Shieldhill Farm House

The Kelpies are a pair of monumental steel horse heads between Falkirk and Grangemouth, designed by sculptor Andy Scott. Each stands 30 metres high and weighs around 300 tonnes. They sit either side of a lock and basin at the eastern gateway of the Forth and Clyde Canal, within the parkland known as the Helix.

Tip: Pre-book the guided tour, as tours are subject to availability. Dogs are not allowed on the tour.

Callendar House is a mansion in Falkirk, built around a 14th-century tower house and later extended in the style of a French Renaissance château with Scottish baronial touches. Over its 600-year history it has hosted figures including Mary, Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Queen Victoria.

Tip: Book afternoon tea in the Drawing Room ahead; the tearoom itself takes walk-ins.

M&D's is an amusement park in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, bordering Strathclyde Park. It has two roller coasters, including Runaway Mine Train and the children's Big Apple, plus thrill rides such as Air Raid and a pirate ship, and Moby's Revenge, a three-lane dinghy water slide. Younger children have their own junior rides, including trampolines.

Tip: Check the park's website for opening times before you go, as hours differ between attractions.

Blair Drummond is a family safari park just outside Stirling, set in a 120-acre estate with over 300 animals. You can set out on a drive-through safari past the African reserve, home to Grant's zebra and southern white rhinos, the lion reserve and the Asian reserve with Bactrian camels and Père David's deer.

Tip: Tickets are online only and none are sold at the gate, so book ahead, especially at weekends and school holidays when it often sells out.

Stirling Castle is one of the largest and most historically important castles in Scotland. It stands on a volcanic crag with steep cliffs on three sides, and the rock has been fortified since ancient times. Generations of Scottish monarchs enlarged and embellished it, and Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned here in 1542.

Tip: Book your visit online in advance for a set date and time; the Great Hall and Royal Palace are the parts to head for first.

Deep Sea World is an aquarium at North Queensferry in Fife, set in a disused quarry below the Forth Rail Bridge. Its star feature is a 112 metre transparent underwater tunnel, one of the longest of its kind in the world. Most animals in the main tank come from British waters, alongside a large collection of sand tiger sharks.

Tip: Check the talk and feed times when you arrive and allow a couple of hours before closing so you don't miss them.

Linlithgow Palace was one of the principal residences of the Scottish monarchs in the 15th and 16th centuries. It stands in the town of Linlithgow, 15 miles west of Edinburgh. James I began rebuilding it as a grand royal residence rather than a heavily fortified castle, and later kings added to it until it became a formal courtyard palace.

Tip: Combine your visit with the Church of St Michael, which stands immediately south of the palace.

The Dunmore Pineapple is a folly in Dunmore Park, near Airth in Stirlingshire. It sits in the wall of a large walled garden, above a hothouse that was used, among other things, for growing pineapples. The top is a carved stone pineapple, about 14 metres high, crowning an octagonal summerhouse. It was once ranked the most bizarre building in Scotland.