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Glasgow Transport Museum (Glasgow)
by MisterReview The Glasgow Museum of Transport is situated in the North West of the city in a beautiful setting. The vehicles are kept in the Kelvin Hall, a splendid piece of architecture, which is directly across from the stunning Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, itself located in one of the most beautiful city parks in Europe, Kelvingrove ... Park. The Corporation of Glasgow has always done its best to get its folk to and from their work, rest and play. Whether this has been by tram, bus or underground train, Glasgow's transport system has been there, working hard for its people, and deserves to be remembered. This memory is especially now important, now that its buses have been deregulated and are now run by a private company - gone is the distinctive green and orange livery, which screamed Glasgow to the transport enthusiast. The museum has a thoroughly impressive collection of vehicles, not just trams, buses and trains, as one might expect, but also bicycles, cars and even prams. It boasts the oldest bicycle in the world amongst its collection as well! Glasgow is of course also remembered for shipbuilding, and the museum does a sterling job in preserving the memory of the shipyards with a large collection of over 200 model ships which include many Clyde-built girls such as the Queen Mary, the Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Elizabeth 2. There is also a wonderful exhibition of a Glasgow street. The museum excels at making this exhibit feel as if you are there, and although not trying to emulate it in particular, is reminiscent of the "Heilanman's Umbrella", a nickname given to the portion of Argyle Street which runs under the Glasgow Central Railway Station. This museum is regarded as the best static transport museum in Britain. Despite its generous number of exhibits it is manageable in less than a day. The whole family should enjoy the experience, though if you are a dedicated transport fan who really likes to absorb everything, you will need a whole day, and you are advised not to bring the youngsters. Whatever your level of interest though, you should completely enjoy your visit here. This article, in a longer form, also appears under my Helium account. http://www.helium.com/items/1732407-the-glasgow-museum-of-transport Read the complete review |
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Abbott House Heritage Centre (Dunfermline)
by wigglylittleworm Abbot House in Dunfermline's Maygate was built in the mid 1400's and survived the great fire of Dunfermline in 1625 making it Dunfermline's oldest building. It was restored in the 1990s and painted pink as this was the original colour of the building and is now a heritage centre and is run largely by volunteers who will give you a ... guided tour around this fascinating building. Abbot House was first used as the administrative headquarters of the Benedictine Abbey founded by Queen Margaret and was the home of the Abbot of Dunfermline and if gossip can be believed then more than one monk haunts the house. Murals from this time period have been lovingly restored in rich vibrant colours and a recreation of the lost head shrine of Saint Margaret takes centre stage in one of the exhibitions. Moving on and a room is devoted to Lady Anne Halkett, a midwife and herbalist who lived in Abbott house for a period of time and used her herbal remedies to treat the poor writing about her daily life in a series of diaries. Abbot house was again home to healing hands during the first world war when it was used as not only a pilot training school but also a hospital for sick servicemen. The most modern room in the house is decorated as a 1960's living room would have looked and many of us of a certain age will be able to recognise many of the objects from this room from our childhoods. This room also has an exhibition on the building of the Forth Road bridge which was completed in the 1960's. As well as the history of the house itself there are exhibitions related to Dunfermline's wider history including witch hunts with some of the instruments of torture on display, the industrial history of Dunfermline especially the linen trade and some of the towns most famous residents like Andrew Carnegie and poet Robert Henryson. There is also a small tea room on the ground floor, you can visit it without touring the house and it is well known locally for serving excellent light meals and home baking. The small scented gardens are pleasant to walk around or sit down to enjoy a cup of coffee on a nice day and if you are lucky one of the towns famous peacocks might wander in for a visit. The gardens lead into Dunfermline Abbey where you can walk round the ancient graveyards where William Wallace's mother is buried beneath a thorn tree or enter the building where Robert the Bruce and seven other Scottish kings are buried. Abbot house has seen many things since it was built around 600 years ago and is a house where the great and the good once frequented when Dunfermline was the capital of Scotland and the home of royalty. It has survived fire and wars and it is a really interesting place to visit with the guided tours run by passionate volunteers. The house is unfortunately not suitable for disabled visitors as there are lots of very steep stairs to climb, I don't think it will hold the interest of very young children either. Read the complete review |
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Creetown Gem and Rock Museum (Newton Stewart)
by GillMN Creetown Gem and Rock museum is hidden away in Creetown, Galloway, in the South West of Scotland. It is one of the largest privately owned collection of rocks and minerals in the UK! It is also one of my favourite museums of all time. I have been visiting this gem of a gemstone museum for about 25 years. Everytime I go up to ... Galloway in fact. I brainwashed my children into wanting to see it and we just kept going back because they loved it too. It's one of those places that you see something new every time you go. ~~~Finding the Museum~~~ It is easy to find because it is well signposted off the A75 and as you enter Creetown. Parking is ample and free. The carpark slopes a bit, so if you are unsteady on your feet try to park close to the entrance gates. The museum was the family home of the Stephensons who have been the creators and curators for three generations. Because of it's size it has an intimate feel to it and the staff are really good at answering questions. Before you enter the front porch, take some time to have a look at the fossils that have been sunk into the pathway and surrounding walls. They are a small foretaste of what to expect. Coming in you are greeted by the little ticket and information desk. Entrance is not expensive and the ticket is valid for two weeks. I like this because if it's rainy you can go back and see what you missed the first time! The staff are unfailingly pleasant and will tell you anything you need to know about the layout etc. ~~~The Museum~~~ From the entrance lobby you walk straight on into the main exhibition room. If, like me, you are fascinated by minerals and geology, this is like walking into a treasure trove. The rocks and crystals are exhibited in cases and shelving, well lit and grouped in 'families'. The only criticism I would make is that sometimes the labelling of what you are looking at, could be improved. I would have liked to see more information. Particularly about geographical distribution. Some of the exhibits were unlabelled and this was a bit frustrating, having said that, there was always someone around to ask. It must be nigh on impossible to label that many specimens anyway! I was particularly taken with the displays showing different forms of the crystals and gemstones. One cabinet might house samples of say, Amethyst in it's raw form, polished, carved into an artefact or ornament. This made it easier to appreciate the qualities, potential and beauty of the stone. There are so many beautiful carvings and sculptures it is always difficult to know where to look next. Some of the specimens are tiny and some are massive. In the main room there are some specimens displayed with special lights which demonstrate their special luminescent qualities. The cabinets of jade are spectacular. Here you can see the may different colours and uses of jade. I love jade and tend to spend a lot of time at this particular spot in the museum. There is an interesting display of life size copies of the largest diamonds in the world. It is possible to understand the sheer size and carat weight of the real ones as you look at these. (I tend to hide my engagement ring in embarrassment when I compare the puny stones I wear, to these whoppers!) There is also a display of real meteorites. One of which weighs a massive 3 kilos. Can you imagine that crashing through your roof? It is hard to describe the sheer range and quality of the minerals on display. It is impossible not to be fascinated and educated as you gaze from one natural wonder to the next. ~~~The Professor's Study~~~ My Mum was with me last time I was there. She is 82 and she soon got tired so I showed her into the 'Professor's Study'. This is a large and very comfortable room which is a replica of a victorian gentleman's study. It is well furnished with large comfortable leather chairs and sofas. There is very interesting and informative film to watch about gemstones and their history and formation. The film wasn't showing when I was there but I had watched it before. My mum was quite happy to sit and rest and leaf through the magazines that were provided. Whilst I went and feasted my eyes for a while longer! ~~~The Crystal Cave~~~ This is another large room made into a 'cave', where larger formations and crystals are displayed. This is a great place for children because the lighting makes it particularly magical. Some of the exhibits in here are stunning. The only problem I could see with this area is that sometimes children would have to be lifted to see into the 'caverns'. I think some of those little footstools would be handy here, to save parents from having to lift chunky toddlers up! The toilets are well maintained, clean and spacious. I don't think there would be any problems there for wheelchair access. ~~~Watching the experts~~~ Off the corridor is another little room where it is possible to watch the expert gemologists working with the stones. As an amateur I find it particularly fascinating to watch experts at work cutting and fitting stones. A glass partition seperates the visitors from the workers. It's probably just as well because people like me would have so many questions they would never get any work done! I have to confess to gazing enviously at all their expensive gadgets and tools. Tearing myself away I decided it was time to take my Mum for a cuppa in the ....... ~~~Prospectors Pantry Tea Room!~~~ The tea room is a fairly new addition and is built onto the back of the museum. It is light and airy and smells absolutely delicious! You don't have to be a visitor to the museum to go in and have a meal. It is used a lot by walkers and bikers too. Provision is made for bikes (and dogs) by the ramp at the door. The food is home made and tastes good. Portions are generous and not expensive. I think I paid about £6.50 for good sized sandwiches, cakes and tea for the two of us. I was warmed to see one member of staff finding a particularly comfy seat for my Mum. ~~~Confession Time Again!~~~ I have to confess to being a bit sneaky when I took my mum to the museum. I purposely didn't tell her that there was a fantastic shop there too, until after we had seen around the museum exhibits and had some food! My Mum could look in shops until her legs drop off and I knew that she wouldn't want to do anything else if she knew it was there! So, after we had finished our lovely lunch I casually asked this poor tired old lady if she would like to see the museum shop. She was instantly and miraculously rejuvenated and got to the shop so quickly she probably scorched the carpets on the way! ~~~The Museum Shop~~~ The shop is quite beautiful with glass display cabinets all around the walls and a central display and purchase area. The range of gem set jewellery is fabulous. It is expensive though! Some of the jewellery and ornaments are made on site or by local craftworkers but most of it is bought in. My main (and only real) criticism of the museum would be the prices of some of the pieces in the shop. As someone who buys and sells and makes jewellery as a hobby, I know what it costs. The prices in the shop for some of the pieces were greater than I have seen anywhere. On the plus side, they were extremely lovely to look at and the displays were very well set out. There is also an extensive range of mineral samples and specimens, with a good range of fossils too. So it is not simply a jewellery shop. As in the rest of the museum, the staff in the shop were extremely courteous and charming. (I have to say, I have never come across a citizen of this area of Scotland that wasn't a pleasure to be around.) The museum is open every day except for a week over Christmas. School parties can be catered for and I imagine that they would find it fascinating. There is more information on their website. http://www.gemrock.net/index.asp?sec=home ~~~ADMISSION CHARGES~~~ Concessions - £3.25 (OAP's, Students & Disabled) Adults - £3.75 Children - £2.25 (5 - 15 Years, Under 5's Free) Family - £9.75 (2 Adults & Up To 3 Children) I thoroughly enjoy this place, if you are interested in the natural world you will too. I was debating whether to deduct a star because of the naughty prices in the shop. I decided not to because you don't have to buy things there and the quirky little museum is what you go to see anyway. Read the complete review |
Scotland Museum National |
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Lady Stairs Close, Lawnmarket, Royal Mile, Edinburgh Telephone: +44 (0)131 529 4901. Admission: Free Opening hours: Mon - Sat 1000-1700 (Sun in August 1400-1700) - Situated in Lady Stair's House, built in 1622, The Writers' Museum is dedicated to the lives and work of Sc... |
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1 review Museum National / B1348, Prestonpans,East Lothian. Open 11am to 4pm daily April to October. Admission Free. Tel +44 (0)131 653 2904 |
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1 review East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian. Tel: (+44) 1620 880308. Open daily, 10.30am - 5pm. Admission £3(£1.50), children under 16 free |
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1 review Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF. Tel: (+44) 131 225 7534 (voice), (+44) 131 247 4027 (Minicom). Fax: (+44) 131 200 4819. The museum contains artefacts from around the world, encompassing geology, archaeology, natural history, science, technology and art. One of the more notable ex... |
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6 reviews Kelvin Hall / Museum National / 1 Bunhouse Road / Glasgow / G3 8DP / Tel: +44 (0) 141-221-9600. |
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| Scotland Museum National Recommendations 1 2 3 4 back | ||
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