Museum | The Scottish Pearl

In a recent post, I wrote about the building of the Museum of Edinburgh. I love old buildings and so I was compelled to give it its dues. In this post, I touch on the treasures inside the museum. The museum is the primary location for the Bonnie Capital’s local history.

Architectural Artifacts Outside

Before entering inside I like to stroll outside. I love architectural artifacts and many can be found in the courtyard.

It is worth taking a stroll to examine the collection. It certainly stimulated my imagination.

Treasures on Display Inside

Inside the museum, there are many collections representing the city’s rich history.

Current Exhibition: Caribbean Life in Edinburgh

Entrance to Caribbean Life in Edinburgh Exhibition

The current exhibition (running until Feb 2023) is that of Caribbean life in Edinburgh. The exhibit is a result of a collaboration with the Edinburgh Caribbean Association.

On show are cultural displays with links to Scotland.

Scottish Names on the Caribbean Landscape

It is a lovely reminder of the city’s cultural diversity which is an integral part of the city’s overall history. A wonderful step in unveiling the modern-day history of the city.

Old Town Treasures

The Museum does a great job of telling the story of the Old Town.

I was fascinated by the architectural models of the old walled city. Of course, I would be, they are, after all, mini buildings 😄 I was particularly taken by the model of early 16th-century Edinburgh. The model had the following caption:

The model was made to show the position of the Flodden Wall. The English defeated Edinburgh at the Battle of Flodden. in 1513. Soon afterwards, a defensive wall – known as the Flodden Wall- was built around the city to protect it from further attack. The stretch of water called the Nor’Loch shields Edinburgh’s north side. The artificial lake was drained in 1821 to become Princes Street Gardens.

There are also great models showing the road from Cowgate to the Castle. I was intrigued as I tried to make out the Museum of Edinburgh and Tolbooth buildings.

There are also many storyboards telling the story of the city and its people.

I also loved the other models, illustrations and paintings.

New Town Treasures

The historical journey is also well represented for the New Town.

Again, there are informative storyboards and maps of the New Town.

Other Treasures

You can easily spend hours at the museum. In addition to the above, it has amazing collections of Scottish silver, glassware, clocks, pottery, porcelain and more! There is even a display of the archaeological findings from the current Tram construction.

Definitely worth a visit.

Have you been to the Museum of Edinburgh? If you have not had a chance yet, I recommend a visit.

You cannot miss it with its yellow and red façade located on Canongate (The Royal Mile) in Old Town, Edinburgh. The city’s historic treasures of yesteryear are housed in this iconic building, the Huntly House.

The Building Exterior

So even before perusing the city’s historic artifacts inside, the building and grounds are worth exploring. It is a true wonder. I love historic architecture and the museum of Edinburgh definitely delivers. As a result, this post is dedicated to the building. The treasures inside the museum will be described in a separate post.

The Museum building, also known as the Huntly House, is a typical 16th-century built Canongate house. At first glance, you may think that the museum is only the yellow and red plastered building on the Mile, when in fact it is a consolidation of three. An interesting overview of the history is described below.

Huntly House, one of the best old buildings in the Old Town, is a group of 16th and 17th century dwellings, rising to three storeys, surrounding an internal courtyard.
Huntly House was built or remodelled in 1570 for the Achesons, and was used by the Gordon Earls and Marquises of Huntly, and later became the headquarters of the Incorporation of Hammermen (metalworkers), who had the architect Robert Mylne extend their building. The building was later divided and in 1851 where 323 tenants were listed as living here.
The property went to the City of Edinburgh in 1924, and the building is now the Museum of Edinburgh
The Castles of Scotland

Old Postcard of Huntly House (source: Castles of Scotland)

Such rich history. I am glad that the city saved, restored and repurposed this wonderful structure. I was fascinated by the above old photo I found. I found several other old photos on the Canmore site.

If you do visit, do take the time to walk around the outside including walking down Bakehouse Close which is located west of the building.

As I walked the Close I certainly got a better feel for its size and structure. The museum was more like a series of inter-connected buildings forming a complex, which explains the “maze” inside. The courtyard was also quite delightful.

The Building Interior

Upon entering the museum, you are thrown into a historic maze. You cannot help but be intrigued.

You can easily spend alot of time just figuring out the building layout. While exploring, remember to look up. The beams are amazing.

Apparently, the beams were taken from Pinkie House in Musselburgh, and the wood panelling in the museum is from several old houses from the Canongate area.

The moulded fireplaces and doors were also extraordinary.

These too have been salvaged from other Edinburgh townhouses of the same period. How wonderful that they have been saved and displayed in this manner.