Did you know that you can see the inside of a Concorde airplane in Scotland?  Yup – there’s one waiting for you at the Museum of Flight in East Fortune, about halfway between Edinburgh and North Berwick in East Lothian. You can get there via a bus from outside the North Berwick train station, but to be honest if you can get a car, that’s a far easier/quicker option.

East Fortune is actually an old airfield, and the hangers have been converted into displays, exhibitions, and in many cases old airplanes that you can go in and poke around, sometimes even sitting in the cockpit! Lots of fun for the wee ones, and one hangar in particular is only child-friendly displays and exhibits to learn about how airplanes fly.

To visit the Concorde, you’ll need to go and collect a timed pass; it’s of course included with your fee to the grounds, but because of the narrow space only a few people are allowed on at the time. You can see why travellers were thankful this plane was fast, because it was very small and cramped; flight attendants called it the toothpick and you can imagine why.

An interesting feature is the galleys, which are so small one wonders how British Airways & Air France managed to serve up their decadent menus. A skill to work in here, I’d think.

The cockpit is quite small and filled with switches, dials, gadgets, levels, menus, lights, and other miscellany. Outside the cockpit, though, are all of these panels which house all the electronics. Pretty crazy.

Be sure to listen to the extra portions of your free audio guide as you tour around the outside of the plane. It is unbelievable to stand below the back of the engines and imagine what they would have been like if they were powered up.Impressive stuff. Learn more about it on the Museum of Flight website.

East Fortune is a great thing to combine with a visit to North Berwick and the Prestonpans Murals, especially if you have a car to get around quickly. Although Edinburgh is one of the best places to visit in Europe, there’s lot to see and do outside the city, so if you have the time, schedule a couple of day trips to explore the surrounding area during your stay.

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