LONG gone are the days when being dragged around dreary displays of dusty objects felt like a soul-sapping experience. Scotland has no shortage of innovative and quirky visitor attractions to fire the imagination when it comes to our history and heritage.
From dinosaurs and lighthouses to race cars, ships and trains, here’s our pick of the best small and unusual museums to enjoy this autumn.
Staffin Dinosaur Museum, Ellishadder, Skye
Opened by Dugald Ross in 1976 when he was still a teenager, this tiny museum on the Trotternish peninsula showcases an impressive fossil and dinosaur-themed collection.
Fossils from the Middle Jurassic period, roughly 174 million to 163 million years ago, are rare and this corner of Skye is renowned in palaeontology circles as one of the few places in the world where they can be found.
Ross has identified multiple species in the area including stegosaurus, cetiosaurus and hadrosaurus. The world’s smallest recorded dinosaur footprint was discovered here in 2005. There is a replica in the museum (the original is in The Hunterian at the University of Glasgow).
Only a short drive away, the seaweed-covered rocks of An Corran beach at Staffin bear the three-toed impressions left by what is thought to be a family of megalosaurus 165 million years ago.
Open daily until the end of October. Entry: £4 (adult), £2 (child). Visit staffindinosaurmuseum.com
The Library of Mistakes, Edinburgh
Perfectionism is the thief of joy – or so the saying goes – so why not revel in some gargantuan errors? This free public library is focused on the world’s business and financial history with a collection of books and materials related to humankind’s failure to learn from the lessons of the past.
The Library of Mistakes, inspired by the 2008 Great Recession, contains more than 2,000 volumes, charting monumental tales of mismanagement across topics such as investment, banking, stock markets, economic theory and analysis, fraud, risk and decision making.
Visits are by appointment only (it is easy and straightforward to register on the website). According to the blurb, “financial scholars, researchers, the retired, students and enthusiasts” of all ages are welcome to pay a visit to this intriguing space. There is a regular programme of lectures.
Open Monday to Friday. Entry: free. Visit libraryofmistakes.com
Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, Fraserburgh
When it comes to memorable architecture, a full-size lighthouse sitting in the middle of a 16th-century castle certainly takes some beating. Built for the Fraser family in the 1500s, Kinnaird Head was altered in 1787 to contain the first lighthouse on mainland Scotland.
The accompanying museum is rather special too, home to the largest lighthouse lens collection in the UK, along with fascinating information about the engineers and keepers whose stories are intertwined with the rich history of these towering structures.
The Stevenson family constructed 93 lighthouses in 150 years, including this one in Fraserburgh and the famed Bell Rock, off the coast of Angus, which is the world’s oldest surviving sea-washed lighthouse.
Open daily until the end of October, then closed Monday and Tuesday through November onwards. Entry: £9 (adult), £4 (child). Visit lighthousemuseum.org.uk
Hamilton Toy Museum & Collectors Shop, Callander
Enjoy a daunder down memory lane with one of the largest privately owned toy collections in the UK – amassed by the Hamilton family over 175 years – where it is nigh-on impossible to peruse items without parroting: “I had one of those …”
The museum has a series of themed displays, including a room that houses TV and film sci-fi memorabilia such as Thunderbirds, Stingray, Doctor Who and Star Wars, as well as comic book superheroes Superman, Batman and Judge Dredd.
There is also an Edwardian nursery and an area that contains around 5,000 model soldiers and civilian figures. Toy car enthusiasts, meanwhile, will love the Corgi, Dinky and Matchbox classics.
Open daily until the end of October. Entry: £3 (adult), £1 (child). Visit thehamiltontoycollection.co.uk
Fossil Grove, Victoria Park, Glasgow
This cluster of 11 fossilised tree stumps is a remarkable spectacle to behold. Dating from the Carboniferous Period, they are believed to be about 330 million years old and are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Scottish National Heritage.
They were discovered in 1887 as a path was cut through a disused quarry to create a new park. A building was erected over the site to preserve the remains in the same spot where the trees once grew.
Belonging to the genus Lepidodendron, the stumps are thought to be remnants of an extensive ancient forest. Nearby stands an oak sculpture of a lycopod tree with a giant centipede, erected in 2014.
There are regular open days at Fossil Grove allowing the public to visit. The next one is from 2pm to 4pm on October 16, featuring guided tours and children’s activities. Entry is free and no booking required. Visit fossilgroveglasgow.org
The Devil's Porridge Museum, Eastriggs, Dumfries and Galloway
Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle coined the phrase “the Devil’s Porridge” after visiting HM Factory Gretna as a war correspondent in 1916. The term refers to the dangerous preparation of RDB cordite – an explosive – used in shells.
The museum tells the story of the 30,000 workers – 12,000 of them women – and their heroic efforts during the First World War. Conan Doyle wrote: “Those smiling khaki-clad girls who are swirling the stuff round in their hands would be blown to atoms in an instant if certain small changes occurred.”
Nurtured by the local community over the past two decades, the museum has evolved from a small church exhibition into the state-of-the-art space it is today packed with artefacts, photographs, film and audio, information panels and oral histories.
Open daily. Entry: £7 (adult), £6 (concessions). Visit devilsporridge.org.uk
HMS Unicorn, Dundee
This floating landmark moored on the Dundee waterfront is well worth a visit to learn more about one of the six oldest ships in the world and Scotland’s only representative of the sailing navy.
Originally built as a 46-gun frigate, HMS Unicorn arrived in the city in 1873 as a training ship for the Royal Naval Reserves – a role that continued until the 1960s.
The museum’s collection – containing uniforms, photographs, letters and other related documents – charts the story of the vessel. There are also regular exhibitions themed around maritime, naval and social history.
Open Tuesday to Sunday. Entry: £7.25 (adult) and £3.60 (child). Visit frigateunicorn.org
Giant MacAskill Museum, Dunvegan, Skye
Angus MacAskill must have been a formidable sight to behold as he stood in his stocking soles, measuring 7ft 9in tall. Considered to be the world’s tallest ever “true” giant, he was born in Berneray in 1825, before emigrating to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, as a youngster.
His forebears hailed from Skye and this enchanting museum was founded in his honour in 1989 by Dunvegan local and descendant of the bold Angus, Peter MacAskill (who also happens to be the father of street trials rider Danny MacAskill).
Visitors can see how they measure up to Angus and sit on a replica of his lofty chair. Panels on the walls detail some of his colossal feats of strength.
Open daily until the end of October. Entry: £2 (adults), £1.50 (concessions), entry free for under-14s. Visit dunveganmuseums.co.uk
Jim Clark Motorsport Museum, Duns, Scottish Borders
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Scottish sporting legend Jim Clark – considered one of the world’s all-time greatest racing drivers – there is a treasure trove of trophies, photography and rare archive film to explore.
Clark, who grew up on a Berwickshire farm, won the Formula One championship in 1963, becoming the then youngest ever world champion. He claimed the title again in 1965 and that same year took victory in the Indianapolis 500. Clark tragically died at Hockenheim in Germany, aged only 32.
Pride of place in the museum are Clark’s 1967 Lotus Elan S3 Coupe (NLD 550E) and one of the most revered F1 race cars: the Lotus Type 25 chassis R6.
Open every day (except Wednesdays) until the end of November. Entry: £6 (adult), £3 (child). Visit jimclarktrust.com
Glenfinnan Station Museum, Lochaber
The mighty Glenfinnan Viaduct is a huge draw for Harry Potter fans but long before JK Rowling ever conjured the boy wizard in her books, this section of the West Highland Line has held a spellbinding allure.
A small-yet-perfectly formed museum contains a plethora of railway-themed memorabilia that tells the history of this picturesque stretch of track that winds its way from Glasgow to Mallaig.
The site also boasts a beautifully restored signal box and a dining car where visitors can tuck into home baking or enjoy a light lunch. If you fancy stretching your legs, check out the Viaduct Trail which offers spectacular views of Loch Shiel and the surrounding mountains.
Open daily until the end of October. Cost: £1 (adults), free (children). Visit glenfinnanstationmuseum.co.uk
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