A perfectly imperfect, totally engrossing museum. This little place looks like the logical…read moreconclusion of someone's collecting/hoarding. It's everything about life from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, divided into a series of "shops" along indoor "streets". A printer's shop, a school, a bank, a chemist, a garage, a telephone exchange and so on. It sounds bizarre but it's actually kind of brilliant. If it's raining when you hit Biggar, this is where you go and you'll spend a good long while wandering around from room to room. The staff are friendly and mellow and you can ask nicely to touch certain items carefully. My kids, ages 4 and 12, were fascinated and refused to leave. It's a little bit hard to find but worth the journey back through the closes from the high street. The staff mentioned that the museum was to move into new digs but I hope they stay where they are. Off the beaten track and weirdly cool.

The Leadhills Reading Society is actually Britain's oldest subscription library having been founded…read morein 1741 in the Leadhills Miners Library, effectively though this is now a museum containing a number of artifacts pertinent to the areas historic industrial past including samples of the mineral wealth and some miscellaneous local artifacts. Being a library there are books, however these are not for loan and are available only to view on the shelf as it were. Amusingly there are notices on the shelves warning against touching the books, which for a library carries a certain irony! The library is defintely worth a look though, particularly if you have an interest in local history and the staff are on hand with a wealth of knowledge for those with specific questions. Entry is only £1 which is about the minimum I think anybody would donate to other museums which may achieve greater funding from elsewhere. Sadly if this local museum doesn't attain a greater footfall it's likely to be forced to close. http://www.miners-library.fsnet.co.uk/

This is a great wee museum for Strathaven located on the edge of the park it shows the history of…read moreStrathaven. The weaving community to the covenanters. They have various activities for children and it is nice to see how Strathaven evolved. The museum is not massive and it wont take long to go around but it is a good place to go while your visiting Stathaven the staff member is helpful. The museum is open from Easter until October.

It's a great wee park to have a game of football(when it's not flooded)read more

This is a review of the Castle grounds only - as I have only been there,although the castle itself…read moredoes look very interesting. Drumlanrig is a lovely place to visit and ride the mountain bike trails in the grounds. But be aware it costs £4 per person, which is significantly more than you may be used to compared to the other trail centres in the borders. That said, the trails around the grounds are so very enjoyable. They flow nicely and do not involve too much climbing. Well worth a visit. In addition there is the coffee shop to visit afterwards.

A beutiful park with managed woodland areas and ornamental gardens around which can be walked for a…read moresmall entrance fee, which is essentially pay for the parking. My avatar is an example of one type of flora that can be seen in the woodland area which also contains a range of ancient trees and wildlife (which probably isn't so ancient). I have seen people foraging in the wooded areas collecting mushrooms and berries according the time of year. It's also popular with dog walkers and, so-long as dogs are controlled, they seem to be welcome. The castle itself is an impressive site and is open to the public for an additional fee, I've not been inside although I've heard it's very good.

Do you have a strange gearhead uncle with a garage full of cool machines and tools? No? Well, you…read moredo now. That's what this place is. The last repository of a true Scottish original: The Albion Motor Car Company Ltd. Begun in 1899 by two guys who made dog carts. Wander around the garages piled high with old car parts, tools, models and working cars until you find the lone volunteer who will happily regale you with tales of this stalwart of motoring history. They will even let you climb up into a working Albion coach. This place is a must for gearheads and Scottish industrial history buffs, but it is a little disorganized and rather charmingly chaotic. Oh, and hipsters, you NEED a t-shirt with the handlettered old Albion logo on it. It will set off that moustache.

These magnificent falls comprise four 'linn' Scots for waterfalls which are found on the River…read moreClyde near New Lanark and are regarded as some of the most impressive in Northern Europe. The falls include Corra Linn (the highest, with a drop of 90 ft), Bonnington Linn (drop of 30 ft), Dundaff Linn, and the lower Stonebyres Linn. They are found within the 'Falls of Clyde Reserve' which is managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. William Wordsworth immortalised Corra Linn in 1802 and called it the Clyde's most majestic daughter. The falls also featured in the writings of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Sir Walter Scott. Corra Linn was painted by Turner, one of many artists to visit the falls. It's also a wonderful area for watching wildlife in their native habitat and the surrounding countryside is spectacular. There is a seven mile circuit around all the waterfalls but I have to confess I didn't venture far from the lower reaches the other day. I would like to return soon to climb up to see the famous Corra Linn and take photos.

I have stayed here on a number of occasions and it gets better every time. The rooms have beautiful…read moreviews and are always spotless. They are beautifully decorated. The meals are fantastic and are great value for money. The breakfast in the morning is huge and well cooked. I love this place, it comes highluy recommended.

Rolling green hills and lush forests surround this beautifully-kept castle harboring over 40 acres…read moreof gardens, a bicycle museum, art gallery and gift shop. Built of pink sandstone, the "Pink Palace" has 120 rooms, 17 turrets and 4 towers. In season, dozens of marriages are performed with the magnificent backdrop of the castle and its surroundings. Thankfully, we weren't in season. Commissioned in 1691 by William Douglas, first Duke of Queensberry, it represents one of the first and most important Renaissance buildings in the country. The art collection ("one of the finest private art collections in the UK"), contains works by Rembrandt, Holbein and Gainsborough and share space with Kneller, Netscher and Van der Meer. In addition, check out the period furniture, tapestries, silver, carvings and precious objets d'art. The Castle Tearoom (the original kitchen of the Castle with its copper pots and flagstone floor), serves home baked goods using local produce, freshly brewed tea and coffee, cold drinks, light meals and their own Estate-reared meat and Drumlanrig herbs. Mountain biking is extremely popular here (http://www.drumlanrig.com/drumlanrig-outdoor-activities/mountain-biking) and their four world-class trails offer several levels of expertise. I like mine hairy (Black Route) but the hills here don't compare to the dry, rocky granite mountains of So Cal. My home mountains aren't near as pretty as the verdant trails here as it can rain a lot in season and the trails are more like "Oregon-moderate" trails. In fact, some of the trees here came from seeds from the Pacific Northwest coast! You might think you're in a Scottish Sequoia. Taking the Tree Trail, one can find many interesting trees including a Red Oak (Quercus rubra) planted in 1971 by Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, when he stayed at Drumlanrig. If you can find this tree, feel free to repeat his "This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" (change the gender as appropriate).