Edinburgh Parliament House
Parliament Square, Edinburgh, EH1 1RF
Tel. 0044- (0) 131-225 2595
The Parliament House was built in the 17th century. The Scottish Parliament met in this building in the Old Town until 1707 and the Union of England and Scotland. Attractions inside are the great hall, which is still used by lawyers today, numerous valuable paintings and the extensive signet library.
National Library of Scotland
George IV. Bridge
Tel. 0044- (0) 131-623 3700
Fax 0044- (0) 131-623 3701
Website: www.nls.uk
The National Library is a real treasure trove for all Scotland lovers: Here the visitor can find out all about the history, culture and science of Scotland in millions of books, manuscripts, maps and plans which can be used by the public on a wide variety of topics.
Piping Center
30 – 34 McPhater Street
The Piping Center is a museum, school, performance venue and shop in one. Everything here revolves around the bagpipes.
Provands Lordship
3 Castle Street
This is the oldest house in town with interiors from the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
Galsgow Herald Building, today: The Lighthouse
Mitchell Street
Part of the former newspaper building of the Glasgow Herald has been converted into the modern visitor center for architecture and design, “The Lighthouse”.
Martyrs’ School
Parson Street, G4 0PX
Tel. 0044- (0) 141-271 8301
This hidden architectural gem is one of the oldest buildings in Glasgow and was built by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The red sandstone building is externally characterized by the balance between wall and window area, large parts of the interior are accessible to the public. Here you can admire the fine tile work and the spectacular roof structure.
Clyde Auditorium
Queen’s Dock
Postal address and tickets:
SECC
G3 8YW
Tel. 0044- (0) 141-248 3000
Fax 0044- (0) 141-226 3423
E-mail: info@secc.co.uk
On the north bank is the most famous of the new resulting futuristic building by Clydeside. The Clyde Auditorium was designed by Sir Norman Foster. Because of its resemblance to a giant steel armadillo, it is also called “Armadillo”. The concert hall has been compared to the Sydney Opera House in many ways, although Norman Foster did not build it with that intention. The Clyde Auditorium has quickly become one of the most iconic buildings in Glasgow and a symbol of the city.
Barrowland Ballroom
Gallowgate
Tel. 0044- (0) 141-5524601
Meanwhile a bit shabby institution for rock and pop concerts.
Glasgow Tower
This tower on the River Clyde is the tallest freely rotating building in the world. Unfortunately, however, the foundation was built on sandy ground and now threatens to slowly but surely sink.
The Lighthouse
This center for architecture and design houses frequently changing exhibitions, the Mackintosh Center, which is equipped with lots of interactive technology, and the Mackintosh Panorama Tower. The Lighthaus is a breathtaking synthesis of the Mackintosh-designed Glasgow Herald building and a modern glass construction by Page & Park.
Waverley Station
Tel. 0845-7484950
Waverley Station is Edinburgh’s main train station and is located on Princes Street in a narrow trench between Old Town and New Town. It was built in 1846 and is located under glass roofs similar to a factory hall, the award-winning shopping center is located directly next to the train station underground, as there is a legal construction ban in this area of the city. From the east, long-distance trains from England come along the East Coast Main Line and local trains from Newcraighall and North Berwick to Waverley Station. Trains come from the west on the West Coast Main Line and virtually all traffic from all parts of Scotland.
Glasgow School of Art
The Glasgow School of Art was built between 1897 and 1909 by well-known Glasgow designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The architecture of the building is highly controversial. Depending on the lectures, guided tours are possible there.
Bridges and lighthouse
Forth Rail Bridge
This railway bridge spans the Firth of Forth and connects Edinburgh with the Fife peninsula. The bridge is the main link between the Scottish Lowlands and the Highlands. At the southern end of the bridge is South, to the north is North Queensferry. After seven years of construction, the Forth Rail Bridge was officially opened in 1890: It consists of three 110 m high diamond-shaped trusses, to which the four smaller viaducts connect. It is around 2.5 km long and directs train traffic over the water at a height of around 50 meters so that shipping traffic can continue to travel unhindered. When it opened, the bridge was the largest in the world. To this day it is considered to be one of the most stable bridges ever.
Forth Road Bridge
The motorway bridge over the Firth of Forth was built between 1958 and 1964 and, like the Forth Rail Bridge, is located between South and North Quensferry. The bridge consists of almost 47,000 tons of steel if you count the 50,000 km of wire rope on which the 2.5 km long bridge is suspended. Before the bridge was opened, the ferries had to transport more than 600,000 cars and 200,000 trucks annually.
The Forth Road Bridge has been a listed building since April 2001.
Bridge over the Atlantic
The Bridge over the Atlantic connects the island of Seil with the mainland in a high triangular arch. It is probably the most photographed bridge in Scotland: in early summer, the gray walls are covered over and over with purple blooming alpine plants.
Sgeir Bhuidhe lighthouse
Near the dreamy pier in Port Appin in the southwestern Highlands is the Sgeir Bhuidhe lighthouse, which even made it into the BBC news: in 2001 protesters against the threat of demolition painted it with pink and yellow dots, and it has since been whitened again and was painted yellow with pink spots overnight in October 2005.
