People's Story Museum, Edinburgh
Learning about Scotland鈥檚 royalty and nobles is all very interesting, but sometimes you may wonder鈥攚hat life was like for the ordinary folk, while kings and queens were busy strutting about in their finery? The answer can be found at the People鈥檚 Story Museum, and it鈥檚 far more down-to-earth, sometimes quite literally...
Housed in Canongate Tolbooth, a formidable 16th-century building that once doubled as a customs house and a jail, its walls have witnessed a thing or two. Nowadays, instead of keeping smugglers and prisoners in, it keeps the stories of everyday Edinburgh, as seen through the eyes of those who lived and worked here from the 1700s right up to modern times.
Once inside, you鈥檒l be whisked through a series of beautifully recreated spaces such as a bookbinder鈥檚 shop where ink stains were badges of honour, a pub where gossip flowed as freely as the beer, a prison cell where nobody wanted to linger, a dainty tea-room, and even a wartime kitchen, where 鈥渕aking do鈥� was a daily survival skill. Copies of the original objects, complete with photographs, drawings, and artefacts, tie it all together, giving you an unpolished but very real glimpse into how ordinary people lived their lives.
There鈥檚 a section on Edinburgh Life that shows communities pulling together鈥攁nd sometimes pulling no punches in rallies and protests against injustice. Another area, Working in Edinburgh, tips its hat to the trades that kept the city ticking in the 18th and 19th centuries鈥攂ooks, beer, and cakes, the essentials of civilization. The Leith Collection focuses on shipyard labour, while the Newhaven Collection dips into the salty world of the fishing community. And 鈥淎t Home in Edinburgh鈥� takes you right into the living rooms stocked with furniture, crockery, toys, and domestic appliances, including even record players鈥攏ostalgia included...
Best of all, the museum is wonderfully kid-friendly, partly because it lets them discover a time before smartphones and MP4 players were a thing. Yes, there really was life without TikTok... To round it all off, the museum shop offers books and gift items related to objects on display, thus allowing visitors to take home a little slice of Edinburgh鈥檚 working-class past, without the prison sentence...
Housed in Canongate Tolbooth, a formidable 16th-century building that once doubled as a customs house and a jail, its walls have witnessed a thing or two. Nowadays, instead of keeping smugglers and prisoners in, it keeps the stories of everyday Edinburgh, as seen through the eyes of those who lived and worked here from the 1700s right up to modern times.
Once inside, you鈥檒l be whisked through a series of beautifully recreated spaces such as a bookbinder鈥檚 shop where ink stains were badges of honour, a pub where gossip flowed as freely as the beer, a prison cell where nobody wanted to linger, a dainty tea-room, and even a wartime kitchen, where 鈥渕aking do鈥� was a daily survival skill. Copies of the original objects, complete with photographs, drawings, and artefacts, tie it all together, giving you an unpolished but very real glimpse into how ordinary people lived their lives.
There鈥檚 a section on Edinburgh Life that shows communities pulling together鈥攁nd sometimes pulling no punches in rallies and protests against injustice. Another area, Working in Edinburgh, tips its hat to the trades that kept the city ticking in the 18th and 19th centuries鈥攂ooks, beer, and cakes, the essentials of civilization. The Leith Collection focuses on shipyard labour, while the Newhaven Collection dips into the salty world of the fishing community. And 鈥淎t Home in Edinburgh鈥� takes you right into the living rooms stocked with furniture, crockery, toys, and domestic appliances, including even record players鈥攏ostalgia included...
Best of all, the museum is wonderfully kid-friendly, partly because it lets them discover a time before smartphones and MP4 players were a thing. Yes, there really was life without TikTok... To round it all off, the museum shop offers books and gift items related to objects on display, thus allowing visitors to take home a little slice of Edinburgh鈥檚 working-class past, without the prison sentence...
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Edinburgh. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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People's Story Museum on Map
Sight Name: People's Story Museum
Sight Location: Edinburgh, Scotland (See walking tours in Edinburgh)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Edinburgh, Scotland (See walking tours in Edinburgh)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Edinburgh, Scotland
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Creating your own self-guided walk in Edinburgh is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Edinburgh Pub Crawl
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles
Our journey begins at the World's End Pub, a... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles
New Town Walking Tour
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One of the prominent landmarks in the New Town is... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
One of the prominent landmarks in the New Town is... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Edinburgh Introduction Walking Tour
If you like cities with a split personality, Edinburgh is definitely one such, featuring a striking mix of medieval and Georgian architecture. Indeed, here medieval grit meets Enlightenment wit, and every cobbled incline has a story to tell鈥攚hether your legs are ready for it or not. Perched (or more like wedged) across volcanic hills, the city has been Scotland鈥檚 capital since the 15th century... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Old Town Walking Tour
The historical center of Edinburgh, popularly known as the Old Town, is indeed the oldest part of the Scottish capital. Most of the buildings here, made of stone and characterized by numerous tall windows, have been around since the Middle Ages and are covered with soot, left over from the days long gone, when houses were heated with hard-coal and wood. Hence the prevailing gray color in the area.... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Famous Squares and Streets Walking Tour
Being in Edinburgh, it is only natural to be curious about the avenues, boulevards, and streets leading to (or stemming from) the city's picturesque squares. There, you can find a copious amount of historic and religious sites, fashion stores, classy restaurants, and marketplaces, not to mention some hidden gems, exploring which is well worth the time spent.
One of Edinburgh's most... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
One of Edinburgh's most... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
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