Falkland Palace

Falkland Palace stands at the heart of the conservation village of Falkland in Fife, set against the wooded slopes of the Lomond Hills. It was the country residence of the Stewart kings and queens of Scotland for more than two centuries, used as a retreat for hunting deer and wild boar in the surrounding forest. James IV and James V transformed an earlier castle on the site into one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in Britain, with elegant courtyard facades inspired by French royal palaces.

Inside, visitors can explore the Chapel Royal with its painted ceiling, the King's Bedchamber, and rooms hung with tapestries that evoke court life under the Stewarts. Mary, Queen of Scots, spent some of her happiest days here as a young woman. The palace also houses the oldest working real (royal) tennis court in the world, built for James V in 1539 and still in use today.

The gardens, restored in the 20th century, include long herbaceous borders, an orchard and lawns leading to the original tennis court. Now in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, the palace is an easy day trip from Edinburgh, St Andrews or Perth and combines well with a wander through Falkland's preserved 17th and 18th-century streets.