Visitor attractions in Edinburgh, including the museums and galleries, have dusted off their collections and are opening their doors to welcome visitors back.
Like many visitor attractions across the country, museums and galleries have been waiting patiently for restrictions to be eased so they can safely reopen and allow visitors to explore their spaces once again.
The fact that they are now reopening is great news for the thousands of visitors who have missed spending time in Scotland’s world class cultural attractions. The dedicated staff members and volunteers responsible for taking care of the collections and bringing their stories alive cannot wait to get back to welcoming visitors once more.
Scottish National Gallery reopened today Monday 17 August 2020 and the National Museum of Scotland will reopen on Wednesday 19 August 2020.
To help intrepid explorers of all ages discover new and exciting places to visit, Museums Galleries Scotland has launched an interactive map as part of its #MuseumsAreGo campaign showing which venues are open.
Lucy Casot, CEO, Museums Galleries Scotland added: “As we emerge from lockdown many of us will be planning a return visit to our favourite museum or gallery. With so many of our museums and galleries across Scotland now able to open, there’s so much to choose from, many with wonderful outdoor spaces to enjoy with the whole family.
“It’s not just a fun day out, museums and galleries have a positive impact on our social wellbeing as well as the local economy so we are urging everyone to make a point of visiting their favourite museum or gallery. Additionally, with many of us staycationing this year, it is a wonderful opportunity to discover more of Scotland’s inspiring museums and galleries.”
Chris Henry, Director of Heritage, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, said: “Surgeons’ Hall Museums was originally developed as a teaching museum for medical students, and we feel our present role is to help visitors understand the human body and the benefits surgery has given us by improving our quality of life. It’s fantastic to be able to welcome visitors to the Surgeons’ Halls Museums once again.
“We’ve implemented a whole host of new measures to keep our guests and staff as safe as possible, such as one-way systems, hand sanitising stations and a new online reservation hub. We are planning our new robotic surgery galleries for next year and hope that 2021 will be a great year to come to the museums and see our varied collections.”
The new interactive map shows which venues are open and can be accessed online here. This is updated on a daily basis as museums reopen. Before you go, check the museums websites for opening times and safety measures.
Museums Galleries Scotland is the National Development Body for museums and galleries in Scotland and offers strategic development support to the sector.
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