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The Scottish Poetry Library is a public library with charitable status specialising in contemporary Scottish writing in English, Scots and Scottish Gaelic. The library, which is free to join for UK residents, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024. The SPL houses a borrowing and reference collection of books, pamphlets and audio material. Visitors are able to browse the shelves and read in the library.
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Holyrood, Edinburgh
Holyrood (; Scots: Halyruid, Scottish Gaelic: Taigh an Ròid) is an area in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, lying east of the city centre, at the foot of the Royal Mile.
The area takes its name from Holyrood Abbey, which was the Church of the Holy Rude (Scots for 'Holy Cross').
Holyrood includes the following sites:
The modern Scottish Parliament Building. For this reason "Holyrood" is often used in contemporary media as a metonym for the Scottish Government.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the monarch in Scotland.
The ruins of Holyrood Abbey
Holyrood Park, an expansive royal park to the south and east of the palace.
The Queen's Gallery, part of the Holyroodhouse complex formerly a church and now an art gallery.
Dynamic Earth, visitor attraction and science centre which is Scotland's largest interactive museum.
A number of residential, light commercial, and government properties.
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Acheson House
Acheson House is a 17th-century house in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built in 1633 for Sir Archibald Acheson, 1st Baronet, Secretary of State of Scotland for King Charles I. It did not stay in the Acheson family, and during the 19th century it declined like much of the Old Town. Slum clearance led the city council to acquire the building in 1924, but the Marquess of Bute bought it to have it restored during the 1930s. It was later used by church and arts groups, but was vacant between 1991 and 2011. In November 2011, Acheson House became the base for the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust. The ground floor of the building will become part of the Museum of Edinburgh, based in the adjacent Huntly House.
The house is on the Canongate, the lower part of the Royal Mile, and is protected as a category A listed building as an "outstanding example of a large, early 17th century Scottish townhouse."
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Museum of Edinburgh
The Museum of Edinburgh, formerly known as Huntly House Museum, located at 142-146 Canongate, is a museum in Edinburgh, Scotland, housing a collection relating to the town's origins, history and legends. Exhibits are described as a maze of history with more rooms than one can imagine. From decade to decade down the timeline, rooms include an original copy of the National Covenant signed at Greyfriars Kirk in 1638 and a reconstruction of Field Marshal Earl Haig's headquarters on the Western Front during the Great War, the latter exhibiting items bequeathed to the Museum.
Situated in the late 16th-century Huntly House on the Canongate, the museum is maintained by the City of Edinburgh Council. The museum sits three stories tall with a unique yellow exterior. The museum is within the heart of Edinburgh for all locals and tourist to find.
In 1570, the Museum of Edinburgh was constructed for notable members of Clan Gordon who resided in Huntly Castle. The Earl who resided here was known as George Gordon, 1st Marquess of Huntly. His residency is controversial, being considered erroneous by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Subsequently, the Incorporation of Hammermen, a group of metalsmiths, purchased Huntly House in 1647 as their new headquarters and had the building expanded by architect Robert Mylne during their ownership. In 1924, when the building was under threat of destruction, the city purchased it and it became the Museum of Edinburgh. Present day, the locals still refer to it as Huntly House.
The museum was featured in Season 3 of the show Outlander.
The Museum houses spectacular collections of decorative art which reveal a history of Scottish craftsmanship, from cut and engraved glass and intricately made silver from Edinburgh and Canongate, costume, longcase clocks, along with Scottish pottery and Scottish porcelain dating from the 1760s.
The Museum of Edinburgh's collections total around 220,000 items related to Edinburgh across all of its venues, and has four collections recognized by the Scottish government for National Significance. The building encapsulates the story of the city from beginning to present day. James Craig's original plans for the "New Town" reside within its walls to give every detail.
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Panmure House (Edinburgh)
Panmure House is a 17th-century townhouse located in Edinburgh's Canongate. It is the only surviving residence of renowned Scottish philosopher Adam Smith, who lived there between 1778 and 1790. Situated close to the Scottish Parliament, in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the House is an important monument of Scottish intellectual history. During his time living at Panmure House, Smith continued to study and write, producing four new editions of his magnum opus The Wealth of Nations between 1778 and 1789. He was still at work on the final edition of his 1759 master work, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, when he died at Panmure House in 1790. The House is now a centre for economic and social research and debate in Smith’s name, managed by Heriot-Watt University.