Top Edinburgh Museum To Get £2.7 Million Makeover

One of the most prestigious British museums has been successful in obtaining funding for a revamp, the first such works to take place since 1908. The Heritage Lottery Fund has made a grant of £2.7 million to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Museum that is home to the most historic collection of surgical pathology artefacts in the country.

The money will be used to redevelop the Surgeons’ Hall Museum. Exhibits include a pocket book made from the skin of the infamous murderer William Burke. Having opened to the public in 1832, it is Scotland's oldest medical museum.

An institution steeped in history

Another fascinating exhibit to be found in its archives is a letter from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle crediting Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Fellow, Dr Joseph Bell, as the main inspiration for the character of Sherlock Holmes. The Lister project, which is named after Joseph Lister, the man who was responsible for making improvements to safety in surgery by way of the use of antiseptic is also one of the top exhibits.

Having waited 105 years for a further upgrading, rumours are that the major works will focus on the creation of new displays and galleries, doubling the number of items which can be put on display and showcasing innovative audiovisual and interactive elements.

A new glass atrium will transform the Playfair-designed building which will be conserved. An education suite will include a seventeenth century dissecting theatre.

The president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Ian Ritchie, was happy to talk about everything that was going on. "We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has chosen to support this exciting and important project,” he said.

"The promotion of patient safety and care has been at the heart of our college and its activities for over 500 years, inspiring advances in our profession and across healthcare. Our museum and Library lie at the core of this heritage, through them we are able to highlight the achievements of the past, educate surgeons and the public about the development of our profession and inspire generations of future surgeons."

Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: "The Lister project will take the Surgeons' Hall Museum to a world-class level commensurate with its outstanding collections. Scotland's pioneering history of surgery will soon be a source of education and inspiration for visitors from home and abroad while making an important contribution to our tourist economy."

                                                                   About the museum