The 10 Best Visitor Centers in Scotland, United Kingdom

Balloch Information Centre is located in the beautiful red sandstone Old Station Building in the centre of Balloch, directly opposite Balloch Central train station. Balloch is a charming town located at the southern edge of Loch Lomond and is a great base for exploring the beautiful Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. For those that enjoy the great outdoors, Balloch is a great place to get active both on land and on water with a wide range of activities on offer throughout the year. A warm welcome awaits you at Balloch VisitScotland Information Centre where the knowledgeable staff will assist you in how to spend the perfect day in Balloch, providing you with a local map and many suggestions as to what you can do. You can also purchase discounted tickets for local attractions to include the Loch Lomond Sealife Centre and the Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre. There is also a wide selection of Scottish gifts that can be purchased from the Information Centre, such as Harris Tweed bags and purses, shortbread and a wide selection of guide books and maps. Getting to Balloch couldn't be easier! Trains leave frequently from Glasgow city centre directly to Balloch and Scottish Citylink coaches pass Balloch as they travel north. Balloch is well connected by road by the A82 and A811.

Abbotsford is the extraordinary home of the 19th century novelist and ‘Great Scott’ who popularised tartan, saved the Scottish banknote and rediscovered his country’s Crown Jewels. In 2021-2022 Scotland celebrates the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott. Visit Abbotsford during this special occasion to meet the man behind the monument, whose imagination and patriotism shaped the Scotland of today. Discover a treasure trove of fascinating objects which inspired his greatest poems and novels. Learn about Scott's life, browse the gift shop, enjoy seasonal food in our cafe or simply relax in the beautiful formal gardens and tranquil woodlands.

We are a 4 star visitor attraction: a Highland Distillery Visitor Centre with a range of tours and award winning whiskies available. We have a shop in which you can purchase Tomatin merchandise and various expressions of Tomatin, including filling your own bottle from one of our cask strength distillery exclusive whiskies. The Tomatin Distillery lies just 16 miles south of Inverness and 15 miles north of Aviemore on the A9 - extremely convenient for anyone travelling to or from the Highlands! We are open 7 days all year round! April-September 9.30am-5.30pm October-March 10.30am-4.30pm Please contact us or visit our website for more information or to book your tour. We look forward to welcoming you soon!

Montrose Basin is the enclosed estuary of the South Esk River. The reserve includes a 4-star visitor centre along with four remote bird hides. Covering 750 hectares, Montrose Basin is home to thousands of migratory birds including pink-footed geese, common terns, knots and sedge warblers. Highlights include telescopes, binoculars and live footage of migratory birds. Children will love the interactive toys and games such as microscopes, wildlife portal and puzzles. Children's activities and themed events are held regularly, as well as formal and informal educational groups run throughout the year. Fairtrade tea and coffee can be enjoyed with panoramic views across the Basin, and a range of wildlife gifts are available from the gift shop.

Opening times for 2021 are to be confirmed. We are open daily from 1st May to 30th September however we will be closed from late July to the beginning of August. These dates are subject to change so please keep up to date on our website for the most recent information.

Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre is located in a natural woodland which retains much of the original woodland and streams to provide the ideal natural setting for nearly 40 Birds of Prey & Owls. The centre is home to over 20 Owls, representing every native species as well as unique or unusual species from other parts of the world. See "Orla", and "Scout" our two magnificent female Golden Eagles. See a selection of hawks and owls fly during our daily flying shows in the flying area. Hear how these magnificent creatures have evolved to become the success predators they are, and how they live on the edge of survival every day. During current Covid restrictions we limit the number of visitors on site at any one time (currently 60). There are hand sanitisers located within the centre. We request everyone to abide by the social distancing guidelines.

*LOGIE STEADING RE-OPENS FROM 26TH APRIL 2021 as Covid restrictions ease - every day of the week, 10am to 5pm. Logie Steading is a collection of small, creative, individually owned and run, businesses housed in the converted sandstone farm buildings at Logie. 2ndhand books, cafe, antiques, arts, crafts, local produce, hardy plants, hundreds of whiskies and gins, vintage accessories. And outside - spectacular walks along the river Findhorn, playground, and Gardens to enjoy. Veritably, a place to take your time!

We are a visitor Centre based at the mouth of the river Spey, where it meets the North Sea. Dolphins are regularly spotted at the mouth of the river Spey and close to the shoreline, along with ospreys, seals, a huge variety of bird life and the occasional otter! You can book a private tour of the historic Tugnet icehouse (Scotland's largest surviving icehouse), or book onto the Explore the Bones family activity. Currently the cafe is a takeaway only facility, where you 'queue for your brew' inside the building and take your delicious homebake, soup or sandwich away with you, out onto the beach or around the Centre grounds. The eco-friendly gift shop is also open with a wide range or gorgeous products. The Centre is the public face of the charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation, so come and have a fun day out and learn about whales and dolphins and support our charity work to protect these wonderful creatures!

Part of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, Greenock Cut Visitor Centre, Loch Thom, not far from Inverkip in Inverclyde, provides wonderful walks, scenic views and picnic sites. There is good access to the Greenock Cut (a 5.5 mile aqueduct, and designated ancient monument) for a great reasonably level circular-walking route with panoramic views of the Clyde. A shorter family friendly walk is the (1 hour) picturesque Nature Trail in Shielhill Glen where the trail goes alongside and criss-crosses the Kip burn. Download the Trail guide to find all the hidden wood spirits. Plus there's the Kelly Cut (2.5 hour) walk which allows views over Wemyss Bay and the more southern Clyde. The Centre is open weekends in summer Apr - Oct and closed in winter although toilets are open daily. Call in and warm up with a coffee and pick up some light refreshments. There's an interactive exhibition on the Greenock Cut and environmental activities such as touch table, word searches, animals and colouring in.