Scotland's UNESCO Sites

UNESCO, or the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation, protects and preserves the world’s most significant historical and cultural landmarks. UNESCO World Heritage Sites include historic structures and natural landscapes recognised for their importance to humanity and the globe.

Scotland is currently home to seven UNESCO sites, ranging from historic city centres to ancient Roman and Neolithic structures and expansive stretches of peatland.

Discover mysterious standing stones in Orkney, walk in the footsteps of Roman soldiers along the Antonine Wall, and lap up the multi-layered cultural richness of Edinburgh – Scotland’s capital city.

Nature-minded visitors will love searching for rare birds in the ‘bird watchers paradise’ of Flow Country or basking in the beautiful isolation of the island on the edge of the world.

Each UNESCO site has a dramatic story to tell – discover them all below.

Whimsically named and wildly beautiful, the Heart of Neolithic Orkney is an astounding collection of four remarkable prehistoric sites: the Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness, Maeshowe Burial Chamber, and Skara Brae. Together, they form one of Western Europe’s most important Neolithic landscapes, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.

The Ring of Brodgar, Scotland’s largest stone circle, originally featured around 60 stones in an almost perfect circle. While today, just 36 remain, Brodgar is an impressive site nonetheless – Stonehenge could fit entirely within it. Nearby, the Stones of Stenness are even older. Though only four stones still stand here, their towering scale hints at the dramatic presence of the original dozen stones.

Maeshowe Burial Chamber, built around 2750 BC, is Orkney’s grandest tomb. While the exterior is an unassuming grassy mound, beneath this lies a masterpiece of Neolithic engineering. Aligned with the winter solstice sunset, the tomb lights up once a year in a dramatic show of ancient astronomy.

Inside Neolithic Maeshowe, Viking runes and mysterious symbols such as the Maeshowe Dragon were carved centuries later—graffiti across the ages. Keep an ear out for the legend of the Hogboon – a mischievous being that once inhabited this tomb, bringing either good fortune or abject misery.

Skara Brae is a settlement of prehistoric stone buildings built 5,000 years ago. Skara Brae was uncovered by chance during a winter storm in 1850 when an unusually high tide hit coast and ripped away the turf, revealling the ancient buildings underneath. Often referred to as ‘The Scottish Pompeii,’ Skara Brae is considered the best preserved prehistoric settlement in northern Europe.

Read about Neolithic Orkney and learn more about its history and myths (such as the happy dancing Orkney giants) of the ancient structures in our guide.
Uncover the secrets of Orkney in depth in our Orkney Islands travel guide.

Read the UNESCO listing here.

Orkney Travel Guide

Since the 15th century, Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland and is undoubtedly one of the world’s most beautiful cities. The city expanded vastly after the 15th century, and in modern day, it has two distinctive historical areas: the Old Town and the New Town.

Awarded UNESCO status in 1995, Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns offer a stunning architectural contrast between the medieval Old Town and the newer Georgian style. Combined, they contain an impressive 4,600 buildings and monuments to admire.

Edinburgh began in the Old Town as a defensive settlement, growing as the centuries passed. The Old Town is known for its iconic medieval layout, with narrow streets, cobbled alleys and hidden courtyards.

The New Town was expanded to accommodate a rising population, with the first resident moving into Thistle Street in 1767. In contrast to the medieval Old Town, the New Town was built with a neoclassical design spread out on a grid, affectionately dubbing Edinburgh “The Athens of the North.”

Edinburgh Highlights

Highlights of Edinburgh’s Old Town include the dramatic Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and its ancient abbey, and the Royal Mile linking them—once trodden by kings, queens, and invading armies. You’ll also find St Margaret’s Chapel, the city’s oldest surviving church, and the statue of loyal Greyfriars Bobby, whose nose is said to bring good luck. Across town in the elegant New Town, explore Princes Street and its gardens, the gothic Scott Monument, and the National Monument on Calton Hill—Scotland’s own Parthenon, which helped earn Edinburgh the nickname “The Athens of the North.”

Read the UNESCO listing here.

Uncover the history of Edinburgh Castle in our guide here.

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Meet the ghosts of Edinburgh Castle in this haunted history.

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Recognised by UNESCO in 2015, the Forth Bridge is an incredible feat of construction. Holding the record for the world’s longest multi-span cantilever bridge, it has become an iconic symbol of Scotland – it even features on the modern Scottish £20 note.

Originally constructed to connect Edinburgh to the rest of Scotland, the Fourth Rail Bridge was officially opened in 1890 by the Prince of Wales. Interestingly, one of the high-profile guests at the official opening ceremony was Gustave Eiffel, the engineer responsible for the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Officially named the Forth Bridge, many refer to as the Forth Rail Bridge to avoid confusion with the Forth Road Bridge, running parallel to the railway bridge. In 2017, the Queensferry Bridge was constructed, running parallel with the other bridges. Enjoy a captivating visual of three bridges elegantly stretching across the sea.

Visitors who take a train from Edinburgh to the Highlands will be able to see this impressive railway bridge from inside their train car.

Fancy an exhilarating cycle across the impressive Forth Road Bridge, great for admiring the new Quensferry Crossing and the traditional red Forth Rail Bridge? Join our road cycling trip, The Grand Tour, which explores Scotland from the stunning capital Edinburgh to the more quietly isolated landscapes of the Scottish Highlands.

Read the UNESCO listing here.

Once the Roman Empire’s northernmost boundary, the Antonine Wall was commissioned by Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius in 142 BC. With the Roman Empire stretching across Europe and Britain, the Antonine Wall was erected across the width of Scotland as a defensive barrier. Today, this area is known as the Central Belt, covering modern-day Falkirk and Glasgow.

The Antonine Wall is part of the ‘Frontiers of the Roman Empire’ UNESCO site in 2008 alongside Hadrian’s Wall in England. But why did the Romans need not one, but two, defensive walls? Hadrian’s Wall was built first, in 122 BC, as Roman Britain’s northern boundary. As the empire expanded northwards, a second wall was erected to keep out troublesome raiding parties of the northern Caledonians.

Unlike Hadrian’s Wall in England, the Antonine Wall was not built from stone but was earthwork ramparts and a deep ditch encircled the wall to discourage attacks. At the time, the wall was a state-of-the-art military fortification stationed with 7,000 soldiers.

However, despite the fortification, Caledonian raids continued, and eventually, the Romans abandoned the Antonine Wall in 165 AD, just about 20 years after it was built. Today, the best place to experience this ancient wall is probably Seabegs Wood, close to Bonnybridge, as the area features a well-preserved part of the wall and ditch.

Read the UNESCO listing here. If you are intrigued by Romans, why not check out our travel guide to Hadrian’s Wall on our Wilderness England website?

Three extraordinary places associated with Scotland’s prehistoric life are scattered across Shetland’s southern shores. Remote islands scattered in the North Sea, halfway to Norway in Scotland’s northernmost corner, Shetland has long been a place of wild beauty and ancient mystery. Mousa, Old Scatness and Jarlshof form a trio of ancient sites that together capture the very soul of Iron Age Scotland.

Mousa, a remote and abandoned island in Shetland once invaded by Vikings, is home to Mousa Broch. Possibly the best-preserved Iron Age broch in the world, this towering stone sentinel has withstood the Atlantic winds for over two millennia. Today, Mousa’s only residents are seabirds and seals, protected as an RSPB nature reserve.

Nearby, Old Scatness revealed its secrets only recently: an Iron Age settlement hidden beneath layers of time, untouched until the 1970s. Archaeological digs have also uncovered Pict, Viking, medieval, and Iron Age artefacts.

The remarkable site of Jarlshof, near the town of Sumburgh, traces over 4,000 years of human history, from Neolithic homes to Viking longhouses, medieval farms and a 16th-century laird’s hall — all set against a backdrop of crashing waves and sweeping skies.

Together, these sites tell a story of resilience, innovation, and life on the edge of the world.

Uncover the dark reasons why the Vikings visited Shetland in our article on the Vikings of the Shetland Islands. Want to travel here yourself? Check out our Shetland wildlife tour to explore this wild island.