As you may have seen from our post on the 18th October, we have decided to do a little mini series on literary places of interest we visit that we think you may enjoy. In this post I am going to share some photos and info about The Writers Museum in Edinburgh after our recent visit at the start of the month. You'll notice from the outdoor shots that it was an extremely rainy day which Mrs H thought was why the museum seemed to be extra busy - on her previous visits it was always empty apparently!
Situated in Lady Stairs Close, The Writers Museum is in a little close, accessible by a staircase off North Bank Street or down a narrow passageway from the Royal Mile. It is inside a stunning building originally built in 1622 and altered a number of times throughout the years, in 1897 it was restored to what is assumed to be the original configuration from 1622. When you arrive you are greeted by a building that is much taller than it in wide, the doorway is in a spiral staircase which leads up to the main museum with two exhibits one for Robert Burn and Sir Walter Scott and also down stairs to a great exhibit on Robert Louis Stevenson.
The first author's section we visited in the museum was Robert Lewis Stevenson. In this exhibit they had a large range of personal items including part of the bed he was born in. They had several items from his time in Samoa including a traditional wooden pillow, riding cap and a ivory box he gifted to his mother as well as a ring which was given to him by a Samoan Chief engraved with the name he was given, "Tusitala" meaning "teller of tales". Also in the collection they have lots of books from other writers that were owned by Stevenson in which he wrote his name and some of them he made notes.
Upstairs the museum has a small gift shop and a corridor leading to a room housing items from the life and work of Robert Burns. This includes a stool he used while working at a publishing office in Edinburgh, a plaster cast of his skull (one of only three ever made) and his writers desk.
Upstairs from here is a small room relating to the work of Sir Walter Scott here we saw items including the chest and rocking horse he used as a child, also they had a pipe and wallet. The main attraction to his exhibit is a recreation of a Ballantyne printing press which is said to be the press used to print the Waverley Novels.
This was my (Mr Hallow) first visit to the Writers Museum and I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was quiet busy while we were there so didn't get to absorb as much as I would have liked to so will definitely have to visit again. Have any of you guys ever been?
💀 Mr Hallow 💀
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