AROUND TOWN | Museums & Attractions
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.
■ NATIONAL MINING MUSEUM SCOTLAND Lady Victoria Colliery, Newtongrange, 663 7519, scottishminingmuseum.com Daily 10am–5pm. £8.50 (£6.50; 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 design and world cultures in galleries surrounding a beautiful naturally lit atrium space. Power of Ten: Inventing Logarithms Until Sun 6 Jul. Learn about the extraordinary work of 16th century polymath John Napier, whose invention of logarithms made possible huge advances in physics, maths and even music theory. FREE Scotland Creates: A Sense of Place Until Sun 31 Aug. Young people from across Scotland have worked with museum staff to create an exhibition showcasing what is important where they come from, spanning art, music, dance and films. Ming: The Golden Empire Opens Fri 27 Jun. £10 (£6.50–£8; under 12s and members free). An overview of the legacy of the Ming Dynasty, which ruled China from 1368 to 1644 and which presided over an era of unprecedented national stability. See original artefacts from the Nanjing Museum in the only UK showing of this major exhibition. ■ OUR DYNAMIC EARTH Holyrood Road, 550 7800, dynamicearth. co.uk Daily 10am–5.30pm until Mon 30 Jun; from Tue 1 Jul daily 10am–6pm (last entry 1.5 hours before close). £11–£12.50 (£9.25–£10.50; under 16s £7.25–£7.95; under 3s free). Take an interactive journey through the history of the earth. Go to the tundra or the bottom of the ocean, never being more than a stone’s throw from the Scottish Parliament and Arthur’s Seat.
■ PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE Royal Mile, 556 5100, royalcollection. org.uk Daily 9.30am–6pm (last entry 4.30pm). £11.30 (£10.30; under 17s £6.80; under 5s free; family £29.40). The official Scottish residence of the Queen, ■ ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN EDINBURGH Inverleith Row, 552 7171, rbge.org.uk Daily 10am–6pm. Free; glasshouse entry £5 (£4; children free). These gardens, founded in the 17th century, cover over
40 THE LIST 12 Jun–10 Jul 2014
WEEKEND FESTIVAL BANNOCKBURN LIVE Bannockburn, Sat 28 & Sun 29 Jun
It’s been a rough few months for Bannockburn Live. The festival was announced last year as a three-day celebration to mark the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, and it’s a key event in the Homecoming 2014 calendar. But since then, organisational problems and poor ticket sales have forced it to cancel its third day and its capacity has been slashed from 45,000 to just 15,000 people across the weekend.
Add to that the awkward – and, some accuse, political – scheduling of Armed Forces Day commemorations in nearby Stirling on the same weekend, and the festival’s outlook is decidedly less rosy than it was 12 months ago. Still, Bannockburn Live – now held over two days and organised by
VisitScotland – has put together an impressive lineup that has plenty to keep families, food lovers and music fans entertained. Based around the Bannockburn Monument and new visitor centre, there’ll be battle re-enactments and a Clan and Family Village where families from around the world can come together to learn about their Scottish ancestry.
The Land of Food and Drink strand will showcase the best of
Scottish produce, while the Storyville Stage will host singer- songwriters Karine Polwart, Roddy Woomble and Rachel Sermanni. But for many the main draw will be Bannockburn Live’s Music Arena, whose lineup includes ‘Caledonia’ writer Dougie MacLean, King Creosote, Roddy Hart & the Lonesome Fire and Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis, who recorded and produced music for Pixar’s Brave. ‘I am looking forward to attending the festival and sharing the
stage with some of the finest Scottish musicians and singers,’ says Fowlis, who will headline the Music Arena on Sunday. ‘The festival has promised to be a celebration of both historic and contemporary Scotland, and I am delighted to have been invited to perform as part of this flagship event, in a historic year for Scotland.’ (Yasmin Sulaiman)
this baroque palace was once home to Mary, Queen of Scots and now houses the great artworks and tapestries of its regal residents. 70 acres and are just one mile from the city centre. There are glasshouses and cafés within the grounds, as well as high- profile art exhibitions at Inverleith House.
■ 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 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 centre’s magnificent copper domes at weekly astronomy evenings. ■ ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA Ocean Terminal, Leith, 555 5566, royalyachtbritannia.co.uk Daily 9.30am–4pm until Mon 30 Jun; from Tue 1 Jul daily 9.30am–4.30pm. £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) and learn about life aboard the yacht, which 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 £12.75–£52 (£10.25–£26; under 18s £6.50). Learn more about Scotland’s tastiest export with a tour and tasting session. There is also a bar and restaurant if you need a few more drams to help decide which is your favourite.
■ 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 the artwork on display. ■ SCOTT MONUMENT Princes Street Gardens East, 529 4068, edinburghmuseums.org.uk Daily 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, plus occasional exhibitions.
■ SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE AND JOHN KNOX HOUSE 43–45 High Street, 556 9579, scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk Mon–Sat 10am–6pm; from Tue 1 Jul also Sun noon–6pm. 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, housing materials relating to Scotland’s rich oral culture.
EVENTS
Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication by using our ‘Add an Event’ service at list.co.uk. Listings compiled by Jaclyn Arndt. ✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
GLASGOW Activities & Events Glasgow Science Festival Thu 12–Sun 15 Jun, times vary. Prices vary. Various venues, 330 5370. Final days of the packed programme, with workshops, shows, films, discussion, exhibitions and art collaborations.
✽ West End Festival Thu 12–Sun 29 Jun, times vary. Prices vary
(free–£20). West End, 341 0844. Taking over the West End of Glasgow each year, the festival turns the area into one giant party for an entire month, with music, art, and theatre events. The Hidden Lane Festival (Sat 21 & Sun 22) and the Queen Margaret Drive Street Festival (Sat 28 & Sun 29) are still to come. FREE Commonwealth Futures | mIN Sat 14 Jun, 1–4pm. Garscadden Wood, Drummore Road, maryhillintegration.org.uk Join mIN and Forestry Commission Scotland for activities including archery, an obstacle course, circus skills and aerial performance. Part of Refugee Week Scotland. FREE Japanese Matsuri Sat 14 Jun, 1–3.30pm. Wellington Church, 77 Southpark Avenue, 334 0454. Learn about Japanese culture with traditional costume, origami, drumming and games.
✽Refugee Week Scotland Mon 16–Sun 22 Jun, times
vary. Prices vary. Various venues, refugeeweekscotland.com Week-long