National Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
Coal mining was an integral part of communities across Scotland for decades, but it is an industry now largely consigned to the history books. This museum brings it back to life: taking visitors through the history of coal extraction, sharing the stories of the miners and their families and showing the scale of engineering involved in the process. Most interesting of all, you can take a tour of the pithead with an ex-miner as a guide, experiencing the noise of a working pit and the insights of those who worked there. There’s plenty for kids to enjoy too -including the chance to dress up in Victorian clothes- with the museum rated as a five-star attraction by the Scottish Tourist Board.
The Devil’s Porridge Museum, Annan, Dumfries and Galloway
Nothing to do with the devil, or porridge, this museum instead highlights the heroic efforts of the workers of the HM Factory Gretna in making munitions for World War I. ‘Devil’s Porridge’ was the nickname given to the mixture of gun cotton and nitro-glycerine that was made there and used to produce much-needed shell propellants. After an announcement in 1915 that there was a shortage of ammunition for British soldiers, the factory was swiftly built and almost 12,000 women travelled from across the country to work there. There’s also a virtual reality exhibit chronicling the role of the nearby Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station in the Cold War, due to reopen imminently.
Treasures of the Earth, Corpach, Fort William
Increase in gemstones has undoubtedly grown in recent years. This museum, located just outside Fort William, has one of Europe’s finest collection of crystals, gemstones and fossils, including seven-foot-tall amethyst geodes. Some of the fossilised remains are 500 million years old, with the objects on display amassed as a private collection by a father and son duo who were geology enthusiasts. Younger visitors will particularly enjoy the cave section which makes the crystals change colour and glow in the ultraviolet light-as well as getting to view some fossilised ‘dinosaur poo’.
Surgeons’ Hall Museum, Edinburgh
Squeamish visitors, beware. This highly-regarded museum is home to one of the UK’s largest pathology collections (including organs and bone specimens) as well as historic surgical and dental instruments. Visitors will learn about bodysnatchers Burke and Hare -who murdered sixteen people in Edinburgh in 1828- getting the chance to view Burke’s death mask and a book said to be bound with his skin. Gory details aside, the museum offers a great overview of how medicine has advanced over the decades and includes an immersive exhibition showcasing how robotic technology has been incorporated into surgery.
HMS Unicorn, Dundee
HMS Unicorn -one of the six oldest ships in the world- is an integral part of Dundee’s waterfront. It was launched in 1824 as a warship and is now preserved as a visitor attraction, with four decks to explore and plenty of interesting information on display. The ship’s unusual roof belies the size of the vessel below, but you can easily lose an hour or two exploring it.
Giant Angus MacAskill Museum, Dunvegan, Skye
Standing at 7 feet 9 inches, Angus MacAskill was the tallest non-pathological giant in recorded history. Yet he was born an ordinary-sized baby in 1825, on the Hebridean island of Berneray, with his height only growing rapidly as he entered adolescence. His family emigrated to Canada and Angus later joined the circus, gaining admiration for his great strength and ability to lift near-incomprehensible weights. A museum in his honour was established in Skye in 1989 by his descendant Peter MacAskill, where visitors can compare their own height to Angus’ and sit on a replica of his huge chair. The museum is due to re-open for the season at the end of March, and costs just £2 to enter.
www.dunveganmuseums.co.uk
Glasgow Police Museum, Glasgow
The City of Glasgow Police force was the first established in Britain (from 1800 to 1975). This museum charts its fascinating history, including the introduction of Britain’s first police dogs in 1910, and the first female officer in 1915, before the force was incorporated into Strathclyde Police in 1975. There’s also a well-regarded international police exhibition, displaying over 2000 items of insignia, headgear and uniforms from almost every country in the world– even those you might not expect to have a police force. And best of all? It’s free to enter, although donations are welcome.
Scotland’s Secret Bunker, Fife
Imperceptible under a Fife farmhouse is RAF Troywood- a 24,000 sq ft bunker where politicians and military commanders would have hidden themselves in the event of a nuclear war. Built in 1951 and operational until 1993, the bunker contains a command control centre, dormitories and even a chapel where officials would have governed the country. It makes for a fascinating, if slightly unsettling visit, particularly when you contemplate how the rest of us might have fared outside the confines of the bunker.
Museum of Piping, Cowcaddens, Glasgow
This museum charts 300 years of Scottish piping heritage -including a set dating back to the 18th century- as well as shining a spotlight on some of our most famous traditional musicians. Visitors can also learn about how pipes are made, as well as the process of printing bagpipe music. And it isn’t all about Scotland, either, with Polish, Hungarian, Spanish and Italian bagpipes on display, along with small pipes that originated in Northumbria.
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