Coming up: islands, eeriness, spooky old hospitals, neglected villages, neglected people, 2 nuclear bunkers, long-forgotten mansions, and the people and places of abandoned Scotland (that nobody talks about).
🌳 Most of Scotland is very remote (and much more remote than the vast majority of tourists ever expect). For example:
It has lots of little islands. It’s one of Europe’s least densely-populated countries. Its war history (both modern and not-modern) is a lot more brutal than people expect.
… and it’s also a land of changes, inventors, progress, and fast advances 💡
Add all that together, and you get a place where life changes quickly, and people and places are swiftly forgotten.
🏚️ Because of that, Scotland is home to LOTS of abandoned places; like castles, islands, hospitals, bunkers, apartment blocks, and more. And most of them fly way under the radar.
… so in this guide, we give you 21 abandoned Scottish places that nobody talks about 🏴
🎃 Spooky? Yep.
😱 Scary? Sometimes.
😣 Unexpected? Absolutely.
Let’s go!
1. Hirta Island (part of the St. Kilda archipelago)
- What it is: a famous island, evacuated in 1930
- Where it is: in the middle of the sea, VERY far from the western mainland
🏖️ Since 1930, St. Kilda has had no permanent population. Back then, the place was evacuated, for a number of reasons (partially because of illness, partially because of a shrinking population, partially because the First World War had killed and displaced lots of the locals).
This remote UNESCO World Heritage site lies approximately 110 miles (180km) west of the Scottish mainland. These days, you can explore the eerie abandoned vibe; seeing derelict buildings, relics of agriculture, and traditional Highland stone houses 🧱
🦉 But the place is most famous for something even stranger… it hosts one of Europe’s largest colonies of seabirds (including the UK’s largest colony of Atlantic puffins!)*
(Btw:June to August is the best time for seeing the birds… and whatever you want to see here, you can only visit between May and August)
⛴️ To reach the islands, you have to take chartered boat trips from one of the companies offering trips to the island (such as Kilda Cruises). They leave from some parts of the mainland, and some of the western isles (including the Isle of Skye). There are NO public-transport ferries heading to Hirta Island.
2. St Peter’s Seminary
- What it is: a former Roman Catholic seminary (basically a school for religious people)
- Where it is: a 1-hour drive northwest of Glasgow
If you’re interested in urban exploration, this’ll be one of your favorite places on our list 🏛️
After the number of people wanting to train as Catholic priests dwindled, this place closed down in 1980. A big brutalist building lurking in the woods, it’s now home to graffiti, big open spaces, assertive architecture, and a vibe that feels like it belongs in an empty Berlin nightclub.
If you go exploring in the surrounding woods, you’ll find the old abandoned botanical gardens, a tennis court, and even the ruins of an old chapel ⛪
🏘️ For similar vibes, head to the abandoned Gartloch Hospital, in the residential parts of Glasgow’s outskirts. Though this former mental asylum is now completely inaccessible, it has an eerie and interesting history.
3. Glasgow Botanic Gardens Railway Station
- What it is: a big (but-now-long-defunct) railway station
- Where it is: central Glasgow, beneath the city’s botanic gardens
🚂 Once part of the Glasgow Central Railway, this underground station opened in 1896, before being closed down in 1939.
During the Second World War, it was repurposed as an air-raid shelter. Today, it’s completely closed to the public. Back in the day, it was possible (though illegal) to squeeze in and explore the place. These days, it’s still illegal… and almost completely impossible.
🌴 That said, if you visit the botanic gardens, you can still see the platforms, through some open air vents.
4. Dunmore Park House
- What it is: an abandoned family mansion
- Where it is: inside Dunmore Park, a 20-minute drive southeast of Stirling
This once-grand mansion was built in 1820, then partially demolished in 1972. Most of it is now in ruin, but a surprising amount is still explorable.
🏇 The main entrance is still partially intact, and the wine cellar is still pretty impressive. Nearby, you’ll also find abandoned stables that were once part of the wider estate. An interesting insight into the rise and fall of 1800s Scotland’s mansion-dwelling upper classes.
5. Clune Park in Port Glasgow
- What it is: hundreds of abandoned flats (or as non-UK people call them, ‘apartments’)
- Where it is: a 30-minute drive west of central Glasgow
🚢 This dense housing estate was built after World War I by a shipbuilding company, to conveniently house the company’s workforce.
… but eventually, over time, as the work dried up, the workers too dried up. And the houses emptied. By the 1980s or 1990s (depending on who you ask), the estate was largely abandoned. And until around 2020, there were small pockets of people living here.
☢️ Known as ‘Scotland’s Chernobyl’ (which to be honest is a pretty big exaggeration), there are more than 400 apartments here, along with a church and a school. These days, maybe 1 or 2 of the apartments remain occupied, and the place is scheduled for imminent demolition (and some demolition has been done already).
So if you want to visit, act fast. And don’t be surprised if you can’t get in—or if you’re already too late 😬
6. St. Ninian’s Fife Earth Project
- What it is: half-finished remains of a massive abandoned art project
- Where it is: just north of Dunfermline
🎭 Thought up in the late 1970s as an arty outdoors community project, this installation was gonna reshape and resculpt the landscape… into a celebration of the region’s coal mining history, and working-class industrial heritage.
It was gonna be MASSIVE—the site is around the same size as 700 soccer pitches.
But funding ran out—so what had already been built was simply left behind. Now, it’s pretty bleak, with a dystopian post-industrial windswept vibe. What remains today are strange earthworks, concrete structures, and spooky buried passages. Filled with barrels, tyres, and digging equipment, it’s like a weird industrial graveyard 😬
🥾 Access is allowed, and it’s right off an easy-to-reach main road. We recommend exploring the place on this hike.
7. Stroma Island
- What it is: an abandoned island, with some still-partly-furnished homes
- Where it is: approximately 2 miles (about 3 km) northwest of John o’ Groats—which is on the northern coast of the Scottish mainland
Back in the 1900s, over 300 people lived on the little island of Stroma. The inhabitants were largely fishermen, farmers, boat drivers, and their families 🎣
But the place has been abandoned since 1997 (when the lighthouse keepers and their families decided to leave the place behind). So, these days, the island is home to an abandoned church and school, and many abandoned houses (in various stages of disrepair—and many of them are still home to furniture and other daily-life relics).
Although boat trips to Stroma Island existed then were subsequently canceled, they’re gonna be re-starting in summer 2026! 🎉
8. Buchanan Castle
- What it is: an abandoned castle with a family-home history
- Where it is: the edge of a housing estate, which is in itself on the edge of Loch Lomond
Weirdly, this place sits inside a housing estate, surrounded by totally-normal and totally-complete modern-day houses 🏠 Weird!
Built in the 1850s, Buchanan Castle was a grand family home, before being abandoned in the 1950s. And from the outside, it’s still retained a lot of its shape.
You shouldn’t go inside. But if you do, you’ll see empty rooms, old fireplaces, lots of mossy walls, and stairs that definitely can’t be safe to ascend 😨
9. Slains Castle
- What it is: an iconic ruined castle on the edge of some cliffs
- Where it is: the east coast, a 35-minute drive north of Aberdeen
😬 Okay, we’ve sort of lied to you with this entry: admittedly, most Scottish people DEFINITELY know this place exists.
… but if we assembled this list without mentioning Slains Castle, we’d be doing our jobs wrong.
🧛 One of Bram Stoker’s inspirations for Dracula, the super-atmospheric Slains is one of Scotland’s most impressive castles.
Perched dramatically above the North Sea, it’s all empty windows, collapsing walls, and relentless wind. There’s no visitor center, no safety rails, and not much to ‘do.’ But it’s super atmospheric, and it’s surrounded by seabirds 🦅
10. Lennox Castle
- What it is: the ruins of a home—which was then turned into an asylum
- Where it is: in some woods, a 40-minute drive north of Glasgow
🌳 Sitting inside some woods, this area is popular for gentle hiking. So many people accidentally walk past Lennox Castle.
… and from its outside, you can see carvings, monuments, and the relics of many storeys. It’s fenced off and officially inaccessible, but many intrepid locals (and non-locals) have found their way inside. It’s surprisingly intact, and it’s full of some pretty strange graffiti.
Lennox Castle was a hospital for ‘mentally deficient’ people until it closed in 2002—and was once the nation’s “largest institution for people with learning disabilities.” For many locals, it holds some pretty disturbing memories.
Super imposing, it’s bigger than most people expect 😯
11. Boreraig Village
- What it is: a brutally-cleared small coastal village
- Where it is: the Isle of Skye, south of Broadford, sitting on the coast
🐑 Heartlessly cleared in the 1850s for sheep farming* (by rich ruling-class sheep owners who didn’t care about the poor people they were displacing), this once-busy village now features stone ruins, the grass-covered relics of former homes, and an intense feeling of desolation.
*As you’ll come to learn later in this guide, this was once a pretty common practice throughout the Scottish Highlands.
🥾 To see all the most impressive and interesting ruins, visit Boreraig Village on this walk.
For much more on exploring the Isle of Skye, here are:
- The 13 best beaches on the Isle of Skye
- The 15 best hikes and walks on the Isle of Skye
- 18 exciting outdoor adventures on the Isle of Skye
12. Cramond Ghost Island
- What it is: an often-inaccessible island, brimming with WW2 relics and ruins
- Where it is: just off the coast of Edinburgh
Accessible only at low tide via a narrow causeway, Cramond Island somehow feels like you shouldn’t be allowed there (even though you absolutely are).
🪖 Fortified during the Second World War as a shoreline defensive area, it’s scattered with concrete gun emplacements, imposing bunkers, and rusting military debris.
When the tide comes in, the island is completely cut off. When it isn’t, it’s one of Edinburgh’s most unusual and unexpected attractions. Not many tourists come here; don’t make the same mistake. This place is VERY impressive 🏖️
If you want to explore the island and its surroundings on a bigger (and very pretty!) coastal hike, we recommend this wander. It’ll take you 2.5 hours, and it’s super flat and simple.
13. Scotland’s Secret Bunker
- What it is: a HUGE creepy abandoned underground bunker, built for quick escape in the event of a nuclear war
- Where it is: the southeast coast, close to the town of St Andrews
Admittedly, since this is a museum, this isn’t exactly what you came to this guide for.
… but if you’re the type of person who likes abandoned buildings, you’ll also be the type of person who enjoys this 😌
⚠️ Billed as “Scotland’s best kept secret for over 40 years,” this was once a nuclear bunker (and was purposely hidden beneath a normal-looking farmhouse building). These days, the huge bunker is a hugely-detailed Cold War museum.
Built over three storeys, it was home to a dormitory, command centers, living areas, cooking facilities, and a BBC broadcasting studio. From a visit, you can expect tanks, 2 cinemas, a quirky retro cafe, and lots of creepy and claustrophobic corridors and rooms.
For WAY more attractions like this, here are 24 strange spots in Scotland you didn’t know about.
14. Barnton Quarry Nuclear Bunker
- What it is: another nuclear bunker!
- Where it is: just on the outskirts of Edinburgh
Very similar to our most recent entry, and equally interesting.
Built in the 1950s, Barnton Quarry Nuclear Bunker was designed as a secret command centre to protect officials during a nuclear attack.
It was then abandoned for decades, but these days, you can visit on a (and only on a!) guided tour ⚠️ Super interesting!
15. The Coco Chanel Mansion
- What it is: a mansion where Coco Chanel once (probably) lived
- Where it is: northern Scotland, relatively close to Ullapool… if you can find it
🤫 Admittedly, I’ve never been to this place, and I don’t know exactly where it is (cos the small amount of online info you can find on the place doesn’t give an exact location).
… but according to this comprehensive-but-still-secretive guide, it’s in a “wee hamlet near Lairg called Rosehall”… and is beside a sign that reads ‘Achness Hotel.’ But its Google Maps pin has disappeared, and lots of online information also seems to have disappeared.
So maybe it’s no longer accessible… or maybe it no longer even exists. But I suppose if you’re interested in abandoned buildings, that’s all part of the potential fun.
👃 Anyway, if you can find it, it’s common belief that Coco Chanel once lived in this abandoned mansion (though some people doubt that claim). Hence the fancy furniture, the ornate leftover decorations, and the chaise longue.
16. Badbea Abandoned Village
- What it is: a windswept desperation village, where animals and kids were tied down!
- Where it is: far-northern Scotland, 30 miles (48km) south of Wick
🐏 As we covered a bit earlier: in the 18th and 19th centuries, many villagers in many Scottish villages were essentially forced to leave their homes by rich people, so their land could be used for sheep farming.
That happened close to Badbea… and so, the rich sheep owners moved the evicted families to the cliffside grass of Badbea. These people were told to look for stones, build their own homes, and live there—whether they liked it or not.
🍃 But the conditions here were horrid and harsh—this part of Scotland is WINDY. According to folk tales (which may or may not be true), the villagers sometimes tied their livestock and chickens (and even children!) to homes and fenceposts, to stop them from blowing away.
Finally, the villagers got tired of living here, and Badbea was abandoned by 1911. These days, the place is home to only a small few ruins… but for some strange, tragic, and often-overlooked Scottish history, it’s absolutely still worth a visit.
The best way to see Badbea Abandoned Village is on this easy 1-hour hike 🥾
17. Arichonan Abandoned Village
- What it is: another abandoned village
- Where it is: the southwest coast, a 2.5-hour drive west of Glasgow
With a pretty similar story to the people who were moved to Badbea (you can learn much more about the Highland clearances here), Arichonan’s folks were also told to leave their homes to make way for sheep farming.
They rioted, but they didn’t win ✊ And eventually (and tragically), the villagers were forcibly moved on from their homes.
🏚️ Although Arichonan is less famous than Badbea, the cottages here are better preserved (and there are some very-well-preserved roofless homes). Again, much like with Badbea, hiking through is your best way to see Arichonan Abandoned Village.
18. Kilmartin Poltalloch House Ruins
- What it is: an old mansion
- Where it is: close to the southwest coast, a 2.5-hour drive west of Glasgow
Kilmartin Poltalloch House sits just a 15-minute drive north of the abandoned village of Arichonan (so you can visit both in the same day, for a big bumper abandoned funfest 🎉).
An abandoned and now-ruined 19th-century mansion built in the grand Scottish Baronial style (in which the older tower houses of Scotland were replicated), Kilmartin Poltalloch House was abandoned in the mid-20th century.
These days, it’s structurally unsafe, and it’s been overtaken by nature (though some parts are still robustly standing against all odds). Although it’s crumbling and a little dangerous, many people still visit the place. It’s another insight into the ruling classes that were once very present in Scotland’s modern history 🙄
19. Inchkeith Island
- What it is: a tiny island with a lighthouse and a very mysterious past; only accessible on organised boat trips
- Where it is: in the middle of the Forth of Firth (that’s a big tidal estuary), between Edinburgh and Kirkcaldy
This place has LOADS of history (much of it spooky and unusual) 👻
Back in the late 15th century, it was used as a quarantine site for syphilis patients 😬
… and because of its strategic seaside location, it was also a major defensive hub during both World Wars (and sometimes had up to 1,000 soldiers stationed here!).
🦅 These days, it’s home to loads of birds, including puffins, guillemots, razorbills, and kittiwakes. The best time to see birds here is between late April and late July.
As far as I know, the ONLY people offering trips to Inchkeith Island are Forth Sea Safaris. On your boat trip, there’s a small chance you might see dolphins and whales (well, if you travel during the best time, which is typically June and July) 🐬
20. Argyll and Bute Hospital
- What it is: the ruins of what was the last remaining psychiatric asylum in Scotland
- Where it is: on the outskirts of Lochgilphead, right beside the west coast, just over a 2-hour drive from Glasgow
🏥 This abandoned Victorian-era mental health facility is like something from a horror movie.
From the outside, it just looks like a big old building.
… but inside, there are beds, desks, a dentists’ chair, wheelchairs, colorful walls, canteen remnants, and a very eerie vibe. Of all the interiors we’ve covered in this guide, this place has the most extensive, varied, and creepy stuff 🧟
🌳 Now an official listed building, it was finally closed in 2017. There’s a pretty forest walk which gives you views of the hospital. People occasionally wander inside, but it’s officially closed to the public. If you decide to go in, please know it’s illegal—and do so at your own risk.
21. Hartwood Hospital
- What it is: a former psychiatric hospital that was open from 1895 until 1998
- Where it is: a 30-minute drive east of central Glasgow
Although this place is officially inaccessible, many adventurous locals have sneakily found a way in around the back.
… so, as we’ve said for a few different places in this guide—although we don’t recommend going inside Hartwood Hospital, the option is there 🤷 Whatever you do, please be careful.
Partially burned down, and very very precarious, Hartwood Hospital’s interiors look like the set of some dark psychological thriller. Expect peeling paint, burned walls, old tiles, and lots of graffiti. At one point, Hartwood Hospital was the most populated mental asylum in Europe, housing around 2,500 patients.
🕜 Allegedly, it’s still possible to get up to one of the clock towers, but we really really really don’t recommend it. It’s only a matter of time until it crumbles and falls 😬
Are there any Scottish hikes with abandoned villages?
Yes, there are LOTS of them, especially as you head further north into the Highlands.
As we’ve covered, you can see both Arichonan Abandoned Village and Badbea Abandoned Village on easy short hikes.
… but some other abandoned villages you can see on pretty walks are:
- Crackaig and Gualacholish, both on the Isle of Mull
- Peanmeanach, west of Fort William, beside a secluded beach
- Boreraig and Suisnish, both on the Isle of Skye
🥾 For way more Scottish hikes, here are:
- The 19 best hikes near Edinburgh
- The 15 best hikes in all of Scotland
- The 15 best hikes around Inverness
- The 13 best hikes on the Isle of Arran
- The 15 most beautiful hikes close to Glasgow
- The 15 best hikes and walks in and around Glencoe
- Our guide to the West Highland Way (Scotland’s most famous long-distance walk)
More resources for finding abandoned places in Scotland
- The ‘Abandoned Scotland’ Facebook group is very popular and comprehensive, but some of its recommendations are a bit outdated and exaggerated. Some others are risky and dangerous. But if you’re into abandoned stuff, you’ll love it.
- Atlas Obscura has many of the same places we’ve covered, along with some other abandoned places and unusual attractions. In general, Atlas Obscura is great for finding weird stuff (anywhere on the planet!).
- 28dayslater.co.uk is the UK’s best urban exploring forum. Again, some of the places here are dangerous and crumbling, but it’s still an interesting site.
Final Thoughts
So, there you go, that’s everything you need to know about some of the strangest abandoned places in Scotland! 🏚️
Obviously, you probably won’t have time to visit them all. So our four must-visit recommendations are…
- Cramond Ghost Island: for combining abandoned stuff with a beautiful hike
- St Peter’s Seminary: if you like urban exploration, this place is your Scottish dream
- Inchkeith: with a creepy history and many birds, this island is accessible from Edinburgh
- Scotland’s Secret Bunker: unlike many places we’ve brought you, this is an actual tourist attraction
🏴 For more strange and unusual lists of Scottish stuff, here are:
- The 10 biggest myths about Scotland that Americans just can’t shake
- 20 things you shouldn’t say to Scottish people
- 20+ things you shouldn’t do in Scotland
Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting Travelness, and we’ll see you again soon. Keep scrolling here! 👋
