Inverness Museum and Art Gallery
Discover more about the unique history and culture of the city of Inverness and the Scottish Highlands at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. Explore our fascinating range of artefacts and collections that celebrate Highland life and heritage. Our galleries feature both permanent and temporary exhibitions, which includes work from local artists and crafters in our community, to those further afield. Also, enjoy some refreshments at Cobbs Tea House before browsing in our shop, which offers a wide selection of quality gifts.
Read MoreCastle of St John Visitor Centre
This medieval tower house was built around 1500 by Ninian Adair of Kilhurst, one of the most powerful Lairds of Wigtownshire.
Enjoy a fantastic day out watching the videos and reconstructions which tell the story of the medieval landowners who built and lived in the castle. You’ll also learn about the Government troops who used the castle as their headquarters during the Killing Times in the 1680s and the criminals and debtors imprisoned in the castle during the 19th century. There is also an excellent activity room for families and children.
Museum of Edinburgh
Discover Edinburgh’s fascinating history through the Museum of Edinburgh’s wide and varied collections. In exploring the Museum’s maze of 16th century buildings, you will see iconic items, beautiful objects and learn fascinating facts and gruesome tales.
This free museum is easy to locate on the historic Royal Mile, with our companion museum The People’s Story nearby. With a wide range of stories and objects, this museum has something for young and old, locals and visitors.
In addition to the permanent collections, there is a regular programme of special exhibitions hosted at the museum.
Read MoreBanchory Museum
Visit Banchory museum, the gateway to Royal Deeside and learn about the history of Banchory and its most famous son, musician and composer, J. Scott Skinner, the “Strathspey King”.
In our collection you will see:
- Aberdeenshire archaeology
- Deeside natural history
- Displays of local culture and traditions
We can also help with genealogy and local history queries and over the winter provide an information point for both visitors and locals.
Read MoreLaing Museum
The funds to build the Laing Art Gallery were provided by Alexander Laing, a Newcastle businessman who had made his money from his wine and spirit shop and beer bottling business.
The gallery was founded in 1901.
Alexander Laing didn’t leave any paintings or other art to the Gallery. He said that he was confident “…that by the liberality of the inhabitants [of Newcastle] it would soon be supplied with pictures and statuary for the encouragement and development of British Art”.
The gallery today is home to an internationally important collection of art, focusing on British oil paintings, watercolours, ceramics, silver and glassware.
The Laing Art Gallery holds regularly changing exhibitions of historic, modern and contemporary art, and events including artist and curator talks and family activities.
On the ground floor of the Laing is the Northern Spirit gallery which displays outstanding artwork and objects produced locally by people including Thomas Bewick, Ralph Hedley and John Martin. You can also see Newcastle silver, glass and ceramics on show.
Also on the ground floor is the shop, café, learning space, under fives’ area and the beautiful Marble Hall, which is occupied by artworks by Henry Moore and Turner Prize nominee Paul Noble.
Upstairs is the 18th and 19th century display, including internationally important paintings by John Martin, Paul Gauguin and Burne-Jones. This is also where we display William Holman-Hunt’s pre-Raphaelite masterpiece Isabella and the Pot of Basil.
Read MoreEdinburgh City Art Centre
Located in the heart of Edinburgh close to Waverley train station, the City Art Centre’s aim is to champion historic and contemporary Scottish visual and applied arts.
Artworks from our nationally Recognised collection of Scottish art are displayed on a rotating basis. Visitors can also enjoy our richly diverse programme of changing exhibitions, which include historic and modern Scottish painting and photography, as well as contemporary art and craft.
An escalator and lift provide easy access to six floors, and the Centre also houses a great shop and café on the ground floor. Admission is normally free, although charges apply for some temporary exhibitions.
Read MoreKinneil Museum
Kinneil Museum is located in the 17th century stable building of Kinneil House.
On its ground floor, redesigned and reopened in Spring 2015, is the story of Bo’ness town, built on Roman remains, once identified with maritime trade and industry, and now valued for its architecture and its remarkable annual Fair.
The upper floor gallery serves as an interpretation centre for Kinneil Estate, with its House built by the Dukes of Hamilton and its associations with famous names from Scottish history, Mary Queen of Scots and James Watt among them.
The Estate contains part of the Antonine Wall World Heritage Site and one of its fortlets, the site of the deserted Kinneil medieval village of which only a ruined church remains, and a section of the John Muir Way opened in 2014.
For schools, Kinneil Museum is particularly useful for studying the Romans, local history and understanding the environment. Activity guides are available. Visit Heritage Learning for more information on how to book a school visit.
Read MoreStranraer Museum
Stranraer’s historic Old Town Hall, built in 1776, is the home of Stranraer Museum. Step inside and discover Wigtownshire’s fascinating past. See one of Scotland’s oldest ploughs, look at Victorian Wigtownshire in 3D photographs and follow in the footsteps of Stranraer’s own Polar explorers. Plus displays on archaeology, local history, farming and dairying. A temporary exhibition programme runs throughout the year and there are activities for all the family. The Museum is on George Street in the center of town and only a short walk from the ferry terminals, disabled access throughout.
Read MoreThe Peopleʼs Story
The People’s Story gives an unique insight in to Edinburgh’s working class people from the 18th century to the late 20th century. The displays include tableaux, original objects, images and personal stories to reveal their fascinating history of the city.
The collection focuses on the history, culture, crafts and trades, and the people of Edinburgh but also as a place to explore more contemporary issues, events and opinions.
What makes the museum stand out is that all of the displays are based around the words of Edinburgh’s people, taken from oral history reminiscences and written sources to tell real stories. The collections reflect this with objects ranging from Friendly Society regalia, banners and material relating to Edinburgh’s diverse communities.
Read MorePollok House
The National Trust for Scotland is the independent charity that protects and shares some of our country’s most precious historic places and natural landscapes on behalf of the people of Scotland.
With over 360,000 members we are the largest membership organisation in Scotland.
Since 1931, we have pioneered public access to and shared ownership of some of the most magnificent buildings, collections and habitats in Scotland. We care for ancient houses, battlefields, castles, mills, gardens, coastlines, islands, mountain ranges and all the communities, plants and animals which depend upon them.
Culzean Castle, the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Glencoe National Nature Reserve, St Kilda, Mar Lodge National Nature Reserve, Culloden, Bannockburn and Ben Lomond are among the jewels that are familiar to anyone who has ever lived in or visited Scotland. These places mean so much to so many people. From the simple fun and happiness of taking the kids around a beautiful country park, the exhilaration of being alone with only the sounds of the sea and the birds, the quiet contemplation of great historical events to experiencing simple insights into the daily routines of lives once lived.
Together, the places and objects in our care tell the stories of Scotland and the Scots; how our people travelled and interacted with the wider world, taking with them their energy and values and returning with new ideas and treasures. Without our involvement many of these places and things would have been lost forever to the damage caused by time, tide, climate, voracious pests and developers.
The words ‘conservation charity’ simply cannot do justice to the range of skills and experiences that our volunteers and staff bring to bear each day. Our 88 visited properties, hundreds of thousands of artefacts, acres of countryside and gardens are brought to vivid life by armies of volunteers and staff doing everything from guiding visitors to thatching cottages and building footpaths.
