Edinburgh’s Museums & Galleries throw open their doors and welcome visitors back
Museums and galleries in Edinburgh are dusting off their collections and are throwing open their doors to safely welcome visitors back.
Like many visitor attractions across the country, museums and galleries have been waiting patiently for restrictions to be eased so they can safely reopen and allow visitors to explore these inspiring spaces once again.
The reopening of many museums and galleries is great news for the thousands of visitors that have missed spending time in Scotland’s world class cultural attractions. Not to mention the dedicated staff members and volunteers responsible for taking care of the collections and bringing their stories alive, who can’t wait to get back to welcoming visitors once more.
To help intrepid explorers of all ages discover new and exciting places to visit, Museums Galleries Scotland has launched an interactive map as part of its #MuseumsAreGo campaign showing which venues are open.
Lucy Casot, CEO, Museums Galleries Scotland added: “As we emerge from lockdown many of us will be planning a return visit to our favourite museum or gallery. With so many of our museums and galleries across Scotland now able to open, there’s so much to choose from, many with wonderful outdoor spaces to enjoy with the whole family.
“It’s not just a fun day out, museums and galleries have a positive impact on our social wellbeing as well as the local economy so we are urging everyone to make a point of visiting their favourite museum or gallery. Additionally, with many of us staycationing this year, it is a wonderful opportunity to discover more of Scotland’s inspiring museums and galleries.”
Chris Henry, Director of Heritage, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, said:
“Surgeons’ Hall Museums was originally developed as a teaching museum for medical students, and we feel our present role is to help visitors understand the human body and the benefits surgery has given us by improving our quality of life. It’s fantastic to be able to welcome visitors to the Surgeons’ Halls Museums once again.
“We’ve implemented a whole host of new measures to keep our guests and staff as safe as possible, such as one-way systems, hand sanitising stations and a new online reservation hub. We are planning our new robotic surgery galleries for next year and hope that 2021 will be a great year to come to the museums and see our varied collections.”
The new interactive map shows which venues are open and can be accessed online here. This is updated on a daily basis as museums reopen. Before you go, check the museums websites for opening times and safety measures. https://museumsarego.com/map.
A promotional video has also been created as part of a digital campaign to support the #MuseumsAreGo campaign.
Edinburgh | Surgeons’ Hall | Scottish National Gallery | National Museum of Scotland
- Surgeons’ Hall, - The human body and how it reacts to viruses and disease is an incredibly hot topic right now and what better place to learn about the human body than Surgeons’ Hall Museums. The museum takes you through Edinburgh’s involvement in shaping the world of medicine and surgery that we know (and are thankful) for today. If that’s not enough medical history for you the museum also offers the “Blood and Guts” walking tours on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Scottish National Gallery - Situated in the heart of Edinburgh, the Scottish National Gallery is home to one of the best collections of fine art in the world. Reopening 17 August.
https://www.nationalgalleries.org/
- National Museum of Scotland - The reopening of the galleries, from 19 August, will be phased with the Entrance Hall Level and the Grand Gallery level opening first. New trails for adults and families will also be available for download soon.
