MISCELLANEOUS SCOTLAND

This section deals with special interest destinations. It might seem a little perverse to bracket the prehistoric settlements of Skara Brae and Jarishof along with the Loch Ness Monster, but each of the following eight entries is sufficiently offbeat to deserve inclusion in a mixed bag. Here we have eerie Inveraray jail, where old lags come back to haunt you; the Famous Old Blacksmith's shop, where umpteen couples have taken their marriage vows, and the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, which takes you on a journey through the centuries. Anderson's Storybook Glen is a must for hard-to please children.

This award winning visitor centre at the southern end of the Sleat Peninsula, is set in 40 acres of restored 19th century gardens and woodlands. It is a focal point for clansman from all over the world, especially the 'sons of Donald', thousands of whom stay in the united States and Canada. The oldest part of Armdale Castle houses the Museum of the Isles exhibition, and an audio-visual programme relates the history of the Lords of the Isles and the story of the Gaelic kingdom. A new library and study centre house significant historical records and information on genealogy. The stables in which the Donald lords used to keep their steeds have been converted into a licensed restaurant and a gift shop. Visitors can explore the woodlands, moorland and coastline with a countryside ranger-minutes from the Armdale Ferry point. First-class accommodation is also available at the centre. Facilities include a gift shop and a restaurant, and wheelchairs are available on loan.

Gretna Green is now largely devoted to 'mock weddings' over the anvil, but the village used to be a mecca for runaway lovers, who wanted to take advantage of the more convenient marriage laws of Scotland. The Famous Old Blacksmith's shop became renowned as a wedding venue; couples would knock on the blacksmith's door-even during the night-to ask to be married. The 'shop' has entertained King George V, Queen Mary, King Hussein of Jordan, the Sultan of Muscat, Lloyd George and a host of film and show business people. The modern day visitor centre has a collection of old coaches, including one used by King William IV and Queen Adelaide. There is an enormous shop, selling everything from food to fabrics, a restaurant and a bar; easy wheelchair access, plus toilet for disabled people.

One of Scotland's most bizarre tourist attractions, Inveraray jail is the first 19th century prison and courthouse in Europe to be opened to the public. Visitors can go behind bars and see what it was like to be on the receiving end of justice. Life-like figures, furnished cells, imaginative exhibitions, sounds and smells all bring the jail back to life. It is staffed by warders and a governor, and there are prisoners in 1870 period uniform. The atmosphere in the jail is surreal: a fifteen man jury, solicitors, witnesses and the accused sandwiched between two burly policemen-but they are all dummies. Visitors can try out a hard labour machine and make traditional herring nets as prisoners did a century and more ago. The Crime and Punishment exhibition has gory details of medieval punishments, hangings, brandings, tongue borings and burnings. Definitely not for the squeamish! Facilities include a shop and limited access for wheelchairs.

Jarlshof is one of the most amazing archaeological sites in Europe with a complex of ancient settlements within three acres. The villages were occupied from the Bronze Age until Viking times. Such a walk through prehistory and history is not possible anywhere else in Britain. Fragments of a house dated between 1500 and 2000 BC can be seen. There is a Bronze Age village of oval stone huts, and an Iron Age brooch and wheelhouses. There is a Norse settlement, a number of farms from the ninth to the 13th centuries, and on the crest of a mound there is a house which was built around 1600. It was not until the 19th century that Jarlshof aroused interest again when Sir Walter Scott used the ruins for his description of the house of Mr Mertoun in The Pirate. There are no facilities for disabled people.

OFFICIAL LOCH NESS MONSTER EXHIBITION CENTRE

LOCATION  - DRUMNADROCHIT, INVERNESS, HIGHLAND

STATUS  - PRIVATE
OPEN  - EASTER-31 MAY, 0930-1730; 1 JUN-30 JUN, 0900-2000; 1 JULY-10 SEP, 0900-2130; 11 SEP-31 OCT, 0930-2000
ADMISSION - NOMINAL CHARGE, REDUCED RATE FOR CHILDREN AND SENIOR CITIZENS
PHONE  - 0145 62 218/573/202

The prows of Norse longships bore the sea dragon as a figurehead, and Viking legends tell of strange creatures in northern waters. St Columba is said to have been the first person to spot 'Nessie' and there have been several alleged sightings since 1933. The Loch Ness phenomena Investigation Bureau was set up in 1962 to organise further research and collate evidence, and lasted for ten years. Then the Academy of Applied Science took over. This was followed in turn by the Loch Ness Project and Operation Deepscan. But there is no conclusive proof of the existence of a monster…yet. The exhibition centre has a large multi-media presentation, and the equipment that has been used to try to trace the beast is on display. There are shops, craft demonstrations, a restaurant and hotel with access and facilities for disabled people.

The winner of a British Tourist Authority come to Britain Award, this visitor centre stands at the top of the historic Royal Mile. It brings life to the story of smugglers and Scotch Whisky in an interesting fashion. There are guided tours and an audio-visual show. Visitors seated on converted Whisky barrels are transported through the centuries and told about 'the water of life'. There are tell-tale sounds and aromas, and visitors can listen to Robert Burns lament the closure of his favourite distillery. There is a commentary in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. There is a blender's laboratory and a bonded warehouse with the distillery cat. A gift shop sells over 60 brands of Whisky. Wheelchair access, a lift and a toilet for disabled people are available.

Skara Brae, the best preserved group of stone age houses in Western Europe, lay buried in drift sand for 4500 years until it was revealed by a storm in 1850. This neolithic village was inhabited before the Pyramids were built, and some of its structures remain impressively intact. Nowhere else in Northern Europe is there Stone Age furniture in such a good state of preservation. The sand, and the midden which surrounded the village, helped preserve it with posterity. Skara Brae was probably occupied from 3000 BC until 2700 BC, and stone beds, fireplaces, dressers and cupboards have survived. The villagers were part of a close-knit community of farmers and herds who cremated their deceased relatives in tombs. The remains give a fascinating insight into how people lived in prehistoric times. Facilities include a visitor centre. Guide dogs are allowed, but there is no access for wheelchairs.