AROUND TOWN | Museums & Attractions
5 REASONS
TO GO TO . . . ADVENTURERS
Discover the stories of today’s adventurers at the Riverside Museum’s current exhibition. From Hollywood superstar Ewan McGregor’s Long Way Round to brave handcyclist Karen Darke’s Middle Eastern trek, you’ll learn about five modern Scots with a lust for life that just can’t be tamed. Collectively, their six journeys come to a total of 69,399 miles travelled. But it’s the stories behind these miles that are truly inspiring.
Meet an adventurer Cycling adventurer Andy Brown will be holding a special meet-and-greet on Friday 25 April where he’ll speak about how he travelled across Australia, Africa and South America in under a year, armed only with his bike. Learn about the highlights of his trip and his motivations to keep going when things got tough.
Learn about adventurers from years gone by
Last year marked 200 years since the birth of Dr David Livingstone, one of Scotland’s most famous adventurers. The exhibition allows you to discover more about his journeys and those of others like him. Survival Suitcase also displays some special pieces collected on their expeditions. Hear the music that inspired their trips
There’s nothing like a good soundtrack to gear you up for a long journey. Monday Music allows you to listen to these adventurers’ playlists and learn the reasons for choosing the songs they did.
Become an adventurer yourself After discovering what it takes to be a great adventurer, it’ll be time to take your own journey. But don’t worry – you won’t have to go too far. In fact, you won’t even have to leave the museum. In Itchy Feet Trails, there are different themed paths around the building with activities along the way so you can cut your teeth before venturing out into the big bad world. (Nina Glencross) ■ Adventurers, Riverside Museum, Glasgow, until Wed 15 Apr 2015.
36 THE LIST 17 Apr–15 May 2014
everything 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 until Mon 31 Mar; from Tue 1 Apr 9.30am–6pm (last entry one hour before closing). £16 (£12.80; children £9.60; under 5s free). 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. Next of Kin Opens Fri 18 Apr. A look at Scotland at war, and how people at home deal with the absence or loss of loved ones. ■ THE EDINBURGH DUNGEON 31 Market Street, 240 1001 (info) / 0871 423 2250 (bookings), thedungeons. com Mon–Fri 11am–4pm; Sat & Sun 10am–5pm until Thu 3 Apr; from Fri 4 Apr daily 10am–5pm. £10.95–£16.50 (£10.50–15.60; under 16s £9.50–£12.60; family £39–£49.80). A grizzly look into historical Edinburgh, with actor-led tours and rides, just above Waverley Station.
■ EDINBURGH ZOO Corstorphine Road, 334 9171, edinburghzoo.org.uk Daily 9am–5pm. £16 (£13.50; under 16s £11.50; under 3s free; family £35–£59.95). Visitors can see the headline-grabbing giant pandas, the famous Penguin Parade and over 1000 other rare and interesting animals and birds. ■ HOLYROOD PARK Holyrood Park Road, 652 8150, historic- scotland.gov.uk Open at all times; Holyrood Lodge Information Centre daily 9.30am–3pm. Free. This large royal park’s 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.
■ MUSEUM ON THE MOUND The Mound, 243 5464, museumonthemound.com Tue–Fri 10am–5pm; Sat & Sun 1–5pm; closed Mon. Free. Learn how money has evolved over the past 4000 years or try cracking a safe in a museum all about money.
■ 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. ■ 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 design and world cultures in galleries surrounding a beautiful naturally lit atrium space. Mammoths of the Ice Age Until Sun 20 Apr. £9 (£7.50; under 16s £5; family £25; members & under 5s free). Ever wanted to see a woolly mammoth? This interactive exhibition allows you to feel mammoth fur and meet Lyuba, a detailed replica of a 42,000-year-old baby mammoth. Power of Ten: Inventing Logarithms Opens Fri 28 Mar. Learn about the extraordinary work of 16th- century polymath John Napier, whose
GREEN2014: THE ENVIRONMENTAL LEGACY OF THE XX COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN GLASGOW April marks the start of a seven-month programme of events looking at the environmental legacy of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. At The Lighthouse you can drop by an interactive exhibition detailing the numerous projects happening across the city – including urban bee-keeping and the Commonwealth woods. ■ Lighthouse, Glasgow, until Sun 26 Oct.
invention of logarithms made possible huge advances in physics, maths and even music theory. ■ NATIONAL MUSEUMS COLLECTION CENTRE 242 West Granton Road, 247 4770, nms. ac.uk Visits by appointment only or with occasional tours. Explore the National Museum’s storage and conservation centre at Granton. From vintage motorbikes to whale and dinosaur bones – it’s all there.
centre’s magnificent copper domes at weekly astronomy evenings. ■ ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA Ocean Terminal, Leith, 555 5566, royalyachtbritannia.co.uk Daily 10am–3.30pm until Mon 31 Mar; from Tue 1 Apr daily 9.30am–4pm. £12.75 (£11.50; under 18s £7.75; under 5s free; family £36.50). Take a guided tour of the ornate floating royal residence and the naval quarters below.
■ OUR DYNAMIC EARTH Holyrood Road, 550 7800, dynamicearth. co.uk Wed–Sun 10am–5.30pm; closed Mon & Tue until Mon 31 Mar; from Tue 1 Apr daily 10am–5.30pm (last entry 4pm). £11.50 (£9.75; under 16s £7.50; under 3s free). Take an interactive journey through the history of the earth. ■ SCOTCH WHISKY EXPERIENCE 354 Castlehill, 220 0441, scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk Daily 10am–6pm; entry is as part of a tour. Tours £12.75–£52 (£10.25–£26; under 18s £6.50). Learn more about Scotland’s tastiest export with a tour and tasting session.
■ PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE Royal Mile, 556 5100, royalcollection.org. uk Daily 9.30am–4.30pm until Mon 31 Mar; from Tue 1 Apr daily 9.30am–6pm (last entry 1.5 hours before closing). £11.30 (£10.30; under 17s £6.80; under 5s free; family £29.40). The official Scottish residence of the Queen, this baroque palace was once home to Mary, Queen of Scots and now houses the great artworks and tapestries of its regal residents.
■ REAL MARY KING’S CLOSE 2 Warriston’s Close, High St, 0845 070 6244, realmarykingsclose.com Daily 10am–9pm. £12.95 (£11.45; children £7.45). Beneath the Royal Mile lies a warren of hidden closes where citizens of Edinburgh lived and died in the 16th and 17th centuries. The underground tours are led by guides in the character of real people who lived in the close. ■ ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN EDINBURGH Inverleith Row, 552 7171, rbge.org.uk Daily 10am–6pm. Free; glasshouse entry £5 (£4; children free). These 70-acre gardens are just one mile from the city centre. There are glasshouses, cafés, and art exhibitions at Inverleith House.
■ 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. See Spanish architect Enric Miralles’ magnificent (and controversial) Holyrood building, take a tour of the interior, sit in on a debate or look at artwork on display. ■ SCOTT MONUMENT Princes Street Gardens East, 529 4068, edinburghmuseums.org.uk Daily 10am–4pm (last entry 3.30pm) until Mon 31 Mar; from Tue 1 Apr 10am–7pm. £4. 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; closed Sun. Free entry to SSC; John Knox House £5 (£4; children £1; under 7s free). A stylish contemporary building appended to the 15th-century home of Protestant reformer John Knox.
■ ROYAL OBSERVATORY VISITOR CENTRE Blackford Hill, 668 8404, roe.ac.uk/ vc Entry by arrangement or at Public Astronomy evenings (weekly, Fri 7.30–9pm). Public Astronomy evenings £4 (£3). See the stars through the research ■ SURGEONS’ HALL MUSEUM Nicolson Street, 527 1649, museum. rcsed.ac.uk Mon–Fri noon–4pm. £5 (£3). Home to permanent collections on pathological anatomy, the history of surgery and dentistry, as well as temporary exhibitions and talk