melissapipkin's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Stirling, Scotland

Beheading Stone

Legend says this rock was once a chopping block for public executions.
Stirling, Scotland

Grave Robbing Headstone

A grave marker depicting a body snatching tableau on a 19th-century tombstone.
Ceres, Scotland

Vincenzo Lunardi Commemorative Plaque

A stone memorial marking the location where Scotland's first aeronautical flight landed.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions

360° views of the city plus five floors of optical illusions and hands-on science.
Isle of Skye, Scotland

Fairy Pools

These fantastically named natural pools look like something out of a Scottish myth.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Old Calton Cemetery

A 18th century graveyard and its astonishing cortege of macabre iconography.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Remains of Dolly the Sheep

The taxidermy remains of the first mammal ever cloned from an adult cell are on display in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Millennium Clock Tower

The dance of this huge clock is a magnificent and eerie commentary on good and evil in the history of humankind.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Mason's Memorial Pillars

A rare remnant of an exposition that took place nearby at the end of the 19th-century.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Wardrop's Court Dragons

A quartet of brightly colored mythical beasts stand sentry at this gateway.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Trinity Apse

This 15th-century structure had a long, tortuous journey to its current location.
Edinburgh, Scotland

David Hume's Statue

Touching this 18th-century Scottish philosopher’s toe allegedly conjures good fortune.
Edinburgh, Scotland

William Wallace and Robert the Bruce Statues

Overlooked by many, the two famous Scottish warriors guard the main gate of Edinburgh Castle.
Edinburgh, Scotland

The Heart of Midlothian

A sweet symbol marks the place where torturous executions were once carried out.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Greyfriars Bobby

The most loyal of little dogs, or a Victorian era publicity stunt?
Edinburgh, Scotland

Mons Meg

A six-ton wedding present for the King of the Scots.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Binns Clock

This historic timepiece was a popular meeting place for romantic rendezvous in the 1960s.
Washington, D.C.

Watergate Fountain

The word "Watergate" will forever be associated with the infamous scandal in 1972, but this fountain is famous in its own right.
Washington, D.C.

Legislative Bell System

An ear-piercing buzzer calls lawmakers to a vote with a series of long and short rings to form coded messages.
Washington, D.C.

Site of the Union Station Train Crash

A 1,100-ton train fell through the floor in 1953. Workers got it patched up in just 72 hours.
Washington, D.C.

Russian Ambassador's Residence

Was there a small "backpack nuke" hidden in the attic? JFK apparently thought so.
Washington, D.C.

Man Controlling Trade

A muscular Art Deco monument represents the struggle between regulators and unbridled markets.
Washington, D.C.

NASA Full Scale Wind Tunnel Propeller

While most wind tunnels test scale models, the "Cave of Winds" was large enough for actual airplanes.
Washington, D.C.

Washington Monument Marble Stripe

Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.