Ruthven Falls - Fun Days Out

Glamis Castle stands beside the village of Glamis in Angus and is open to the public. It has been the home of the Lyon family since the 14th century, though the present building dates largely from the 17th century. It was the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret was born here in 1930. Shakespeare's Macbeth lives at Glamis in the play, and the castle appears on Royal Bank of Scotland ten pound notes.

The estate covers more than 57 square kilometres, with parks and gardens. Look out for the mile-long avenue lined with daffodils, the 17th-century statues along the approach, and an arboretum overlooking Glamis Burn with rare trees from all over the world. The castle is also known for the legend of the Monster of Glamis, a deformed child said to have been kept hidden in the castle.

Tip: Leave time for the grounds as well as the castle: the daffodil avenue and the arboretum overlooking Glamis Burn are part of the estate.

Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum is in the centre of the village of Meigle, on the A94 between Coupar Angus and Forfar. It fills the former parish school and displays a striking set of carved Pictish stones from the late 700s to late 900s, all that survives of the Picts' power centre here. The collection is one of the most important of its kind in Western Europe.

Look out for Meigle 1, the oldest cross-slab, with Pictish symbols, horsemen and animals. Meigle 2 is a tall cross-slab with Daniel in the lions' den, and Meigle 26 is a grave-marker carved with animals, birds, horsemen and naked figures. You can also see rare architectural fragments of the Pictish church, and there is a fun fact-finding quiz to follow as you go round.

Tip: Standard tickets are booked for a specific date and time, so check the booking page before you set off.

V&A Dundee is Scotland's design museum, set on Dundee's waterfront. It was the first building in the UK designed by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, whose idea was a "living room for the city", and its outer wing reaches out over the River Tay. It is also the only V&A museum outside London.

Inside, the exhibition galleries show temporary exhibitions, some with an entrance fee and some free to explore. The Scottish Design Galleries cover subjects from architecture and fashion to furniture and video game design, and include Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Oak Room, originally a Glasgow tearoom. Stories from the Building looks at how the museum was made. Free self-guided audio tours are available through the Smartify app.

When you want a break, Tatha Bar & Kitchen serves lunch, scones and afternoon tea, and there is a shop. For families, there is a buggy park and baby changing facilities.

Tip: Parking is in the nearby Dundee City Council car parks, and the free Smartify app audio tours let you explore at your own pace.

Scone Palace is a Category A-listed historic house near the village of Scone and the city of Perth. Built in red sandstone with a castellated roof, it is a fine example of Gothic Revival style. For centuries the site held the Stone of Scone, on which early Scottish kings were crowned, and Robert the Bruce was crowned here in 1306.

You can explore the State Rooms, then wander the extensive grounds and parkland, which have views over the River Tay. The grounds include a collection of fir trees and a star-shaped maze. The palace has been home to the Murrays of Tullibardine since 1600, and it is still the family's home today.

It is a good pick for anyone who enjoys Scottish history, stately homes and a leisurely walk through landscaped grounds.

Tip: To follow the Stone of Destiny story further, Perth Museum displays it; tickets for that are booked through the museum's own website.

RRS Discovery is the wooden three-masted ship built in Dundee in 1901 for Antarctic research. She carried Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton on the Discovery Expedition, and she was the last traditional wooden three-masted ship built in the United Kingdom.

Her story runs well beyond that first voyage. She became the first Royal Research Ship, carried out the Discovery Investigations into the oceans and whale populations, and served as the base for Douglas Mawson's BANZARE expedition. She is one of only two surviving expedition ships from the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, the other being Norway's Fram.

Returned to Dundee in 1986, the city where she was built, she is the centrepiece of a visitor attraction. It is a good stop for anyone who enjoys ships, polar exploration or the history of scientific discovery.

The McManus is Dundee's art gallery and museum, housed in a Category A listed Gothic Revival building designed by George Gilbert Scott. Eight galleries across two floors follow the story of the city, from a small settlement to the Dundee of today, taking in 400 million years of history along the way.

The collections include fine and decorative art, natural history and local treasures, with work by Dundee-based artists such as James McIntosh Patrick and Alberto Morrocco. There are changing exhibitions, free talks and tours, and family activities. A free digital guide lets you hear from curators and follow an audio tour of the permanent displays. The café serves sandwiches, soup, cakes and coffee, and there is a lift to all floors.

Tip: The nearest public car parks are Bell Street, Overgate and Wellgate, each a 5-10 minute walk away.

Perth Museum sits in the former Perth City Hall, an Edwardian building that once hosted markets, concerts and political conferences. At its heart is the Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, used to crown Scottish monarchs and still used in coronations of the UK's kings and queens. It has returned to Perthshire after more than 700 years.

Alongside the Stone you'll find Perth and Kinross's nationally significant collections, plus loans and exhibitions. Objects include a 3,000-year-old logboat pulled from the Firth of Tay, a mummified woman named Ta-Kr-Hb and a rare cloak made entirely of kākāpō feathers. There's a café, a museum shop and lift access to all floors. Families and children of all ages are welcome, and quieter visits are possible on Thursday and Sunday mornings.

Tip: The Stone of Destiny experience needs a timed ticket, which you book at the front desk, so sort this out early in your visit.

Broughty Castle stands on the banks of the River Tay in Broughty Ferry, Dundee. It was completed around 1495, and its four-floor tower house sits at the centre of the site. The castle is a scheduled monument, and its position at the mouth of the river made it important to anyone wanting to control Dundee and the towns upriver.

The castle has a lively military past. During the 16th-century War of the Rough Wooing it was handed over to the English, who strengthened it with a ditch across the landward side of the promontory. French and Scottish forces then besieged it and recaptured it in 1550. Expect plenty of stories about garrisons, gunships and sieges, plus a look at a building that has stood on this spot for over five centuries.

It suits history fans, families with curious children and anyone who likes a riverside setting.