list.co.uk/aroundtown MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS
AroundTown
fire brigade in the UK including horse- drawn fire engines and early motor models. ■ MUSEUM ON THE MOUND The Mound, 243 5464, museumonthemound.com Tue–Fri 10am–5pm; Sat & Sun 1–5pm. Free. Learn how money has evolved over the past 4000 years or try cracking a safe in the Bank of Scotland’s head office.
■ NATIONAL MINING MUSEUM SCOTLAND Lady Victoria Colliery, Newtongrange, 663 7519, scottishminingmuseum.com Daily 10am–5pm. £7.50 (£5.50; children free). Nine miles south of Edinburgh, this museum is one of the best-preserved Victorian collieries in Europe. Take a tour and learn about the life of a miner. ■ NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789, nms.ac.uk Daily 10am–5pm. Free. Recently renovated Victorian building with exhibitions on natural history, science and technology, Scottish history, art and design and world cultures. Fascinating Mummies Until Sun 27 May. £9 (£7.50; children £6; family £26). Exhibition looking at the complex and intriguing rituals surrounding death in Ancient Egypt. FREE See Scotland By Train Until Sun 24 Jun. A collection of beautiful Scottish railway posters depicting some of Scotland’s most spectacular scenery.
■ NATIONAL MUSEUMS COLLECTION CENTRE 242 West Granton Road, 247 4770, nms.ac.uk Visits by appointment only or with occasional tours. Two new collection buildings housing artefacts from the Museum’s collection.
■ OUR DYNAMIC EARTH Holyrood Road, 550 7800, dynamicearth.co.uk Daily 10am–5.30pm (last entry 4pm). £10.80 (£9.50; under 16s £7.20; under 3s free). An interactive journey through the history of the earth, from the tundra to the bottom of the ocean. Best of Scottish Science Sun 1 Apr, noon–5pm; Mon 2–Wed 4 Apr, 10am–5pm. Interactive exhibits and a chance to meet Royal Society-approved scientists. Part of Edinburgh International Science Festival. ■ PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE Royal Mile, 556 5100, royalcollection.org.uk Daily 9.30am–6pm (last admission 5pm). £10.75 (£9.80; under 17s £6.50; under 5s free). This baroque palace houses the great artworks and tapestries of the Royal Family, and the Queen herself when she’s in town.
Spotlight: National Museum of Scotland
The recently revamped National Museum encompasses everything from the wonders of the natural world to art and design, science and technology and culture both at home and abroad. Current exhibitions include Evolution’s Missing Chapter (until Sun 29 Apr) and See Scotland by Train (until Sun 24 Jun), while the successful Fascinating Mummies exhibition runs until Sun 27 May. Keep an eye out for special late night events too, giving you the chance to explore the museum whilst swigging a cocktail and shimmying to some good live music – tickets for the next one are on sale now. (Lauren Mayberry) ■ nms.ac.uk. For information on one-off events at the museum, see Activities and Events listings.
■ ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN EDINBURGH Inverleith Row, 552 7171, rbge.org.uk Daily 10am–6pm. Free; glasshouse entry £4.50 (£3.50; children £1; family £9). 70 acres of tended gardens containing glasshouses, cafés and the Inverleith House gallery. FREE Science on a Plate Until Sun 15 Apr. Find out where the food on your plate comes from, as part of the Edible Gardening Project. Part of Edinburgh International Science Festival. FREE Green Universe: a microscopic voyage into the plant cell Until Fri 1 Jun. Exhibition of photographs showing in amazing detail the internal structure of plant cells. FREE Hard Rain: Whole Earth? Until Sun 1 Jul. Environmental exhibition. RBGE’s Secret Garden: The Wild Woodland Garden of Larachmhor Tue 3 Apr–Sun 6 May. Open Mon–Fri, 10am–4.30pm only. Exhibition telling the story of a 28-acre garden near Lochaber which has been transformed by a large team of volunteers. ■ ROYAL OBSERVATORY VISITOR CENTRE Blackford Hill, 668 8404, roe.ac.uk/vc Entry by arrangement or at Public
Astronomy evenings (weekly, Fri 6.30pm & 8pm). Public Astronomy evenings £4 (£3). See the stars at weekly astronomy evenings, with additional one-off events throughout the year.
■ ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA Ocean Terminal, Leith, 555 5566, royalyachtbritannia.co.uk Daily 9.30am–4pm (last admission). £11.75 (£10; under 18s £7.50; under 5s free; family £34). Learn about life aboard the yacht that served the royal family for almost 50 years. ■ SCOTCH WHISKY EXPERIENCE 354 Castlehill, 220 0441, scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk Daily 10am–6pm; entry is as part of a tour. Tours £12.50–£50 (£10–£25; under 18s £6.50). Learn more about Scotland’s tastiest export with a tour and tasting session.
■ SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT Horse Wynd, 0800 092 7500, scottish.parliament.uk Opening hours vary according to whether Parliament is in session, see website for details. Free. Take a tour of the controversial Enric Miralles-designed building, sit in on a debate or look at the artwork on display.
■ SCOTT MONUMENT Princes Street Gardens East, 529 4068, edinburghmuseums.org.uk Mon–Sat 9am–4pm; Sun 10am–6pm. £3. Commemorating Sir Walter Scott, this is the largest monument of any writer in the world. Take all 287 steps to the top for a great view of the city.
■ SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE AND JOHN KNOX HOUSE 43–45 High Street, 556 9579, scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk. Mon–Sat 10am–6pm. Free entry to SSC; John Knox House £4.25 (£3.75; children £1; under 7s free). Houses materials relating to Scotland’s rich oral culture, with regular storytelling sessions. ■ SURGEONS’ HALL MUSEUM Nicolson Street, 527 1649, museum.rcsed.ac.uk Daily noon–4pm. £5 (£3). Home to permanent collections on pathological anatomy, the history of surgery and dentistry, as well as temporary exhibitions, talks and occasionally gruesome hands-on events. Watching on the Heights: The Life and Work of Joseph Lister Until Fri 28 Sep. An exhibition of artefacts, documents, instruments and specimens relating to the work of pioneering surgeon Joseph Lister.
30 March - 15 April
The Maths Olympics
D e r r e n B r ow n Festival of the Spoken Nerd
… Join us as we coax science and scientists out of the lab and combine them with everyone from authors and artists to philosophers and politicians to create all sorts of new and unexpected experiences.
Booking hotline: 0844 557 2686
29 Mar–26 Apr 2012 THE LIST 45