EDINBURGH LIFE
' SPECIAL EVENTS
Edinburgh International Science Festival Until Sun l8 Apr. info: 473 2020. Various venues. The last few days of the festival continue to open up new areas of scientific knowledge about the mind. food. the sun and genetics. And hopefully tell tis exactly when those pesky aliens will be arriving.
Scottish Claymores v Rhein Fire Sun l8 Apr. 3pm. £4—£l6. Murraylield Stadium. See photo caption.
Dorothy Rowe: The Real Meaning Of Money Wed 2S Apr. 7.30pm. £7 (£5). Queen‘s Hall. South Clerk Street. 668 20l‘). The renowned psychologist. author and broadcaster .\ls Rowe presents the Wellbeing Lecture. deriding our obsession with all things monetary. She aims to convince you that cash is not as crucial as you think with the aid of humour. hard reality and hope.
PERMANENT ATTRACTIONS
Camera Obscura
Castlehill (Royal Mile). lidinburgh. 226 370‘). Daily l0am-6pm. £3.‘)5 (£l.‘)5—£3.|5); family ticket £l l.50. Pick up a pedestrian in your hand at this attraction. which gives visitors a real- time. 360. itnage of the city. There is also an exhibition devoted to holographs and photography on the lower floors.
Craigmillar Castle
Niddrie Mains. lidinbui'gh. 66l 4-145. Daily ‘).3()amv-6prii. £ l .80 l75p -£ l .30l. Fora real taste of history. take a drive out to this ramshackle old castle. which although not quite as intact as lidinburgh Castle. is far more atmospheric and the scene of much plotting during the reign of Mary. Queen of Scots.
Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh. 225 9346. Daily ‘).30am--.6pm. £6 l£ l 5079.11.50). Although much of the castle's medieval character was lost when it was converted into barracks in the l‘)th century. continuing excavations aim to redress this. Other attractions include James l\."s famous cannon. Mons Meg. lots of military silverware and. ofcourse. The Stone Of Destiny. used to crown Scottiin kings since time began.
Edinburgh Experience
City ()bservatory. Calton Hill. Edinburgh. 556 4365. Daily
l0.30am 5pm. £2 t£l.2t)). Air attraction for those of tis w ho can‘t really be bothered trekking round Edinburgh‘s sights on foot. the Edinburgh lisperience is a twenty minute. 3-D. audio-v istial esperience that takes you through time. from the tectonic activity which formed the castle rock to the l‘estrval fireworks of today. all in tlie surrounds of a comfortable andrtoritnii safe from the vagaries of Scotland's w eather. Edinburgh Zoo
Corstoi'plirne Road. lidiirburgh. 334 ‘)l7l. Daily ‘)arri 6pm. £6.50 l£3.50~£-l.50i; family ticket £l‘) £23.50. Widely accepted as one of the finest loos in Britain. there's plenty here to while away an attci‘nooii. or c\ en a w hole day tfyotr take your time. The penguin parade at 2pm is a must and the newly btiilt African planes afford a fantastic view of the ell}.
Georgian House
7 Charlotte Square. lidinbui'gh. 225 2160. Mon-Sat l0ani~~l.30pm; Sun 2- 4.30pm. £4.20 (£2S0l. Insperrence a period Georgian house. giving a taste of life in lidinburgh when the New Town was built.
Gladstone's Land
~177b High Street. lidinburgh. 226 5856. Mon—Sat l0am—~l.30pm: Sun 2-4.30pm. £3 (£2). Restored to the splendour enjoyed by the merchant classes in the l7th century. Ciladstone's land gives an authentic representation of life in the medieval Old Town at this time.
Huntly House
l-l2 Canongate. lidinburgh. 52‘) 4 I43. Mon—Sat l0am—5pm. l-‘ree. Packed with historic artefacts. this restored l6th century mansion tells the story of l'idinburgh's past and its people and houses important collections of lidinburgh silver and glass. Scottish pottery and shop signs. Also on show: [in/Ii 721.v'i't'¢'l'('ilt — Til/A‘IIIL’ l’it'ltil't'y ‘- see lidinburgh Art listings. page 76.
Museum Of Childhood
-l2 High Street. lidinburgh. 52‘) «ll-12. Mon-Sat l0am~5pm. liree. l-‘ounded in l‘)55. the museum has five public galleries with all manner of archive material and old toys relating to childhood through the ages. From antique dolls to l‘)8()'s computer games. there‘s plenty here to send you offori a trip down memory lane. Also on show: See/i But M)! Heard: The Liver ()r l'ii'tm'iu/i ('lrili/n'li — see lidinburgh Art listings. page 76.
Museum Of Scotland Chambers Street. lidinburgh. 247 42 l‘). Mon—Sat l0am—5pm (h’pm Tue): Sun noon -5pm. £3 t£l.50): under 18s free. This is the newest addition to our national museum selection and the only one dedicated solely to Scotland's history and heritage. The building contains live theirratically-arranged exhibitions. moving from pic-history. through the Industrial Revolution. to the present day. at which point national heroes such as Billy Connolly and lilarne C Smith get involved.
Palace 0f Holyroodhouse Royal Mile. lidinburgh. 556 l0‘)6. Daily ‘).30am—6prri (last entry 5. l5pm). £5.50 t£2.70-£4l; family ticket £l3.50. Starting life as a l3th century abbey. the palace has evolved into a sumptuous regal residence crammed ftrll of paintings and artefacts dating back primarily to the
l7tli century. The tower apartments housed a sad and lonely Mary Queen of Scots' fora time. but w ith a spectacular view of Arthur's Seat. and magnificent gardens to look at. it‘s hard to feel too sorry for her.
Royal Museum Of Scotland
2 Chambers Street. lidinbtii‘gh. 2.17 42 l‘). Mon-Sat l0am «5pm its’pm Tue l; Sun noon-5pm. £3 (£1.50); under lSs free. A l‘)th century museum housing international collections of natural history. geology. science. technology and the decorative arts. plus two permanent exhibitions: .vlrl t\'- lllt/lH/IT and The /l'\' ll’u (Jul/err. Also on show: (iriiiiliil. Wars ()I lit/I‘llllt'. Hr) ./r‘lfrl/'('\.‘ Rel/(t NIH/H. (TII/(ll't’ll In l'lrvu-i'. I)ivt (ll err/re ./(I/)tI/I. '/'I'ttllvi.vlurv and New lliivv ()/ See/He see lidinburgli Art listings. page 76.
Royal Observatory Visitor Centre Blackford llill. lidinburgh. 668 8-105. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun noon-5pm. £2.50 (£1.50). This attraction is a mine of information on the heavens. from the latest interactive CD-Roms on space and astronomy to the observatory 's on-going work in Hawaii and Australia. l’ublic star-gazing sessions take place every l-‘t‘iday night from October to March.
Royal Yacht Britannia ()cean Drive. l.eitli. lidiiiburgh. 555 5566. Daily l0.30ani 6pm tlast entry
g.
4.30pm). £6.50 (£3.75—£5). The former
royal yacht opens its doors to members of
the public after a £25 million refit. The on-shore visitor centre contains historical information on the boat and its furnishings while. on the yacht itself. members of the public cart have a good riosy round the royals' former quarters.
Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre
354 Castlehill. The Royal Mile. lidinburgh. 220 0441. Daily ‘).30am~4.30pm. £4.95 t£2.50--~£3.50). Take a romp through the traditions and history of yer national drink at this fully interactive attraction. Highlights include a lesson from a ghost master-blender. a barrel-car ride through whisky history and a well-stocked bar in which to test your newly-acquired expertise.
listings EDINBURGH I.le
distilled each year in Scotland? This and other interesing facts are to be found at the biggest scotchfest of the year with guided tours. nosings. tutorings and. yes. tastings for the initiated.
Deep-Sea Word
North Queensferr‘y. Fife. 0 l 383 4] l880. Daily l0am—6pm. £6. l5 (£3.55—£4.25). Famous for its underwater tunnel. which brings visitors face-to-face with a huge collection of fiin native to our coastlines. Deep-Sea World also houses an Amazonian rain forest display. a touch- pool and educational facilities. Expert staff are on hand to answer questions and. thanks to the latest communications technology. visitors can even talk to divers as they feed the animals in the aquarium.
The People’s Story
Canongate Tolbooth. I63 Canongate. Edinburgh. 52‘) 4057. Mon—Sat l0am—5pm. Free. Situated in the Canongate Tolbooth. the sights. sounds and even smells of Edinburgh folk from the l8th century onwards are faithfully reproduced.
Writers Museum
Lady Stair"s House. Lady Stains Close. lidinburgh. 52‘) J‘)0l. Mon—Sat l()am-‘5pm. l-‘ree. A treasure-house of items relating to three of Scotland's most famous writers: Robert Louis Stevenson. Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott. Also on show: /.'l/ll liver Yuri/1v - see lidinburgh Art listings. page 76.
OUTSIDE THE CITIES
Special Events
Spirit Of Speyside Whisky Festival liri l6—-.\lori l‘) Apr. Various venues. Speyside. info: 0|3-13 5500-14. Did you know that |.6m 7(ch bottle of whisky are
New Lanark World Heritage Centre New Lanark Mills. Lanark. 0l555 66l345. Daily Ham—5pm. £3.75 (£2.50). Now a world heritage site. New Lanark has much to teach us about life in the industrial era and the pioneering work of philanthropist Robert Owen. Attractions include ‘The Annie McLeod Experience'. an audio-visual trip to Victorian times. as well as a full programme of specialist events‘and hands-on activities.
Scotland's Secret Bunker
Crown Buildings. nr. Crail. Fife. 0l333 310301. Daily l0am—5pm. £5.95 t£3.25—£4.‘)5). What looks like your common or garden farnr house from the surface in fact hid one of the country's best kept secrets for over 40 years. If the UK had come under nuclear attack. the fortified labyrinth underneath would have become the central command centre for government and military chiefs. Due to the cooling-off of the nucl 'ar threat this bunker. with all its original fittings. is now open to the public.
A quick look at the NFL Europe League kick-off
What is it? It's the most Stl(((?SSltll attempt at bringing the thrill of the Superbowl to British shores And the nation went, albeit temporarily, American Football crazy when the Scottish Claymores won the inaugural tournament in 1996. With ex- Stotland riiqhy skipper Gavrn Hastings in the ranks, they kicked their way to glory. So, The Claymores go in full of confidence? Not exactly. The last two seasons saw them not a riqht tanninq and, while they may be talking the talk now, their final pro-season match saw them narrowly defeated in Orlando by BarceIOna
Dragons 22-21
Who's in charge? Ebiillient t‘oat h Jiiii Criner leads the troops into battle again With everyono's eyes on the [HI/'0 of the World Bowl Final in Dusseldorf on Sun
Jun 27
At least the first game should be a breeze? Unlikely ~ they come up against last
year's champs, Rhein Fire
a Scottish Claymores v Rhern Fire, Sun 18 Apr, 3pm [ct-{76, Murray/field
Star/nun, Edinburgh, 0500 353535
l‘)-—2‘)Apr l999 THE UST 81