Royal Museum Work in Progress

In my lunchbreak I walked past the Royal Museum - currently closed for major redevelopment - and noticed that the door to the East Wing was left open. This space is fondly remembered by many as the mammal hall with the elephants, giraffes etc etc. Looking quite a bit different at the moment!!

RSA on the Mound

The Royal Scottish Academy on the Mound, basking in the winter sun. Originally built as an art school by William Playfair in the mid-19th century, it is now used by the National Galleries of Scotland as its primary exhibition space.

Bridge of Sighs

This is the ‘Bridge of Sighs’ between the university’s Old College on the left and the Royal Museum on the right. In 1865, the university’s natural history collections – including large numbers of stuffed animals – were moved from the College into the museum, via this very bridge. However, the link was closed off in the 1870s as a result of a big row and has never been reopened. The falling out is said to have occurred when university students found out that the bridge was being used to store booze for a reception in the museum, and stole it to have their own party on the other side of the bridge!

Money money money

Ever seen a note of £1,000,000? Well, apparently that and everything else you have always wanted to know about money is on show at the Museum on the Mound, which is part of the impressive HBOS Headquarters just off the Royal Mile. I confess I haven't actually visited it yet, apart from when the exhibition was still being put together (Mr Dido worked on the building's renovation and showed me every room, radiator and cleaner's cupboard just before completion!). One of these days we really ought to have a look. Oh, and it's free.

Sea Pink and Silverweed

Idyllic eh? Yet this is not some countryside meadow with a church in the distance, but instead it was taken in the middle of Edinburgh's Old Town and in one of my very favourite places - the roof-top garden of the National Museum of Scotland. Once you've taken the lift up to the 7th floor (remember, it's free!) you get the most amazing view of Edinburgh Castle and the city centre. You can even see the water of the Firth of Forth way in the distance. Plus, it's a wonderful suntrap on a beautiful day like today, and a great place to go and eat a sandwich in your lunchbreak!

You can also get to the roof-terrace by stairs from the 5th floor of the Museum - this is what that looks like:

Royal reflections

And finally - a bride arrives at the Royal Museum's main entrance on Chambers Street; can you spot the reflection of the steps and pillars on the facade in the black cab's window?

How a spider builds its web

This has to be one of my very favourite displays in the Royal Museum (see below) so I thought I'd record it before the museum's closure! Though you can kind of see why they opted for a grand overhaul... :-)

Bye for now to the Royal Museum...

One of the last shots of the wonderful main hall of the Royal Museum (part of the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street) before it shut for a major overhaul - the building is now closed and will reopen in 2011... The museum organised a weekend of events prior to the closing date and, not surpisingly, it was pretty busy even at 10.30am. Unfortunately, the fish ponds - loved by many Edinburgh people - are set to go.