Postcards from Jenny
I keep discovering all these postcards that were lost in the mail, heh. Better late than never!Some of my friends have just settled in for their study abroad experience in Edinburgh, and hearing about their adventures reminded me of these museums I visited during my time there….
Hello friends!
As promised, here’s a mini summary of museums that i’ve visited.
£6.00 for adults, £3.50 with student ID
10:00 - 17:00 daily (last admission 16:30)
This has been my favorite museum of the ones I’ve visited so far. Although this one has an entrance fee and does not allow photos, it’s easy to see why. The museum is full of strange body parts, skeletons, and rusty old surgeon’s tools. One of the exhibits takes you through the history of medicine and surgery in Edinburgh. Did you know that in the 16th and 17th centuries, the surgeons were also barbers? People of both occupations learned to use sharp tools, so the skills for both sets of sharp tools were learned together. Imagine going to your barber/surgeon for some healthy bloodletting and a shave after! The familiar red-and-white striped pole that is associated with the barber’s was actually used for bloodletting: patients would tightly grasp the pole so that their veins were more visible. In fact, the red and white are actually respectively the colors of the blood and bandages!
Upstairs is shared by a dentistry exhibit and a modern surgery one. The former has more artifacts relating to the history of dentistry. Rows of little teeth from some anonymous and unaware donors sit behind glass for you to inspect. A highlight of the latter exhibit would be the collection of objects removed from patients. The huge hairballs might make you want to vomit, so beware–you’ve been warned!
National Museumof Scotland</a>
Free
Lots of artifacts from history, natural history, art… all over the world. I spent several afternoons exploring this museum since it was on the way home from school. In no other city have I lived so close to amazing museums. I also really like to people-watch here. (:
Free
If you’re into portraits and old paintings, this is the place for you. I spent an afternoon here strolling byMedieval and Renaissance art. Not sure if I’ll be going again, but it was a lovely collection. They even have some JMW Turner watercolors, but they aren’t out on display. You can make a reservation to see them, though.
Free
If you’re wandering the George Square campus of the University of Edinburgh any time soon, you might want to check out the exhibition, “Towards Dolly,” that can be found in the campus library. You can’t miss it–there’s a giant sign in front that says “LIBRARY” in all caps. The door to the exhibit is on your left immediately past the front doors. Take five and learn about all the research that brought us Dolly and all the other cloned sheep (I didn’t know about it, but Dolly wasn’t the only one!).
