Museum of Edinburgh

No day out on the Royal Mile is complete without a visit to the Museum of Edinburgh, where the City’s past is brought vividly to life.

About Museum of Edinburgh

	142 Canongate Royal Mile, High Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH8 8DD
	01315294143
	Museum of Edinburgh Website

Listed Under Attractions - Museums

Visit the Museum’s newest attraction, Foundation – the Story of a City, for a unique journey through Edinburgh’s history. Watch the city grow beneath your feet in the Museum’s new blacked-out theatre.

Decipher the signatures on the National Covenant and imagine the Royal Mile as the hub of Scottish society and politics.

Admire the silverware – work produced by metalworkers called hammermen whose craft guild owned part of this building in former times. Then there is the glassware, much of it made and engraved in the Canongate close by the Museum. There are long case clocks from Edinburgh and a wide range of Scottish pottery.

Look at our sedan chair, old town models and James Craig’s New Town plans - what a contrast between old and new. You can see Greyfriars Bobby’s collar and bowl, dress up in our replica costumes and get creative in our interactive space.

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Upcoming Events at Museum of Edinburgh

Exhibitions

Making a Statement: Craft & Activism in Edinburgh

17th September 2025 - 26th January 2026

Museum of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Old Town

This colourful and vibrant exhibition brings together historic objects and contemporary protest material to explore the recent explosion of 'Craftivism' in Edinburgh.

Museums

Linlithgow Canal Centre

Canal Basin Manse Rd, Linlithgow EH49 6AJ

Canal Cruises to Avon Aqueduct, Linlithgow Boat Trips, Tearoom, Canal Museum, Charters and Self-Drive Canal Boat Hire. Open from Easter until the end of September.

Museums

The Royal Yacht Britannia

The Royal Yacht Britannia Ocean Drive, Leith EH6 6JJ

Rated Scotland’s Best Visitor Attraction for 12 years by national tourism agency VisitScotland, Britannia was home to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family for over 40 years.

Museums

John Knox House

43 - 45 High Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1SR

Dating back to 1470 John Knox House is one of Scotland's greatest cultural treasures and is associated with the most dramatic events in Scotland's turbulent history!

Museums

The Georgian House

7 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh New Town EH2 4DR

The Georgian House, Robert Adam's masterpiece of urban architecture with its elegant furnished interior, is located at No. 7 Charlotte Square in the centre of Edinburgh!

Museums

Prestongrange Museum

Prestongrange Museum Morrisons Haven, Prestonpans EH32 9RX

Prestongrange is a free open-air museum, that tells 700 years of industrial heritage history. Family friendly, with lots to see and do!

Museums

The Writers Museum

Lawnmarket Lady Stair's Close , Edinburgh Old Town EH1 2PA

The Writers’ Museum celebrates the lives of three great Scottish writers – Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Museums

Surgeons Hall Museums

Surgeons Hall Museums Nicolson Street, Edinburgh South EH8 9DW

Surgeons' Hall Museums is home to one of the largest and most historic collections of surgical pathology in the World, open to the public since 1832.

Museums

Craigmillar Castle

Craigmillar Castle Craigmillar Castle Road, Edinburgh South EH16 4SY

Step inside Edinburgh's other castle, once a rural retreat from Scotland's capital!

Museums

Linlithgow Museum

Linlithgow Partnership Centre 93 High Street , Linlithgow EH49 7EZ

A free museum, perfect for locals and visitors alike. Find out about our Royal connections, the trades of the town, the ordinary - and extra-ordinary! - people.

Museums