Top Edinburgh museums

Science gets hands-on at Dynamic Earth. Beneath a pincushion of white metal struts that make it look like a miniature version of London’s Millennium Dome, this is a hi-tech, immersive attraction based on the wonders of the natural world. You’ll learn about the formation of the earth and continents with crashing sound effects and a shaking floor, while the calmer grandeur of glaciers and oceans is explored through magnificent large-screen landscape footage. Further on, the polar regions – complete with a real iceberg – and tropical jungles are imaginatively re-created, with interactive computer screens and special effects at every turn. It’s aimed at families with kids between 5 and 15. But occasional Dome Nights are a real dad-rock extravaganza; Pink Floyd’s album Dark Side of the Moon is played in surround sound, complete with cosmic visuals.

All the Scottish history you can shake a stick at makes this one of the best museums in Edinburgh. You might want to pick up a map before tackling this huge attraction, which details the history of Scotland from its geological formation through to the present day; the fascinating history of Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Jacobite risings and lots more in between. The wealth of exhibits is enough to occupy days of your time, but as entry is free you’ll be able to dip in and out at leisure or during rain showers. The National Museum of Scotland is essentially two museums, internally connected to each other. So after your fill of Scottish heritage in the Museum of Scotland, head to the older Royal Museum for all the wonders of natural history. The Royal Museum is modelled on the former Crystal Palace in London, with a spectacular cast-iron interior. Inside is a bedazzling array of artefacts, with numerous stuffed animals hanging from the rafters and a fearsome T-rex skeleton at the entrance. A bunch of cafes and seats make this a great place to rest your feet.

The ostentatious exterior of the Surgeon’s Hall hides one of Scotland’s grisliest museum collections. The former headquarters of the Royal College of Surgeons, this iconic building is by Edinburgh’s greatest architects. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Edinburgh was a world leader of medical and anatomical research, nurturing world-famous pioneers such as James Young Simpson, founder of anaesthesia, and Joseph Lister, the father of modern surgery. The history of surgery takes up one part of the museum, with intriguing exhibits ranging from early surgical tools to a pocketbook covered with the leathered skin of serial killer William Burke. Another room has an array of gruesome instruments illustrating the history of dentistry, while the third and most remarkable part of the museum, the elegant Playfair Hall, contains an array of specimens and jars from the college’s anatomical and pathological collections.

Museums in Edinburgh have a knack for really bringing things to life. Dodge the ghosts in this dank warren of subterranean tenements, where plague victims were once entombed alive. You can visit this rather spooky subterranean “lost city” on tours led by costumed actors, who take you round the cold stone shells of the houses where various scenes from the Close’s history have been re-created. As you’d expect, blood, plague, pestilence and ghostly apparitions are to the fore, though there is an acknowledgement of the more prosaic side of medieval life in the archaeological evidence of an urban cow byre. The tour ends with a stroll up the remarkably well-preserved close itself.

You’ll get a double-whammy of Edinburgh culture and history at Scotland’s National War Museum, which is actually located inside Edinburgh Castle (and it’s part of the same ticket price as the Castle!). As you walk around the various displays, you’ll get a good insight into Scottish history over the past 400 years, taking in letters detailing personal accounts, military equipment and weapon evolution.