Explore Auld Reekie’s History at the Museum of Edinburgh

Happy Museum Monday! One museum that’s good for families but often flies under the radar in Edinburgh, is the Museum of Edinburgh. It’s housed in Huntly House, one of the iconic and historic buildings on the Royal Mile, near Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament.

The Museum of Edinburgh is kind of a museum of two halves. In one half, you can learn all about Edinburgh’s history through the centuries. My boys were particularly interested in ‘Auld Reekies’, the story of Edinburgh’s Old Town and what life was like there in the past. They studied the model of the Old Town intently (and later when we walked back up the Royal Mile tried to match what they’d seen in the model to where we were).

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The exhibit about the creation of Edinburgh’s New Town also caught their interest, in particular the examples of the different stones finishes which can be found throughout the New Town, and which you were allowed to touch.

And, of course, they were delighted by the display about Greyfriar’s Bobby – the Skye terrier famous for his 14 year vigil at his dead master’s grave. They’ve been to the grave at Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, and passed Bobby’s statue many a time on George IV Bridge, and here at the museum they museum they could learn a bit more about him. On display is a plaster cast of the original bronze statue, along with Bobby’s collar and bowl.

The other half of the museum is dedicated to decorative art collections, including silverware, engraved glass, and Scottish pottery and porcelain. These collections showcase the rich history of Scottish craftsmanship. I honestly thought my children wouldn’t be very interested in this part and whizz right through it, but they surprised me, spending considerable time looking at the displays, figuring out what things were used for, picking out the prettiest and the ugliest objects they could find, and deciding which of the silverware and pottery they would chose for their own home.

The highlight for children, however, is the family learning space at the heart of the museum. Choose from the shelf full of art worksheets and quests, such as ‘museum mystery items’ or ‘detail detectives’, which helps children engage more with some of the objects on display within the museum. Or pick from the wide range of art materials on offer to get creative. There’s also a reading corner, and some replica objects you can handle.

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How to get there

Location: Museum of Edinburgh, 142-146 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DD

The Museum of Edinburgh is located at the lower end of the Royal Mile. Lothian Bus 35 goes down the Royal Mile and past the museum, which is located about half way between the ‘New Street’ and ‘Scottish Parliament’ bus stops. It’s a ca. 10 minute walk from the Museum of Edinburgh to Waverley train station.

Good to know

Opening hours: Open year round from 10am to 5pm. Last entry is at 4:30pm.

Cost: Admission is free.

Website: www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/museum-edinburgh