Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
Opened in 1998, the Museum of Scotland is housed in an modern, sandstone building in Edinburgh not far from the Royal Mile. The inspiration for the design came from traditional Scottish buildings, incorporating elements of castles, brochs, tower houses, and tenements.
Inside, the museum follows the story of Scotland with exhibits on archaeology, technology, science, the decorative arts, royalty, and geology.
There is a total of some 12,000 items, which range from 2.9-billion-year-old rocks found on the island of South Uist to a cute Hillman Imp, one of the last 500 automobiles manufactured in Scotland.
One gallery is devoted to Scotland's centuries as an independent nation before it merged with England and Wales to form Great Britain in the first decade of the 18th century.
Another gallery, devoted to industry and empire from 1707 to 1914, includes exhibits on shipbuilding, whisky distilling, the railways, and such textiles as the tartan and paisley.
There are several exhibits of religious interest, one of which is the gallery on Early People, which includes a section called In Touch with the Gods. The displays explore the death and burial practices of the early peoples of Scotland, ranging from 2500 BC farmers and ancient Romans to Vikings and early Christians. Also on display are ancient sacred images and ritual objects, the meanings of most of which are not fully known. Displays Y1-27 are on religion in the Roman Empire, while Displays Y13-27 document the spread of Christianity in Scotland.
The gallery on Scotland Transformed, covering 18th- and 19th-century Scotland, includes a section on The Church. Displays show ritual objects, items demonstrating the social role of the church, and exhibits illustrating the 1843 split between the Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland.
The roof garden has excellent views, the Tower restaurant offers superb lunches, and adjacent is the Royal Museum, with its well-preserved and airy Victorian-era Main Hall and some 36 more galleries.
| Address: | Chambers St., Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Phone: | 0131/225-7534 |
| Bus: | 41 or 42 |
| Hours: | Mon and Wed-Sat 10am-5pm; Tues 10am-8pm; Sun noon-5pm |
| Cost: | Free admission |
More Information
- Museum of Scotland (official)
Sources: Museum of Scotland and Frommer's Edinburgh and Glasgow, 1st ed. Photo credits, left to right: Museum of Scotland; Mike Sloane Lighting; Waywerks.
