AroundTown MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS/EVENTS
■ 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. Learn how money has evolved over the past 4000 years or try cracking a safe. ■ NATIONAL MINING MUSEUM SCOTLAND Lady Victoria Colliery, Newtongrange, 663 7519, scottishminingmuseum. com Daily 10am–5pm until Sun 28 Oct; daily 10am–4pm thereafter. £7.50 (£5.50; children free). Nine miles south of Edinburgh, this museum is one of the best-preserved Victorian collieries in Europe. Learn about the life of a miner by taking a tour around the site.
■ 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. ■ NATIONAL MUSEUMS COLLECTION CENTRE 242 West Granton Road, 247 4770, nms.ac.uk Visits by appointment only or with occasional tours. Following the redevelopment of the National Museum, two new collection buildings have also been added to the storage and conservation centre at Granton. From vintage motorbikes to whale and dinosaur bones – it’s all there. ■ OUR DYNAMIC EARTH Holyrood Road, 550 7800, dynamicearth. co.uk Daily 10am–5.30pm (last entry 4pm) until Wed 31 Oct; closed Mon & Tue thereafter. £11.50 (£9.75; under 16s £7.20; under 3s free). Take an interactive
journey through the history of the earth. Go to the tundra or the bottom of the ocean, never being more than a stone’s throw from the Scottish Parliament and Arthur’s Seat.
■ PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE Royal Mile, 556 5100, royalcollection. org.uk Daily 9.30am–6pm (last admission 5pm) until Wed 31 Oct; daily 9.30am–4.30pm thereafter (last admission 3.30pm). £10.75 (£9.80; under 17s £6.50; under 5s free). The official Scottish residence of the Queen, this baroque palace was once home to Mary Queen of Scots and now houses the great artworks and tapestries of its regal residents. ■ ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN EDINBURGH Inverleith Row, 552 7171, rbge.org.uk Daily 10am–5pm until Wed 31 Oct; daily 10am–4pm thereafter. 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. There are glasshouses and cafés within the grounds, as well as high-profile art exhibitions at Inverleith House. OneOak Until Wed 31 Oct. Exhibition celebrating the British oak through furniture, objects, scientific studies and art. FREE Joseph Rock: Impressions of China Tue 6 Nov–Fri 9 Nov & Mon 12 Nov–Thu 15 Nov, 10am-4.30pm. Images and diaries from Joseph Rock’s time spent exploring south-western China.
■ ROYAL OBSERVATORY VISITOR CENTRE Blackford Hill, 668 8404, roe.ac.uk/ vc Entry by arrangement or at Public Astronomy evenings (weekly, Fri 7.30pm & 9pm). Public Astronomy evenings £4 (£3). See the stars through the research centre’s magnificent copper domes at weekly astronomy evenings.
■ ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA Ocean Terminal, Leith, 555 5566, royalyachtbritannia.co.uk Daily 9.30am-4pm until Wed 31 Oct; 9.30am–3.30pm thereafter. £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.
■ SCOTCH WHISKY EXPERIENCE 354 Castlehill, 220 0441, scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk Daily 10am–6pm; entry is as part of a tour. Tours £12.50–£50 (£10–£25; under 18s £6.50). Learn more about Scotland’s tastiest export with a tour and tasting session. There is also a bar and restaurant if you need a few more drams to help decide which is your favourite.
■ 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, sit in on a debate or look at the artwork on display. ■ SCOTT MONUMENT Princes Street Gardens East, 529 4068, edinburghmuseums.org.uk Mon- Sat 9am–4pm; Sun 10am–6pm. £3. Commemorating Sir Walter Scott, this is the largest monument of any writer in the world. Take all 287 steps to the top for a great view of the city, and occasional exhibitions.
■ SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE AND JOHN KNOX HOUSE 43–45 High Street, 556 9579, scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk. Mon–Sat 10am–6pm. Free entry to SSC; John Knox House £4.25 (£3.75; children £1; under 7s free). A stylish contemporary building appended to the 15th-century home of Protestant reformer John Knox, housing materials relating to Scotland’s rich oral culture.
■ SURGEONS’ HALL MUSEUM Nicolson Street, 527 1649, museum. rcsed.ac.uk Daily noon–4pm until Sun 28 Oct. Mon–Fri noon-4pm; closed Sat & Sun thereafter. £5 (£3). Home to permanent collections on pathological anatomy, the history of surgery and dentistry, as well as temporary exhibitions, talks and occasionally gruesome hands-on events.
Scottish Storytelling Centre and John Knox House
EVENTS Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to sport@list.co.uk for sport or aroundtown@list.co.uk for all other events. Listings compiled by Charlotte Runcie. ✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
GLASGOW
Hallowe’en Alien War Thu & Fri 5–10pm, Sat noon–10pm, Sun 2–8pm. Until April 2013. £9.50. The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. Terrifying total reality experience. See feature, page 16. Hallowe’en Spooktacular Fri 26 Oct, 6.30–9pm. £5. Glasgow Science Centre, 50 Pacific Quay, 420 5000. Family Hallowe’en party. Take part in the fancy dress competition, hear some ghost stories, watch fire displays or get up close and personal with a real-life tarantula. FREE Hallowe’en at Cambuslang Park Sat 27 Oct, 2–4pm. Cambuslang Park, Cairns Road, Cambuslang, cambuslangpark.co.uk Activities including traditional Hallowe’en games, magic shows and prizes for the best costume. The Ghost Box – The Belbury Youth Club at Hallows’ Eve Wed 31 Oct, 7.30pm. £10. Mono, 12 Kings Court, King Street, 553 2400. Exhibitions and live performances explore forgotten sound, television and public information at this special Hallowe’en event. See Realist, page 5, and Hallowe’en feature, page 19. Day of the Dead Festival Fri 2 Nov, 11pm. £3. The Flying Duck, 142 Renfield Street, 564 1450, flyingduckclub. com Celebrate the Mexican Dia de los Meurtos with live music, DJs and tequila. Over 18s only. See Hallowe’en preview, page 42. Activities & Events
✽ Glasgay! Until Sun 4 Nov, times vary. Prices vary (£5–£20). Various
venues, 552 7575. Showcasing almost every aspect of queer culture, Glasgay! boasts an impressive and varied pro- gramme. See theatre round up, page 79, and list.co.uk for full listings.
✽ Creative Mackintosh Festival Until Sun 28 Oct, Times vary. Prices
vary. Various venues, 270 5146. A new festival celebrating the creative genius of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the ‘Glasgow Style’.
✽ Nights at The Circus Thu 18 Oct, 7.30–11.30pm. £5. Stereo, 20–28
Renfield Lane, 222 2254. The circus is coming! Night of live music, performance art, vaudeville, and circus surprises. FREE In the Steps of the Ansisters Sat 20 Oct, 2–4pm. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. A guided walk into the history of women in Glasgow, departing from the museum. Booking essential. Part of Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival. Stargazing Evening Tue 23 Oct, 7.30–9pm. £4 (children £2). Glasgow Botanic Gardens, 730 Great Western Road, 334 2422. A guided gaze up into the night.
Throughout the year, the Scottish Storytelling Centre offers an array of workshops, exhibitions and one-off reading, spoken word events and performances for all ages. The award-winning building, designed by Malcolm Fraser Architects, sits halfway up the Royal Mile and houses the Netherbow Theatre, the George Mackay Brown Library and the historic John Knox House, once home to the infamous Protestant reformer. 44 THE LIST 18 Oct–15 Nov 2012
✽ FREE Hidden Lane First Fridays Fri 2 Nov, 5–8pm. The Hidden Lane,
8 Argyle Court, facebook.com/TheHid- denLane Browse crafts from the creative folk in this charming Glasgow lane. FREE The Message was in the Music Sat 3 Nov, 1.30–3pm. Glasgow Women’s Library, Mitchell Library, 15 Berkeley Street, 248 9969. Exhibition curator’s tour.
✽ FREE Glasgow Green Fireworks Mon 5 Nov, 6.30–7.30pm. Glasgow
Green, Greendyke Street, glasgowlife.org. uk/events Annual huge fireworks display for all the family on Glasgow Green.