Vole is an endemic.There are five distinct varieties, found on the islands of Sanday, Westray, Rousay, South Ronaldsay, and the Mainland, all the more remarkable as the species is absent on mainland Britain.The coastline is well-known for its colourful flowers including Sea Aster, Sea Squill, Sea Thrift, Common Sea-lavender, Bell and Common Heather. The Scottish Primrose is found only on the coasts of Orkney and nearby Caithness and Sutherland.Although stands of trees are generally rare, a small forest named Happy Valley with 700 trees and lush gardens was created from a boggy hillside near Stenness during the second half of the 20th century.The North Ronaldsay Sheep is an unusual breed of domesticated animal, subsisting largely on a diet of seaweed, since they are confined to the foreshore for most of the year to conserve the limited grazing inland.

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Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, situated in Lothian on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. It is the second most populous city in Scotland and the seventh most populous in the United Kingdom.The population in 2012 was 482,640.Edinburgh has been recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, but political power moved south to London after the Union of the Crowns in 1603 and the Union of Parliaments in 1707. After nearly three centuries of unitary government, a measure of self-government returned in the shape of the devolved Scottish Parliament, which officially opened in Edinburgh in 1999. The city is also home to many national institutions such as the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. Edinburgh’s relatively buoyant economy, traditionally centred on banking and insurance but now encompassing a wide range of businesses, makes it the biggest financial centre in the UK after London.Many Scottish companies have their head offices there.The city is rich in associations with the past and has many historic buildings, including Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and an extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th century. Edinburgh’s Old Town and New Town are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The city has long been known abroad as a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scots law, the sciences and engineering. The University of Edinburgh, now one of four in the city, is ranked among the world's top 20.The city is also famous for the Edinburgh International Festival, which, since its inception in 1947, has grown - largely as a result of the "Fringe" and other associated events - into the biggest annual international arts festival in the world. In 2004 Edinburgh became the world's first UNESCO City of Literature, an accolade awarded in recognition of its literary heritage and lively literary activities in the present.The city’s historical and cultural attractions, together with an annual calendar of events aimed primarily at the tourist market, have made it the second most popular tourist destination in the United Kingdom, attracting over one million overseas visitors each year.

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The West Highland Way is a linear long distance footpath in Scotland, with the official status of Long Distance Route. It is 154.5 km long, running from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, with an element of hill walking in the route. It is managed by the West Highland Way Management Group consisting of West Dunbartonshire Council, Stirling Council, Argyll & Bute Council, Highland Council and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority. About 85,000 people use the path every year, of whom over 30,000 walk the entire route.The trail was approved for development in 1974 and was completed and opened on 6 October 1980 by Lord Mansfield so becoming the first officially designated long distance footpath in Scotland.In June 2010, the West Highland Way was co-designated as part of the International Appalachian Trail.

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Rothiemurchus Forest is a remnant of the Caledonian Forest at grid reference NH9209 near Aviemore, Badenoch and Strathspey, Highland, Scotland.The forest is popular for recreation and contains important European wildlife, including the osprey, Scottish crossbill, capercaillie, crested tit and wild cat.Stretching from the River Spey to the high mountain plateau, Rothiemurchus sits within the Cairngorms National Park.A living Highland estate in the ownership of the Grant family since the 16th century, it is cared for today by Johnnie Grant 13th Earl of Dysart and 16th Laird of Rothiemurchus, his wife Philippa and their family.

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Inveraray Castle is a country house near Inveraray in the county of Argyll, in western Scotland, on the shore of Loch Fyne, Scotland’s longest sea loch.It has been the seat of the Duke of Argyll, chief of Clan Campbell since the 17th century.The house is a mostly mid-18th-century neo-Gothic design. Designers who worked on the house include William Adam and Roger Morris; the interior includes a number of neoclassical rooms created for the 5th Duke by Robert Mylne.These are among the rooms open to the public. The 13th Duke and his family live in private apartments occupying two floors and set between two of the castle's crenellated circular towers. Recent renovations included the installation of the house's first central heating.Painting of Inveraray Castle, 1880In 1975, a devastating fire struck Inveraray and for some time the 12th Duke and his family lived in the castle basement while restorations requiring a worldwide fundraising drive were carried out.Inveraray Castle is a Category A listed building. It is surrounded by a 16-acre garden and estate of 60,000 acres.Inverary Castle is believed to be haunted by the "ghost of a harpist who was hanged in 1644 for peeping at the lady of the house." The sound of a mysterious harp playing has been reported by visitors to the castle.In 2009, an episode of Most Haunted was filmed here.In 2012, the Christmas episode of Downton Abbey was partly filmed here; the castle stood in for the fictional "Duneagle Castle.

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Monarch Country refers to the area of the Scottish Highlands featured in the BBC One drama series Monarch of the Glen. The filming locations were predominantly in Badenoch and Strathspey. Fans of the series refer to themselves as Boglies and to the area as Monarch Country.Monarch of the Glen had many locations in the area, with the Ardverikie Estate, near the small village of Laggan, being the focal point. Ardverikie House, in the middle of the estate, doubled as the MacDonalds' residence - Glenbogle House in the show. The estate also boasts the croft of the ghillie Golly MacKenzie and the local pub, the Ghillie's Rest. The entrance to the estate, Kinloch Laggan, was often seen in the show, as was the bridge that gives access from Kinloch Laggan to the actual Ardverikie Estate. Loch Laggan surrounds the estate, and its beach was used many a time in the show. Ardverikie opens its gardens on the last Sunday of May each year.Laggan appeared as the village of Glenbogle, and was home to Glenbogle Primary School, the croft of its headmistress Katrina Finlay, and the village stores. The village of Newtonmore features the funeral directors, post office, and various other minor locations. Kingussie hosts the Glenbogle Town Hall, whilst Carrbridge has the Village Hall, and Broomhill Station in Strathspey doubles as the Glenbogle Station.

Kilwillie Castle, aka Balavil House.The River Pattack just up from the Ardverikie Estate was used several times for different romantic scenes as well as when family member Paul fell in the river. Shepherdess Iona's croft is just up from the Pattack, while farmer Isobel's farm is just down the from the estate at the village of Moy and the Glenbogle Church is in fact the Cille Choirille Church near Roy Bridge. Lord Kilwillie's Castle is actually Balavil House, off the A86 road near Kingussie, while Ruthven Barracks, Loch an Eilein and Loch na h'Earba appeared during Ewan's stolen-car scenes, where Katrina found her real father, and where the clay-pigeon shooting contest appeared. Meanwhile the shop in Kincraig was the location of the motorcyclists in season one.

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Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly large island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillins, the rocky slopes of which provide some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the country. Although it has been suggested that the Gaelic Sgitheanach describes a winged shape there is no definitive agreement as to the name's origins.

The island has been occupied since the Mesolithic period and its history includes a time of Norse rule and a long period of domination by Clan MacLeod and Clan Donald. The 18th-century Jacobite risings led to the breaking up of the clan system and subsequent Clearances that replaced entire communities with sheep farms, some of which also involved forced emigrations to distant lands. Resident numbers declined from over 20,000 in the early 19th century to just under 9,000 by the closing decade of the 20th century. Skye's population increased by 4 per cent between 1991 and 2001. About a third of the residents were Gaelic speakers in 2001, and although their numbers are in decline this aspect of island culture remains important.

The main industries are tourism, agriculture, fishing and whisky-distilling. Skye is part of the Highland Council local government area. The island's largest settlement is Portree, known for its picturesque harbour.There are links to various nearby islands by ferry and, since 1995, to the mainland by a road bridge. The climate is mild, wet and windy. The abundant wildlife includes the golden eagle, red deer and Atlantic salmon. The local flora is dominated by heather moor, and there are nationally important invertebrate populations on the surrounding sea bed. Skye has provided the locations for various novels and feature films and is celebrated in poetry and song.

The first written references to the island are Roman sources such as the Ravenna Cosmography, which refers to Scitis and Scetis, which can be found on a map by Ptolemy. One possible derivation comes from skitis, an early Celtic word for winged, which may describe how the island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre. Subsequent Gaelic-, Norse- and English-speaking peoples have influenced the history of Skye; the relationships between their names for the island are not straightforward. Various etymologies have been proposed, such as the "winged isle" or "the notched isle"[16] but no definitive solution has been found to date and the placename may be from an earlier, non-Gaelic language.

In the Norse sagas Skye is called Skíð, for example in the Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar and a skaldic poem in the Heimskringla from c. 1230 contains a line that translates as "the hunger battle-birds were filled in Skye with blood of foemen killed". The island was also referred to by the Norse as Skuy (misty isle), Skýey or Skuyö (isle of cloud). The traditional Gaelic name is An t-Eilean Sgitheanach (the island of Skye), An t-Eilean Sgiathanach being a more recent and less common spelling. In 1549 Donald Munro, High Dean of the Isles, wrote of "Sky": "This Ile is callit Ellan Skiannach in Irish, that is to say in Inglish the wyngit Ile, be reason it has mony wyngis and pointis lyand furth fra it, throw the dividing of thir foirsaid Lochis." but the meaning of this Gaelic name is unclear.

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