While Edinburgh lives up to its reputation as the most beautiful city in Britain, the surrounding coast and countryside has charming towns and villages to explore. Whatever the weather, there is always something to keep you busy, with a huge range of visitor attractions and events for all ages.

With a wealth of world class museums and galleries, exciting theatre and top-class shopping, not to mention the breathtaking golden scenery of the Lothians, you can plan to do alot in Edinburgh.

Some more local attractions include

• - Gladstone Court, where a Victorian Street with small shops is recreated.

  -The Albion Museum houses vehicles and archives of Albion Motors, a commercial vehicle manufacturing firm established in 1899 with a bond on a local farm.

  -The John Buchan Centre houses a display commemorating the life and works of the poet, statesman and writer.

  -Brownsbank Cottage, the home from 1957 until his death in 1978, of Scotland's international poet, Hugh MacDiarmid.

  -Biggar Gaswork Museum preserved just as it was when it closed in 1973 following the arrival of North Sea Gas.

  Glasgow - City of Culture

  Glasgow
  
  Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley is one of Europe’s most exciting and beautiful destinations, which combines the energy and sophistication of a great international city with some of Scotland’s most spectacular scenery.
  
   

  The Excitement Builds
  
  Glasgow is an architectural dream: Victorian red & honey sandstone, Italianate steeples and medieval spires sit harmoniously with neo-gothic towers, the sensuous Art Nouveau of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the titanium, glass and steel of the contemporary city. Artful Attractions
  
  Glasgow has an amazing portfolio of more than twenty museums and galleries – many of them free – including the unique Burrell Collection, stunning Mackintosh House and cool and contemporary Gallery of Modern Art.
  
  Anyone interested in cutting-edge design should head to The Lighthouse, while the Glasgow Science Centre’s futuristic complex comprising IMAX, Science Mall, Glasgow Tower, Planetarium and Virtual Science Theatre will appeal to anyone interested in learning about technology and its applications in a fun and interesting environment.
  
  Heritage seekers will enjoy the Museum of Transport, Museum of Scottish Country Life at Kittochside and Clydebuilt, which tells the story of Glasgow and the River Clyde from tobacco to shipbuilding. Lovers of the beautiful game meanwhile, should head for the ground-breaking Scottish Football Museum at Hampden.
   

  An Eventful Experience Whether you’re a clubber, concert-goer, opera aficionado, theatre lover or dance fan, visiting Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley is always an eventful experience. No matter when you arrive you’ll find live performances, festivals and entertainment fifty-two weeks of the year. Productions by Scottish Opera, the RSNO Summer Proms and the West End Festival as well as the smooth sounds of Glasgow International Jazz Festival, the rousing Hogmanay Celebrations and Celtic Connections are just some of the vibrant annual events, which reinforce its reputation as one of Europe’s leading cultural capitals. Around the area’s parks, towns and villages, events like the colourful World Pipe Band Championships on Glasgow Green, the ancient Lanimer Day festivities in Lanark, and The Shot in Paisley also provide celebration, fun and spectacle. Night owls meanwhile can groove until the small hours at a host of club venues covering the entire dance spectrum from garage and techno to house and retro.

  Retail Therapy Shopping is an absolute delight in Glasgow. Not only is it tops for shops but its compact city centre and grid system makes it easy to navigate during serious retail therapy! Giant high street malls such as the ultra modern Buchanan Galleries and the St Enoch Centre are just a mocha-powered meander from the elegance of the Italian Centre and Princes Square as well as the speciality shops of the Merchant City. The mews and lanes of the city’s bohemian West-End are a treasure trove for anyone hunting antiques and rare books while contemporary works by both up-and-coming and established artists can be found in the art galleries of West Regent Street. It is also worth taking time out from the hustle and bustle to explore the antique shops, craft workshops and garden centres tucked away in the area’s market towns and villages.

  A Taste of the Good Life You can quite literally eat your way round the world in Glasgow as the city’s café culture espouses the very latest trends in global cuisine, from the style & sushi bars of the Merchant City to the restaurants and brasseries in the hip West-End. So whether you prefer traditional fayre, ethnic cuisine or the very latest in fusion and Pacific-Rim, you’ll find something to savour in Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley.

  Out & About Just beyond the city of Glasgow lies some of Scotland’s most beautiful scenery. The local area is rich in history and heritage and each of its delightful country towns and villages has its own fascinating tale to tell. A short drive south of the city is the Clyde Valley Tourist Route, which makes its picturesque way to the upper reaches of the River Clyde and the World Heritage Site of New Lanark. To the west is Renfrewshire and the town of Paisley with its medieval Abbey and Museum and Art Galleries, which features the world’s largest collection of the famous ‘Paisley Pattern’ shawls. Inverclyde’s coastal towns enjoy spectacular panoramas across the Clyde Estuary to the Argyll Hills while Milngavie’s Mugdock Country Park to the north of Glasgow includes a stretch of the long distance footpath, the West Highland Way.