With a sister-in-law in Basel, it’s rapidly become my favourite Swiss city, even though most of the tourists head elsewhere. There are lots of interesting spots to visit but one of the most curious is the Tinguely Museum. This collection of art and sculpture was set up by Jean Tinguely who’s best known for his [...]

Remember The Goonies? That movie with young Corey’s and Sean’s and big ugly ogre guys? I might be showing off my generation here, but I’m sure that most of you have seen it at some point. It’s a classic after all. There is a scene in the film where they round a corner and come [...]

Until the 29 June 2008 the work of two local artists is being exhibited in the Powerhouse at the Prestoungrange Industrial Museum, a few miles east of Edinburgh in the East Lothian village of Prestonpans. Admission is free of charge and opening hours are 11am to 4.30pm seven days a week. The Visitor Centre has [...]

I really enjoyed my visit to the Wilton Lodge Park and Museum in Hawick in the Scottish Borders yesterday. Wilton Lodge, set in 107 acres of grounds was built by the Pringle family in 1859. The Lodge become the home of Hawick Museum in 1910. The War Memorial at the side of Wilton Lodge Motor [...]

I visited the Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh yesterday and found it fascinating. The Museum was created in 1955 by the batchelor Andrew Murray, an optician and local councillor. It was the first Museum of Childhood in the world. I’d recommend it for an all-weather family day out. I’ve highlighted some of the exhibits that [...]

Yesterday I visited the Scottish Mining Museum which lies 7 miles south east of Edinburgh city centre. I would recommend the museum as an interesting day out for everyone. There is an entrance fee. The museum is open seven days a week from 10am – 5pm March to October, 10am – 4pm November to February. [...]

Prestongrange Industrial Museum lies between Musselburgh and Prestonpans in East Lothian eight miles from the centre of Edinburgh. The museum lies on an industrial site which employed more than 1000 in its heyday. The Visitor Centre is open from 11am – 4pm every day from April to October. There is a cafe and toilets in [...]

My other theme for my visit to the museum earlier this week was the glass display. My favourite displays were of the Murano pieces. Murano is an island close to Venice, where glass has been made since the 9th century. The photo below shows pieces from the mid to late 19th century, when Salvati led [...]

Funding has been granted for a new museum to display the legacy of the Scottish poet, Robert Burns. It is hoped that the museum will be ready for the 250th anniversary of his birth in Janaury 2009. There will be around 4500 items on display including Tam O’Shanter and Auld Lang Syne written in Burns [...]

Plans for the replacement for Glasgow Transport Museum have been made public today. The new building is due for completion in 2009 and will be able to hold twice as many exhibits than the current museum at Kelvingrove. The architect is Zaha Hadid, considered very avant guard, defying critics who thought her designs could not [...]