Menstrie Castle Stay gives you the perfect base to visit many of Scotland's places of interest within an hours drive. These include Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, Fife coast, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, Perth and Dundee. There is an abundance of fantastic attractions on offer, some of which are included below.
Attractions
within an hour
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is one of the most exciting historic sites in Western Europe.
Set in the heart of Scotland's dynamic capital city, it is sure to capture your imagination.​
Book your tickets in advance by visiting their website:https://www.edinburghcastle.scot​
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29 Miles from Menstrie Castle Stay. Can be reached by train in 50 minutes from nearby Stirling.
Rosslyn Chapel
Rosslyn Chapel, near Edinburgh was founded in 1446 as a place of worship with services continuing to be held here weekly. The Chapel is a popular destination for visitors, more so since featuring in Dan Brown's novel and the subsequent film, The Da Vinci Code.
Open daily. It is recommended to book in advance through their website:
https://www.rosslynchapel.com/book-tickets/
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Edinburgh Zoo
Great day out for everyone!
Edinburgh Zoo, formerly the Scottish National Zoological Park, is an 82-acre non-profit zoological park with over 2500 incredible and endangered animals including the famous Giant Pandas.
Open Daily. Pre book your tickets at www.edinburghzoo.org.uk
27 Miles from Menstrie Castle Stay.
Loch Lomond &
The Trossachs National Park
The Trossachs National Park boasts some of the most stunning scenery in the world. From breathtaking mountains and glens, to the vast tranquility beauty of the numerous Scottish Lochs.
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Loch Lomond is one of the lochs within the national Park and is one of the most popular destinations in Scotland. It is the largest inland stretch of water in Britain and extends north for 24 miles from Balloch.
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Famously featured in the song "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond", there are many places to stop for a walk or picnic with beautiful loch and mountain views.
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There is also a huge array of activities to enjoy on or close to Loch Lomond including watersports such as Kayaking or paddle-boarding and there is a great hub of shopping, eating and family activities at Loch Lomond Shores to the south of the loch.
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24 miles from Menstrie Castle Stay.
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St Andrews
St Andrews is known for being "the home of golf", where the game was first played 600 years ago. The Old Course, the most famous and iconic golf course in the world, is located here and has been host to The Open Championship since 1873.
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Located on the east coast, St Andrews boasts almost 2 miles of stunning sandy beach, famous for the opening scenes of the film Chariots of Fire and is easily accessible from the town centre.
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Also known for its historic university, medieval streets, Cathedral ruins and gorgeous traditional buildings, the town is filled with exciting things to see and do making it a perfect day out from Menstrie Castle Stay.
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47 miles from Menstrie Castle Stay.
Glasgow Botanic Gardens
Founded in 1817 by distinguished botanist, Thomas Hopkirk, Glasgow Botanic Gardens are open all year and features several glasshouses, the most notable of which is the Kibble Palace.
There is a fine Heritage Trail through the gardens with almost 30 points of interest taking you down to the Kelvin Walkway and the Gardens Arboretum.
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The Gardens have a wide variety of temperate and tropical flora, the UK's national collection of tree fern and a world rose garden.
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Entry to the Botanic Gardens is free.
33 mile from Menstrie Castle Stay
Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum
Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum opened in 1901 and is a firm favourite with visitors. It has stunning architecture and a family friendly atmosphere.
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There are 22 galleries to explore allowing you to discover everything from art to animals, Ancient Egypt to Charles Rennie Mackintosh and so much more.
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From May - Oct 2023, in partnership with the V&A London, there will be an international exhibition celebrating the remarkable legacy of fashion revolutionary, Dame Mary Quant.
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Free entry. Visit their website for opening times, up-to-date info on events and the family programme: https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/venues/kelvingrove-art-gallery-and-museum
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33 miles from Menstrie Castle Stay
V&A Museum
The V&A, or the Victoria & Albert Museum is Scotland's design museum located on Dundee's waterfront, approximately 1 hour from Menstrie Castle Stay.
This is the first V&A museum in the world outside London, where visitors can experience the remarkable story of design past, present and future with exhibitions showcasing the very best of design from around the world.
Designed by internationally acclaimed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the high-quality facilities opened in and include an atmospheric restaurant, an outdoor terrace with stunning views across the River Tay and a shop selling the best of Scottish and international design.
Free admission. Open daily. For more info visit their website :
A special exhibition for 2023 named "Tartan" celebrates the global story of one of the world's best known textiles.
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47 miles from Menstrie Castle Stay.
RRS Discovery Museum
Discovery Point in Dundee is home to the world famous RRS Discovery, the ship that took Scott and Shackleton to Antartica in 1901!
This award-winning visitor attraction tells the story of the iconic ship 'Discovery' from her beginnings in Dundee, her amazing Antartic expedition with Captain Scott and her voyages thereafter through extensive galleries, film shows, interactives and artefacts.
Discover stories about how 'Scott of the Antartic' and his crew braved the harsh conditions of the Antartic and the unique design features of the first ship built for scientific research to the most inhospitable place on earth.
For more info visit their website :
https://www.rrsdiscovery.co.uk
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47 miles from Menstrie Castle Stay.
Walking & Exploring Outdoors
Clackmannanshire offers lots of opportunity for exploring the
great outdoors which are suitable for all ages and abilities.