PERMANENT ATTRACTIONS
Brass Rubbing Centre
Chalmers Close, Royal Mile, 556 4364. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Free, but there is a charge for making a rubbing. Situated in the apse of a Gothic church dating back to 1460, the centre houses a selection of church brasses and ancient Pictish replicas — as well as lots of crayons so you can get rubbing.
Camera Obscura
Castlehill, Royal Mile, 226 3709. Mon—Sun 10am—5pm. £3.95 (£1.95—£3.15); family ticket £11.50. Pick up a pedestrian in your hand at this attraction, which gives visitors a real-time, 360° image of the city. They most recent addition to the venue is the Magic Gallery, giving hands-on experiences of the art of visual trickery. There is also an exhibition devoted to holographs and photography on the lower floors.
City Of The Oead’s Haunted Graveyard Tours
Meet by St Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile, 556 1601/0771 5422 750/751. Thu—Sat 8.30pm. £5 (£4). Join this spooky tour if you dare, and you’ll be guaranteed all manner of paranormal frights, including the infamous McKenzie Poltergeist. You have been warned.
Museum Of Childhood
42 High Street, 529 4142. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Free. Founded in 1955, 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 19805 computer games, there’s plenty here to send you off on a trip down memory lane.
Museum Of Scotland
Chambers Street, 247 4219. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun noon—5pm; Tue 10am—8pm. £3 (£1.50); children under 18 free. Devoted solely to the history and heritage of Scotland, the building contains five thematically-arranged exhibitions, moving from pre-history, through the Industrial Revolution, to the present day, at which point national heroes such as Billy Connolly and Elaine C. Smith get involved. For details of temporary exhibitions, see Edinburgh Art Listings page 94.
Newhaven Heritage Museum Newhaven Harbour, 551 4165. Mon—Sun noon—5pm. Free. Memorabilia and reconstructed scenes tell the story of Newhaven and its sea- going heritage, from its origins as a naval dockyard to its continued use as a fishing port. For details of temporary exhibitions, see Edinburgh Art Listings page 94.
Dynamic Earth
Holyrood Road, 550 7800. Daily 10am—6pm. £5.95 (£3.50—£4.40); family ticket £16.50. With volcanoes erupting beneath your feet, a tropical rainstorm pouring down, earthquakes and tidal waves at every turn, the history of the earth has never been more interesting. Edinburgh’s latest visitor attraction uses stunning new developments in interactive technology to piece together the history of the planet, creating a thoroughly modern way to step back in time.
Palace Of Holyroodhouse
Royal Mile, 556 1096. Daily 9.30am—6pm (last admission 5.15pm). £5.50 (£2.70—£4); family ticket £13.50. Starting life as a 13th century abbey, the palace has evolved into a sumptuous regal residence crammed full of paintings and artefacts dating back primarily to the 17th century. The tower apartments housed a sad and lonely Mary Queen of Scots’ for a time, but with a spectacular view ofArthur’s Seat, and magnificent gardens to look at, it’s hard to feel too sorry for her.
Edinburgh Castle
Castlehill, 225 9846. Daily 9.30am—6pm (last admission 5.15pm). £7 (£2-£5). Although much of the castle’s medieval character was lost when it was converted into barracks in the 19th century, continuing excavations aim to redress this. Other attractions include James lV’s famous cannon, Mons Meg, the One O’Clock Gun with its own exhibition, lots of military silverware and, of course, The Stone Of Destiny, used to crown Scottish kings since time began.
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
Meet at The Beehive Inn, 18—20 Grassmarket, 226 6665. Daily 7.30pm. £7 (£5). Pre-booking required for parties of ten or more. An excellent way to imbibe culture by visiting the favourite watering holes of Scotland’s literary heroes, including Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns and Irvine Welsh.
Gladstone's Land
477b High Street, 226 5856. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun 2—5pm. £3.20 (£2.20); up to three children go free with a paying adult. Restored to the splendour enjoyed by the merchant classes in the 17th century, Gladstone’s land gives an authentic representation of life in the medieval Old Town at this time.
Gorgie City Farm
51 Gorgie Road, 337 4202. Daily 9.30am—4.30pm. Free. Bringing country life to the heart of the city, this working farm houses a host of farmyard animals including ponies, pigs and goats. Other facilities include a children’s play area, cafe and workshop, wildlife garden, farm tractors and an interpretation centre, plus a full programme of supervised activities for children and adults.
Rosslyn Chapel
Roslin, 440 2159. Mon—Sat lOam—Spm; Sun noon—4.45pm. £3 (£1—£2.50). What you get out of a trip to Rosslyn Chapel may depend on your familiarity with books of the conspiracy theorist genre. What is certain though is that the chapel contains enough historically fascinating
carvings and symbols to hold the attention of even the most determined philistine.
Royal Botanic Garden
lnverleith Row, 552 7171. Daily dawn till dusk. Free. A sea of tranquillity in the hubbub of the city, the Botanic Garden is home to a wealth of flora and fauna from all over the world. The glasshouses give you the opportunity to check out tropical plants as well.
Royal Museum
2 Chambers Street, 247 4219. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun noon—5pm; Tue 10am—8pm. £3 (£1.50); children under 18 free. A 19th century museum housing international collections of natural history, geology, science, technology and the decorative arts, plus two permanent exhibitions: Art & Industry and The Ivy Wu Gallery. For details of temporary exhibitions, see Edinburgh Art Listings page 94.
listings EDINBURGH lIFE
The Turbo Ride
Fountainpark, Dundee Street, 229 1706. Mon—Thu 10am—10pm; Fri & Sat 10am—11pm; Sun llam—IOpm. £3.50 (£2.75); family ticket £10. Step on board the world’s most exciting motion simulator for a thrilling ride. Using flight simulation technology, digital sound and a five storey high screen, the Turbo Ride throws you right into the middle of all the action, in films such as Dino Island and Red Rock Run.
Water Of Leith Visitor Centre
24 Lanark Road, 455 7367. Daily 10am—4pm. Discover everything there is to know about the 24 mile journey the Water of Leith takes from the Pentland Hills to Leith, through interactive displays and video panels. The visitor centre is the ideal starting point for a stroll along the Walkway where you can spot a wide diversity of plants and wildlife.
Royal Yacht Britannia
Ocean Drive, Leith, 555 5566. Daily 10.30am—6pm (last entry 4.30pm). £7.50 (£3.75—£5.75); family ticket £20. The former royal yacht has opened 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 can have a good nosy round the royals’ former quarters.
Shaping A Nation
Fountainpark, Dundee Street, 229 1706. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm; Sun 11am—5pm. £5.50 (£4); family ticket £16. The newest addition to the Fountainpark complex provides a fresh look at Scotland’s heritage. Interactive displays and computers give a ‘hands—on’ feel to the attraction, exploring the inventors and innovators who have made Scotland great. The finishing touch is a themed journey on the Turbo Ride.
The People's Story
Canongate Tolbooth, 163 Canongate, 529 4057. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Free. Situated in the Canongate Tolbooth, the sights, sounds and even smells of Edinburgh folk from the 18th century onwards are faithfully reproduced.
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Writers' Museum
Lady Stair’s House, Lady Stair’s Close, 529 4901. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Free. A treasure-house of items relating to three of Scotland’s most famous writers: Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott.
OUTSIDE THE CITIES
Ro al Charter Tercentenary
Ce ebration Sat 10—San 17 Jun, noon—midnight. Free. Various venues, Campbeltown, 01586 552056. Week- long programme celebrating the handing over of the Royal Charter to become a Royal Burgh. Events include the re-enactment of the handover in 1700, period pageant, stalls, air display show, Royal Navy day, street party, music and Highland ames.
Falkland Festival 2 Fri 16—Sun 25 Jun., Free (some events ticketed). Various venues, Falkland, 01337 858367. A week-long series of events kicking off with an opening concert in the Palace Chapel on Friday, followed by a medieval street fair and evening ceilidh on Saturday, the Tennis Club Duck Race in the Palace Orchard on Sunday, the annual Lomond Hill Race and other festival favourites.
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Watch the parade go by, as Campbeltown celebrates its 300th anniversary of becoming a Royal Burgh. Expect to
see Viking
cm band, street entertainers and even a Victorian synchronised swimming team.
Campbeltown Procession, Sat 10 Jun, 2—5pm. Parade leaves Castlehill Primary School at 2pm and works its way down to Kin/och Park for the grand finale,at,3.30pm onwards.
11—25 May 2000 THE US! 99