The Edinburgh Writers Museum celebrates Scotland’s great literary figures, including Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, and Robert Louis Stevenson. These giants of the written word were highly influential, and you learn about their lives through photographs, galleries, and even personal belongings!
The Writers Museum is a fascinating museum to visit for lovers of Scottish history and literary works, and we’ll be covering the important details to know, attractions to see, and much more!
Important Details to Know
Before you begin exploring the three giants of Scottish literature and their works, remember the following details before you arrive.
There are baby changing facilities on-site in addition to public toilet facilities for visitors coming with a young child or baby. No pets are allowed on site.
How to Get There
The Edinburgh Writers Museum is just off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh and can be easily reached by various means of transportation.
Bus
If you plan to travel by bus, catch the Lothian Bus No. 67, which takes you to George IV Bridge — just past the Waverly Train Station on Waverly Bridge. If you get off at the stop near where the George IV bridge meets the Royal Mile, the Writers Museum is only a few minute’s walk away.
Keep an eye open for Lady Stair’s House on the right-hand side of the Royal Mile. The museum is down the close.
Train
Taking a train is another viable option to reach the Edinburgh Writers Museum. There are several trains that end or pass through Waverly Station on Waverly Bridge. From the station, exit and, take a left and move up Cockburn Street.
At the street’s top, turn right onto Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and walk about 100 metres past Deacon Brodie’s pub. You should see Lady Stairs Close, and the Writers Museum sits down the close.
Foot
Edinburgh is a fantastic city to explore on foot, especially if you plan to see multiple museums alongside the Edinburgh Writers Museum. You can find the museum at the Lady Stair’s Close Lawnmarket, which sits just off the Royal Mile.
Follow the Close down, and you’ll reach the Makars Court and Writers Museum.
Opening Times
The Edinburgh Writers Museum is open throughout the year, every day of the week, unless it’s a major public holiday. Opening times are from 10:00 – 17:00, with last entry at 16:30.
Ticket Prices
The Writers Museum is a free museum, with no entry fee to peruse the exhibitions. Donations to Edinburgh Writers Museum are greatly appreciated to maintain and bolster the museum’s programme.
Attractions to See
Stepping into the Edinburgh Writers Museum immediately offers that charming musty book scent that is irresistible to many. Several temporary exhibitions throughout the Writers Museum highlight Scottish literature through the ages, with a primary focus on Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson.
Each time you visit the Edinburgh Writers Museum, there’ll likely be some new and exciting to see — making the experience fresh and new every time. We’ll try our best to cover the Writers Museum attractions you can see whenever you visit!
Learn About Notable Scottish Figures
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the Edinburgh Writers Museum are the three writers whose stories inspired a global audience during their time. Here are the famous Scottish writers you can look forward to learning about through portraits, personal items, and so much more:
Robert Burns (1759 – 1796)
Robert Burns is a fascinating historical figure. Robert Burns started off as a ploughman and then gained recognition as the legendary poet of Edinburgh society. The Edinburgh Writers Museum has an excellent selection of items that allow you to revel in the life and work of Robert Burns.
You can see Burn’s draft of “Scots wha hae” (An address by Robert the Bruce to his army at Bannockburn). Robert Burns’ writing desk and the chair used by Burns when he was correctly proofing at William Smellie’s printing press.
You can also find particular Robert Burns works and manuscripts throughout the museum, offering a glimpse behind the inner mind of this legendary figure.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1800 – 1894)
The Robert Louis Stevenson collection offers a look into the adventurous life of Robert Louis Stevenson, who authored many famous works like Treasure Island, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and A Child’s Garden of Verses.
Come and see the treasures from Robert Louis Stevenson’s very own travels, including his eclectic wardrobe that likely inspired his characters Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and a strange mixture of unique artefacts and personal objects that inspired Treasure Island.
Robert Louis Stevenson is considered one of Scotland’s most beloved writers, so take some time to visit his attraction at the Edinburgh Writers Museum.
Sir Walter Scott (1771 – 1832)
Sir Walter Scott is a renowned historian, novelist, poet, and playwright with many fantastic pieces of literature, including The Lady of the Lake, Ivanhoe, and Kenilworth. The Edinburgh Writers Museum allows you to see pivotal points in the life of this famous literary figure, like the printing press where Scott’s Waverley Novels were first produced.
You’ll also be able to see Sir Walter Scott’s rocking horse, which he used in his childhood.
Stop by the Edinburgh Writers Museum Gift Shop
The Writers Museum has its own gift shop, a quaint shop with memorabilia dedicated to these three giants. Shop for books to read along your journey through Scotland from the minds of Scotland’s finest poets, or pick up some small items to gift to friends and family who couldn’t make the trip.
The gift shop also sells several traditional Scottish items, like tartan scarves and trinkets of Edinburgh.
More Scottish Museums to Visit
- Black Watch Museum
- Camera Obscura & World of Illusions
- Glasgow Science Centre
- Highland Folk Museum
- Museum of Childhood
- Museum of Edinburgh
- Museum of the Isles
- Museum on the Mound
- National Mining Museum
- National Museum of Flight
- National War Museum
- People’s Palace
- Riverside Museum
- Royal Yacht Britannia
- Scottish Crannog Centre
- Scottish Maritime Museum
- Shetland Museum & Archives
- St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art
- Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life
- Surgeons’ Hall Museum
- V&A Dundee
