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Telegraph
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The 10 best museums in Edinburgh
Museums. Famous galleries of art. On every bucket list they're not just 'should-sees', but 'must-sees' for the fascination, frisson or challenge to perceptions they can spark. In cities like Edinburgh there are many museums and galleries to see (and a lot of people seeing them), so to help avoid cultural indigestion, sore feet or selfie-rage, it helps to know what's out there. We've selected our favourites – not just the big hitters but also the specialist, the unusual and the off-piste as well; because you never know what will float your boat. All our recommendations below have been hand selected and tested by our resident destination expert to help you discover the best museums in Edinburgh. Find out more below, and see our guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants and cafes, nightlife, pubs and bars, shopping, things to do and things to do for free. Find a museum by type: Best for history National Museum of Scotland The beloved atrium fish ponds may have gone, but the 2008 reimagining of what can only be described as a cleverly organised kaleidoscope of objects representing science and nature, culture, design and technology: in short, all the wonders of the world. From Dolly the Sheep (stuffed) to the lovable Lewis Chessmen; from fashion to flight; be prepared to lose hours wallowing in wonder. Happily there are three cafés and a roof terrace with views, too. Insider tip: Don't try to see it all at the National Museum of Scotland (you couldn't) and don't plan; just go with the flow. Surgeons' Hall Museums In a city famous for Burke and Hare – the body snatching murderers who sold corpses to the university medical school – it seems somehow appropriate to have this grim yet unnervingly fascinating exhibit displayed in a beautiful William Playfair building. Reflecting 300 years of medical development from the early days of surgery to the development of dentistry you will leave filled with gratitude both for the early pioneers and the man who invented ether. Insider tip: You can also visit the Anatomical Museum in the Bisto Square university buildings. Area: Old Town Public transport: There are buses to the Surgeons' Hall stops. Website: The People's Story Museum Edinburgh has a wealth of first-class museums and galleries, but this little museum will help you truly understand the city through the people who built it, lived and worked in it. A compelling collection of images, objects and recreations from the 18th to early 20th centuries it's not only educational and enlightening, but is housed in the Old Tollbooth, one of the most attractive and oldest buildings on the Canongate, built in 1591. Insider tip: Combine your visit with the Museum of Edinburgh a few steps along the Canongate to see decorative Scottish arts and crafts from the 17th and 18th centuries The People's Story Museum in another splendid historic building. Museum on the Mound A museum about money is a niche interest, but it's worth seeing this commanding building, overlooking the New Town in a lordly fashion. You'll discover what the oldest banknote in Scotland looks like (in case you run across one in your change) and it's a great way to illustrate to your children how 'many a mickle makes a muckle'. You'll also be able to say you saw a million in cash before cash disappears forever. Insider tip: Pay attention during the information on cracking a safe; you never know when it might come in handy. Area: Old Town Public transport: Take the tram to Princes Street stop or buses to Princes Street/Scott Monument stops, then walk ten minutes. Website: The Georgian House It would be a shame to visit Edinburgh and leave without an idea of what it looked like behind those elegant fanlights, wrought iron balconies, classical pediments and show-off Greek columns. The Georgian House is run by the National Trust for Scotland, so you will be able to step into a world recreated in impressive detail, both upstairs and down, from the glorious paintings by Allan Ramsay and Henry Raeburn to a poem on the side of a posh china chamberpot. Insider tip: For a contrasting view of life in the Old Town, visit Gladstone's Land in the Lawnmarket (they sell good ice cream, too). The Writers' Museum You may be drawn here just because it is the most striking building in the Old Town, but The Writers' Museum in Edinburgh is worth a proper visit. The museum is free, and the collected objects from the lives of Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Burns (both child and man; public and private) form an intimate picture not just of three writers, but of the nation they helped shape. Also be sure to look for Scott's rocking horse. Insider tip: Arrive first thing; it's small inside so gets easily crowded. Area: Old Town Public transport: Take the tram to Princes Street stop or bus to Princes Street/Scott Monument stops, then walk ten minutes up The Mound. Website: Best for art Modern One and Two Modern One and Two run by the National Galleries of Scotland and The Royal Scottish Academy was always going to be high on any art-lover's list, but give both these two remarkable 19th-century galleries a look. Set in a peaceful green setting above the Water of Leith you'll find outdoor sculptures by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore and a Charles Jencks landform, as well as remarkable collections and exhibitions. Both have attractive cafés with sunny garden seating at Modern One. Insider tip: Don't miss the recreation of sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi's studio in Modern 2. Both adults and children find it equally fascinating. City Art Centre With five national galleries of art in Edinburgh it's easy to overlook this smaller, city council run gallery, but you're missing out if you don't have a look at City Art Centre. With more than 4,500 works in its care, the collection includes drawings, prints, photographs and paintings by Scottish artists ranging from Allan Ramsay and Sir Henry Raeburn to Joan Eardley and John Ballany to William McTaggart and the Scottish Colourists. A quiet feast for curious eyes. Insider tip: Dip into the Fruitmarket Gallery across the street for contemporary art, an eclectic bookshop and great café. Area: Old Town Public transport: Take the tram to Princes Street stop or buses to Princes Street/Scott Monument stops. Website: Best for families Museum of Childhood It's the first museum of its kind in the world, but it's not just children who will be fascinated by 200 years of toys, games, books, bikes, books and all other things of childish delight. From a Queen Anne doll (circa 1740) to Buzz Lightyear, there's delight in both the everyday and the extraordinary. There's a play area and space for dressing-up, too (and yes, adults can play along). Insider tip: Children tired and emotional? Take them across the Canongate to Clarinda's Tearoom for scones, cake and doilies. Jupiter Artland Experiencing art outdoors is always going to be a bit different, not least in how you use all your senses – including your sense of humour. Here, at Jupiter Artland, you 'discover' art by wandering through a wooded estate on the outskirts of Edinburgh. You can also actively participate in artworks by swimming in Charles Jencks' 'Wells of Life' land sculpture or Joanna Vasconcelos' Gateway pool. Hours will slip away, but there is a good café where you can re-fuel. Insider tip: This is a great way for children to learn about art; check the website before visiting for special activities and book swimming experiences. Area: Out of town Public transport: Take the X27 Lothian Country bus to Coxydene/Jupiter Artland stops. Website: How we choose Every attraction and activity in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from world-class museums to family-friendly theme parks – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations. About our expert Somewhere between New Town ladette and Old Town doyenne, Linda has a passion for Tunnock's teacakes and a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde personality, making Edinburgh her perfect city.
Medscape
06-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Medscape at 30: Three Decades of Amazing Breakthroughs
Medscape turns 30 in 2025. As part of the Medscape 2050 project speculating on what the field will look like 25 years from now, we're looking back at medical history as told through Medscape news coverage. A walk down memory lane, for sure, but also a celebration of the breakthroughs, headlines, and reporting that helped define medicine since 1995. July 5, 1996: Dolly the Sheep Cloned The birth of the first cloned animal led to some interesting cloning coverage over the years, whether from claims of a cloned human baby, ethical concerns surrounding human cloning, and advances in animal cloning as more than just a curiosity: Single Genetic Difference May Make Humans Easier to Clone Knockout Pigs Heralded as Future Organ Source FDA: Meat of Cloned Animals Safe to Eat 1998: Discovery of Human Embryonic Stem Cells A groundbreaking and polarizing discovery. Just over a year later, Medscape would look at the fallout, and advances would attempt to eliminate ethical concerns by tricking mouse and human cells to exhibit all the traits of embryonic stem cells. Coverage would span many conditions over the years: Is New Stem Cell Research Major Step Toward Diabetes Cure? Stem Cell Therapy Among Hot Topics at AAO 2017 Promising New Data on Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson's 1997: da Vinci Robotic Surgical System Begins Development Minimally invasive robotic surgery via the da Vinci system was approved by the FDA in 2000, and by 2011, it was in use in more than 2000 hospitals around the world. Between 2011 and 2012, however, adverse event reports rose 34%, prompting this detailed Medscape slideshow, Robotic Surgery: Too Much, Too Soon? 2000: First Draft of the Human Genome Announced It wasn't perfect, it had gaps and wasn't fully understood, but the turn of the century marked the first map of the human genome, paving the way for what we now see as precision and personalized medicine. In 2020, Medscape commissioned a thorough charting of the genome over its first 20 years to see what grew from that first announcement. Early 2000s: Rise of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Genetic Testing (eg, 23andMe) Inexpensive genetic testing led to the advent of offering tests to consumers, and the most famous purveyor, 23andMe, debuted in 2006. This marked a shift in how people access and interpret genetic data — and raised concerns. It's been a bumpy ride: Ethical Considerations in DTC Genetic Testing 23andMe Relaunches Lower-Risk DTC Genetic Tests FDA OK's First DTC Genetic Risk Tests 23andMe Notifies Customers of Data Breach Into Its 'DNA Relatives' Feature 23andMe's Business Woes Raise Genetic Data Privacy Concerns: Ethicist 2009: Electronic Health Record (EHR) Adoption Incentivized by HITECH Act EHRs, now ubiquitous, started slow in 2009, with one report estimating adoption in US hospitals at less than 2%. All that changed of course, with Medscape eventually releasing annual reports on physicians and EHRs. And in 2024, we even asked if physicians should be compensated for their time using EHRs. Don't Get Too Hung Up on 'Meaningful Use' in an EHR EHR Adoption Grows Rapidly in Office-Based Physician Groups 2012: CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing Discovered 2016: First CRISPR Clinical Trial in Humans Gene editing, and the ethical arguments that went with it, took the medical world by storm a little over a decade ago. Medscape has been covering its potential therapeutic (and controversial) applications ever since including the 2018 birth of 'gene-edited babies' in China. 5 Things to Know About CRISPR New CRISPR Tools More Precise, but Targeting Mishaps a Worry CRISPR Gene Editing in Limelight at ASHG 2016 Bioethicist: History Tells Us CRISPR Fears Are Overblown 2016: Semaglutide Shows Superior Glucose Control and Weight Loss in SUSTAIN-6 Trials The hype begins. Not only shown effective for glucose control, semaglutide also demonstrated marked cardiovascular risk reduction in 2016. While that was nearly 10 years ago, it feels like we haven't had a day without GLP-1 news since. Oral GLP-1 Agonists Could Be Game Changers for Obesity Treating Obesity: Will New Miracle Drugs End the Crisis? GLP-1s Treat and Even Reverse Some Forms of Liver Disease GLP-1 Agonists Reduce Recurrent Atrial Fibrillation July-October 2017: CAR T-Cell Therapy Approved for Leukemia The FDA approved tisagenlecleucel-T (Kymriah, Novartis) and soon after a xicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta, Kite Pharma), the first two CAR T-cell therapies in 2017, opening the door for personalized cancer treatment and further progress beyond treating blood cancers. CARs Motor Through Leukemia, Part 2: 'Landscape Changing' CAR T Cells and Beyond: Breakthroughs and Challenges Ahead Outpatient CAR T: Safe, Effective, Accessible Next-Gen CAR T-Cell Therapy: Expanding Beyond Blood Cancers December 2020: mRNA Vaccines Approved After effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines was documented, the FDA granted emergency use of both vaccines within a week of each other. This opened the door for further mRNA usage, including potential cancer vaccines. 4 Things to Know About Moderna's mRNA Cancer Vaccine New mRNA Vaccines in Development for Cancer and Infections 'Encouraging' Early Data for mRNA Vaccine in Glioblastoma New mRNA Vaccine May Shield Against C difficile Infections 2023: FDA Approvals in Medical Artificial Intelligence (AI), Especially Diagnostics, Increase While AI was not invented in 2023, that year became a tipping point in everything AI — from diagnostics to drug development to medical scribes, inspiring the first Medscape Physicians and AI Report, done annually since. A sampling of the flood of Medscape coverage: Minding the Machine: Assessing the Case for AI Regulations in Healthcare Harnessing FDA-Approved AI Technologies in Your Medical Practice The Protein Problem: The Unsolved Mystery of AI Drug Dev This Bill Could Make It Legal for AI to Prescribe Medicine AI vs Physicians in 2050: Happy Future or No Future?
