Scotland

Scotland is home to such a rich and diverse array of museums and galleries that celebrate its cultural, historical, scientific, and artistic heritage. Dotted across its cities and towns, they offer a fascinating insight into everything from ancient archaeology, the nation's people and industry to cutting-edge contemporary art.

In Edinburgh, the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh is one of the nation's highlights, housing extensive collections on Scottish history, natural sciences, and global cultures. Likewise the Scottish National Gallery showcases European masterpieces while the Scottish National Portrait Gallery focuses on influential figures from Scotland's past and present. Just south of Edinburgh, The National Mining Museum is set in the wonderfully restored Lady Victoria Colliery based at Newtongrange and tells the story of coal for Scotland through exhibitions and guided tours of the pithead.

Glasgow is particularly renowned for its vibrant arts scene with The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, one of Scotland's most visited attractions, featuring everything from fine art to natural history exhibits. Art lovers can also explore the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) in the city centre, with a focus on contemporary works, whilst The Riverside Museum tells the story of the city's transport and industrial history.

Elsewhere the V&A Dundee, Scotland's first design museum, celebrates innovation and creativity, and the newly renovated Aberdeen Art Gallery features a broad collection of Scottish and international works. Further north in the Highlands, the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery offers a local perspective on Scottish life and culture, while the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore provides a fascinating open-air experience of rural life from the 1700s to the 1950s.

An undoubted highlight this year where Scotland's museums and galleries are concerned is at the newly-opened Perth Museum where the Stone of Destiny is the centrepiece following a £27m redevelopment of the former city hall. The ancient symbol of Scotland's monarchy was seized by King Edward I of England in the late 13th Century and remained in England for 700 years. It was returned to Scotland in 1996 and today sits alongside more than 3,000 local objects spanning 10,000 years.