list.co.uk/aroundtown MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS
AroundTown
Museums and attractions are listed by city, then alphabetically by venue. Submit listings at least 16 days before publication to aroundtown@list.co.uk. Listings compiled by Laura Ennor and Lauren Mayberry. Indicates Hitlist entry
GLASGOW
■ GLASGOW BOTANIC GARDENS 730 Great Western Road, 339 6964, glasgow.gov.uk Gardens open daily 7am–dusk; visitor centre 11am–4pm. Free. A great place to relax in summer or take a brisk walk in winter.
■ GLASGOW NECROPOLIS 50 Cathedral Square, 552 3145, glasgownecropolis.org Daily 7am–dusk. Free. The city’s own Père Lachaise with an obelisk to John Knox, Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s first solo work, and breathtaking views to boot. ■ GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART 167 Renfrew Street, 566 1472, gsa. ac.uk/visit-gsa Interpretation space & shop open daily 10.30am–6.30pm; frequent tours departing between 10am and 5pm. Tours £8.75 (£7; under 18s £4; under 5s free). Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s astounding architectural masterpiece is still a working art school.
■ GLASGOW SCIENCE CENTRE 50 Pacific Quay, 420 5000, gsc.org.uk Daily 10am–5pm. £9.95 (£7.95; under 3s free); Planetarium, Glasgow Tower or IMAX Science films £2.50 extra. The home of Scotland’s first IMAX cinema, as well as fun exhibits, science shows, workshops and talks. FREE Smell Glasgow Fri 24 Aug– Sun 16 Sep. Get a whiff of Glasgow’s most pungent pongs and try to identify where in the city they come from. Going Viral Wed 5 Sep–Mon 8 Oct. Multimedia created in a collaboration between six artists and four immunologists. Keep Britain Smiling Fri 7 Sep–Sun 21 Oct. Exhibition for families with interactive exhibits on oral health and anatomy.
■ HUNTERIAN MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 82 Hillhead Street, 330 4221 (museum)/ 330 5434 (gallery), gla.ac.uk/hunterian Tue–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 11am–4pm; closed Mon. Free; Mackintosh House £5 (£3; under 18s free). Scotland’s oldest public museum, with collections relating to science, medicine, archaeology, geology and more. The newly refurbished art galleries re-open on Sat 15 Sep. ■ KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY & MUSEUM Argyle Street, 276 9599, glasgowlife. org.uk/museums Mon–Thu & Sat 10am–5pm; Fri & Sun 11am–5pm. Free. Twenty-two collections and over 8000 artefacts in a grand red sandstone building on the banks of the River Kelvin.
■ PEOPLE’S PALACE & WINTER GARDENS Glasgow Green, 276 0788, glasgowlife. org.uk/museums Palace: Tue–Thu & Sat 10am–5pm; Fri & Sun 11am–5pm; closed Mon; Winter Gardens: daily 10am–5pm. Free. Learn about life in Glasgow down the centuries, and explore the exotic plants in the Winter Gardens.
■ POLLOK HOUSE 2060 Pollokshaws Road, 0844 493 2202, nts.org.uk/property/pollok-house Daily 10am–5pm. £6 (£5; family £11–£16). Set within Pollok Country Park, this 18th-century house holds one of the best collections of Spanish art in the UK.
■ RIVERSIDE MUSEUM 100 Pointhouse Place, 287 2720, glasgowlife.org.uk/museums Mon–Thu & Sat 10am–5pm; Fri & Sun 11am–5pm. Free. A rebooted version of the Transport Museum housed in a cutting edge piece of architecture by Zaha Hadid. FREE Be a Sport Until Sun 30 Sep. Memorabilia from Scotland’s sporting heroes, including Chris Hoy and Gordon Reid.
■ SCOTLAND STREET SCHOOL MUSEUM 225 Scotland Street, 287 0500, glasgowlife.org.uk/museums Tue–Thu & Sat 10am–5pm; Fri & Sun 11am–5pm; closed Mon. Free. Inside a Charles Rennie Mackintosh design, explore the history of the country’s education system. FREE The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit Sat 2 Sep until Feb 2013. Original artwork and unseen material from the Beatrix Potter series to mark 110 years since the first book. ■ THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL MUSEUM Hampden Park, 616 6139, scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 11am–5pm. Stadium tour or museum entry £6 (£3); combined ticket £9 (£4.50). This museum displays all kinds of memorabilia and offers tours of the stadium itself.
■ THE TALL SHIP AT RIVERSIDE 150 Pointhouse Place, 357 3699, thetallship.com Daily 10am–5pm. £5 (£4.50; one child free per paying adult, additional children £3). Step aboard the Glenlee, one of only five Clyde-built ships still afloat today.
EDINBURGH ■ CAMERA OBSCURA & WORLD OF ILLUSIONS Castlehill, 226 3709, camera-obscura. co.uk Daily 9.30am–9pm until Sat 1 Sep; 9.30am–7pm thereafter. £10.95 (£8.95; under 16s £7.95; under 5s free). A giant periscope inside a Victorian rooftop tower on the Royal Mile, plus interactive optical fun galore.
■ EDINBURGH CASTLE AND NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND Castlehill, 225 9846 (info)/ 668 8081 (bookings), edinburghcastle.gov.uk / nms.ac.uk/war Daily 9.30am–6pm. £16 (£13; children £9.20; under 5s free). The Castle perches on top of a rocky outcrop and includes ceremonial rooms, fortifications, dungeons, and Scotland’s Honours or crown jewels, as well as the National War Museum. Reconstructing Lives Until Feb 2013. A moving look at those who have lost limbs in war and the advances in medical technology that have helped them to cope.
■ EDINBURGH ZOO Corstorphine Road, 334 9171, edinburghzoo.org.uk. Daily 9am–6pm. £15.50 (£13; under 16s £11; under 3s free). See the headline-grabbing giant pandas, the famous Penguin Parade and over 1000 other rare and interesting animals and birds. ■ GEORGIAN HOUSE 7 Charlotte Square, 0844 493 2118, nts. org.uk/property/georgian-house Daily 10am–6pm until Fri 31 Aug; daily 10am–5pm thereafter. £6 (£5; family £11–£16). Step back to the age when the affluent moved out of the squalor of the Old Town to the spacious grandeur of buildings like this in Edinburgh’s wealthy New Town.
■ HOLYROOD PARK Holyrood Park Road, 652 8150, historic- scotland.gov.uk. Open at all times; Holyrood Lodge Information Centre
People’s Palace & Winter Gardens
daily 9.30am–3pm. Free. Large royal park dominated by Arthur’s Seat, the iconic 823-foot hill. ■ MUSEUM ON THE MOUND The Mound, 243 5464, museumonthemound.com Tue–Fri 10am–5pm; Sat & Sun 1–5pm. Free. Hosted inside the Bank of Scotland’s head office, this museum is all about money.
■ NATIONAL MINING MUSEUM SCOTLAND Lady Victoria Colliery, Newtongrange, 663 7519, scottishminingmuseum.com Daily 10am–5pm. £7.50 (£5.50; children free). Nine miles south of Edinburgh, this museum is one of the best-preserved Victorian collieries in Europe. ■ NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789, nms. ac.uk Daily 10am–5pm. Free. Renovated in 2011, this national beacon of culture has exhibitions on natural history, science and technology, Scottish history, art and design and world cultures in galleries surrounding a beautiful naturally-lit atrium space. Catherine the Great: An Enlightened Empress Until Wed 31 Oct. £9 (£7.50; under 18s £6; under 12s FREE). Exhibition showcasing the amazing art collections of the Russian Empress. FREE One Thousand Points of Light: Melvin Moti Until Wed 31 Oct. Installation by Dutch artist, incorporating objects from the Museum’s collections. FREE Sounds Global Until Sun 30 Sep. Exhibition created by and for young people, exploring music’s relationship to identity and beliefs.
■ OUR DYNAMIC EARTH Holyrood Road, 550 7800, dynamicearth. co.uk Daily 10am–6pm until Fri 31 Aug (last entry 4.30pm; 10am–5.30pm (last entry 4pm) thereafter. £11.50 (£9.75; under 16s £7.20; under 3s free). Take an interactive journey through the natural history of the earth.
■ PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE Royal Mile, 556 5100, royalcollection. org.uk Daily 9.30am–6pm (last admission 5pm). £10.75 (£9.80; under 17s £6.50; under 5s free). The official Scottish residence of the Queen, this baroque palace also houses the great artworks of its regal residents.
■ ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN EDINBURGH Inverleith Row, 552 7171, rbge.org. uk Daily 10am–6pm. Free; glasshouse entry £4.50 (£3.50; children £1; family £9). These gardens, founded in the 17th century, cover over 70 acres and are just one mile from the city centre. ■ ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA Ocean Terminal, Leith, 555 5566, royalyachtbritannia.co.uk Daily 9.30am–4.30pm. £11.75 (£10; under 18s £7.50; under 5s free; family £34). Take a guided tour of the ornate floating royal residence (and the naval quarters below) and learn about life aboard the yacht which served the royal family for almost 50 years.
■ SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT Horse Wynd, 0800 092 7500, scottish. parliament.uk Opening hours vary according to whether Parliament is in session, see website for details. Free. See Spanish architect Enric Miralles’ magnificent (and controversial) Holyrood building, take a tour of the interior.
Holiday time means taxi time!
For fantastic rates on airport transfers visit www.citycabs.co.uk book online or call 0131 228 1211
- Pick up and drop off point only steps from the terminal
- Meet and Greet facility available - City Cabs iphone app booker available to download
23 Aug–20 Sep 2012 THE LIST 33