£13 (£11; under 13s £9; under 3s free; family £38–£42). From seals to piranhas, this marine life centre has a petting area and underwater tunnel so you can get to grips with the deep. Approximately a 20-minute drive from Edinburgh. ■ EDINBURGH CASTLE AND NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND Castlehill, 225 9846 (info)/ 668 8081 (bookings), edinburghcastle.gov.uk / nms.ac.uk/war Daily 9.30am–5pm. £16 (£12.80; children £9.60; under 5s free). Perhaps Edinburgh’s most visible landmark, the Castle perches on top of a rocky outcrop at the head of the Royal Mile, and includes ceremonial rooms, fortifications, dungeons and Scotland’s Honours or crown jewels. Inside, the National War Museum delves into the past 400 years of the country’s military history. Arctic Convoys Until Mar 2014. A look at the merchant and military ships that sailed the Arctic during WWII and the thousands of seaman who endured life on board.
■ THE EDINBURGH DUNGEON 31 Market Street, 240 1001 (info)/ 0871 423 2250 (bookings), thedungeons. com Mon–Fri 11am–4pm; Sat & Sun 10am–5pm. £10.95–£16.20 (£10.50–15; under 16s £9.50–£12). A grizzly look into historical Edinburgh, with actor-led tours and rides, just above Waverley Station. With special opening hours around Hallowe’en
■ EDINBURGH ZOO Corstorphine Road, 334 9171, edinburghzoo.org.uk Daily 9am–4.30pm. £16 (£13.50; under 16s £11.50; under 3s free). Visitors can see the headline- grabbing giant pandas, the famous Penguin Parade and over 1000 other rare and interesting animals and birds at this site three miles west of the city centre. ■ HOLYROOD PARK Holyrood Park Road, 652 8150, historic- scotland.gov.uk Open at all times; Holyrood Lodge Information Centre daily 9.30am–3pm. Free. The main entrance to this large royal park, east of the city centre, is flanked by the Palace of Holyrood House and the Scottish Parliament Building. Its main feature is Arthur’s Seat, an 823-foot hill which has a number of smaller peaks and ponds surrounding it.
■ MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD 42 High Street, 529 4142, edinburghmuseums.org.uk Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun noon–5pm. Free. Kids can learn about the toys, clothes and lifestyles of children of the past in this Royal Mile museum. Nostalgia for grown-ups guaranteed. ■ MUSEUM ON THE MOUND The Mound, 243 5464, museumonthemound.com Tue–Fri 10am–5pm; Sat & Sun 1–5pm; closed Mon. Free. Hosted inside the Bank of Scotland’s head office, this museum is all about money. Learn how money has evolved over the past 4000 years or try cracking a safe.
CHRISTMAS EVENTS ROUND UP Looking for a legitimate reason to grab the cheesy Christmas jumpers out your wardrobe and show the world your Xmas spirit? Here at The List we are on hand to provide all the event info you need so you can count down the days until everyone gets to see your festive knitwear.
Glasgow’s Christmas celebrations officially kick off on Thu 14 Nov, with the turning on of the glorious George Square lights. On the off-chance you forgot to enter the ticket ballot for that event, you can always head over to Princes Square for the Santa-led Reindeer Parade (also Thu 14 Nov). The traditional Christmas Continental Market at St Enoch Square is offering worldwide food and gifts daily from Fri 15 Nov to Mon 23 Dec, while George Square’s much-loved Glasgow on Ice skating rink is in operation from Sat 23 Nov to Sun 5 Jan (except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day).
Through in Edinburgh, Sir Chris Hoy is in charge of the big switch-on at this year’s Light Night on George Street (Sun 24 Nov). Market-wise, both the European Market in East Princes Street Gardens and the Scottish Market in St Andrew Square open on Fri 22 Nov, with heaps of edibles and giftables on offer. The Princes Street Gardens attractions have been beefed up this year, with a weather-proof Big Wheel, the 60m Star Flyer and kid-friendly Christmas Tree Maze among the new attractions – they’re all open for business from Fri 22 Nov to Sun 5 Jan. Finally, it’s worth remembering that Christmas is the time for giving – the annual Santa Fun Run (Sun 8 Dec) asks for £15 entry fee for adults plus a minimum £20 sponsorship, with funds going towards wish-granting charity When You Wish Upon A Star. As well as experiencing the warm glow of supporting a charitable cause, they’ll give you an outfit to keep too. ■ See our supplements, the Wish List and Winter in Edinburgh guide for details of more Yuletide events and activities.
AROUND TOWN | Museums & Attractions
reassembled interior of his home) and James McNeill Whistler. ■ KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY & MUSEUM Argyle Street, 276 9599, glasgowlife. org.uk/museums Mon–Thu & Sat 10am–5pm; Fri & Sun 11am–5pm. Free. Twenty-two collections and over 8000 artefacts, from natural history, armour and weaponry to art from many different eras and touring exhibitions, all housed in a grand red sandstone building on the banks of the River Kelvin. See Visual Art section for more exhibition details.
■ NATIONAL PIPING CENTRE 30–34 McPhater Street, 353 0220, thepipingcentre.co.uk Mon–Fri 9am– 5pm; Sat 9am–1pm; closed Sun. £4.50 (£3.50; under 16s £2.50; family £11). Home to the Museum of Piping as well as a reference library, shop and restaurant. ■ PEOPLE’S PALACE & WINTER GARDENS Glasgow Green, 276 0788, glasgowlife. org.uk/museums Palace open Tue–Thu & Sat 10am–5pm; Fri & Sun 11am–5pm; closed Mon; Winter Gardens open daily 10am–5pm. Free. Located on Glasgow Green, the Palace gives an insight into how the people of Glasgow lived from the 1750s to the late 20th century, while next door the Winter Gardens house exotic plants and a café. Red Road: Past, Present, Future Until Feb 2014. Glasgow’s iconic Red Road flats have been demolished to make room for a new skyline. The high-rise development’s residents look back over 50 years, tracing its impact on the city and their community through artwork and commentary.
■ POLLOK HOUSE 2060 Pollokshaws Road, 0844 493 2202, nts.org.uk/property/pollok-house Daily 10am–5pm (last entry 4.30pm). £6.50 (£5; family £11.50–£16.50). Set within Pollok Country Park, this 18th-century house holds one of the best collections of Spanish art in the UK, as well as traditional Edwardian furniture and decoration. ■ PROVAND’S LORDSHIP 3 Castle Street, 276 1625, glasgowlife. org.uk/museums Tue–Thu & Sat 10am–5pm; Fri & Sun 11am–5pm; closed Mon. Free. The oldest house in Glasgow, and one of only four surviving medieval buildings. Restored to its 17th- century finest, there is also a medicinal garden with the intriguing Tontine Faces stone masks.
■ RIVERSIDE MUSEUM 100 Pointhouse Place, 287 2720, glasgowlife.org.uk/museums Mon–Thu & Sat 10am–5pm; Fri & Sun 11am–5pm. Free. A rebooted version of the Transport Museum housed in a cutting edge piece of architecture by Zaha Hadid. The recently acquired South African locomotive is the largest exhibit in the Glasgow Museums’ collection. ■ SCOTLAND STREET SCHOOL MUSEUM 225 Scotland Street, 287 0500, glasgowlife.org.uk/museums Tue–Thu & Sat 10am–5pm; Fri & Sun 11am–5pm; closed Mon. Free. Another wonderful building designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the museum details the history of the country’s education system from the time of Queen Victoria right through to the swinging 60s. Bathing Belles Until Jan 2014. A display of over 200 years of swimwear, from those crazy pyjama-like things to teeny tiny speedos, plus trophies, postcards and other memorabilia. Dementia: Through the Eyes of a Child Until Fri 29 Nov. An exhibition by pupils of South Lanarkshire schools, demonstrating their awareness and understanding of dementia.
38 THE LIST 14 Nov–12 Dec 2013
■ THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL MUSEUM Hampden Park, 616 6139, scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 11am–5pm. Stadium tour £7 (£3.50); museum entry £6 (£3); combined ticket £10 (£5). Located inside Scotland’s national football stadium a couple of miles south of the city centre, this museum displays all kinds of memorabilia and offers tours of the stadium itself.
■ ST MUNGO MUSEUM OF RELIGIOUS ART & LIFE 2 Castle Street, 276 1625, glasgowlife. org.uk/museums Tue–Thu & Sat 10am– 5pm; Fri & Sun 11am–5pm; closed Mon. Free. Situated across the road from the Provand’s Lordship, this museum holds artwork and historical artifacts exploring the role of religion in people’s lives, promoting understanding and respect between faiths. ■ THE TALL SHIP AT RIVERSIDE 150 Pointhouse Place, 357 3699,
thetallship.com Daily 10am–4pm. Free. Step aboard the Glenlee, one of only five Clyde-built ships still afloat today. Learn about the maritime history of the area through talks, tours and costume days. EDINBURGH
■ CAMERA OBSCURA & WORLD OF ILLUSIONS Castlehill, 226 3709, camera-obscura. co.uk Daily 10am–6pm. £11.95 (£9.95; under 16s £8.75; under 5s free). The ‘camera’ is a giant periscope inside a Victorian rooftop tower on the Royal Mile, giving a spectacular 360° perspective on Edinburgh, plus there’s interactive optical fun galore. The building also contains three galleries and lights up at night. ■ DEEP SEA WORLD Battery Quarry, North Queensferry, 01383 411880, deepseaworld.com Mon– Fri 10am–5pm; Sat & Sun 10am–6pm (last entry one hour before closing).
■ NATIONAL MINING MUSEUM SCOTLAND Lady Victoria Colliery, Newtongrange, 663 7519, scottishminingmuseum.com Daily 10am–4pm. £7.50 (£5.50; children free). Nine miles south of Edinburgh, this museum is one of the best-preserved Victorian collieries in Europe. Learn about the life of a miner by taking a tour around the site. ■ NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789, nms. ac.uk Daily 10am–5pm. Free. Renovated in 2011, this national beacon of culture has exhibitions on natural history, science and technology, Scottish history, art and