The best museums United Kingdom

While on the island, be sure to visit the Unst Heritage Centre. This museographic space recounts all the local history and exhibits valuable old boats at Unst Boat Haven. Here you will learn that for centuries Unst has been one of the richest fishing spots in the world. You will learn how fish was caught, dried and shipped overseas. You'll see the different ships and their special features.

Also designed by Mackintosh between 1903 and 1906, this school was open to students until 1979. It now houses a museum on school life and education in Scotland in the last century. In addition to the building, which is worth a visit on its own, like every building by the famous architect, it is immersed in the daily lives of schoolchildren: the children of families working in shipbuilding, during the reign of Queen Victoria and up until the 1960s.

This museum covers five centuries of communication history and presents a collection of over 60,000 objects. Ideal to get an idea of the rich British postal heritage. In addition to the exhibition, a miniature train will take you on a 15-minute journey through abandoned underground tunnels: a fun, educational and interactive experience that will interest young and old alike. For those who want to know more, guided tours of the city and its postal history are also available.

This museum is best suited for young children. The exhibition is rather kitschy and that's what makes it so charming: a cheerful mess, a pleasant jumble of information, a world to explore, panels and texts everywhere, objects galore. While the adults will decode the Nessie mystery through real information and documents, children will have something to play with and awaken their imagination. Selfie with Nessie is irresistible: you've been warned! Count about an hour and a half visit. A play area is available outside.

The subject is a very specialized one, and you'll have to have a certain appetite for history and the nuclear industry to go and discover this museum. If you tick these two boxes, go and visit it without hesitation. It brings together the archives of the British civil nuclear industry for more than 70 years. He has set up a new exhibition for 2020 on the pioneers of transatlantic flight, recounting all the adventures of this extraordinary technical and human adventure.

Castle House invites you to dive into the history of the Cowal Peninsula while visiting a magnificent site. From the garden and rooms of the castle, you will enjoy breathtaking views of the Clyde. Exhibits trace local history from the arrival of the first settlers in the Neolithic period, through Highland clan battles, the Victorian era, the Clyde steamers and the World Wars, all with the help of historical re-enactments and archival material. The castle itself dates from the 12th century.

Entirely created and maintained by volunteers, this small, old-fashioned museum houses countless objects and photographs from the last century, including even a piece of the transatlantic cable. They all tell the story of Oban, in times of peace and war. You will learn more about the life of the fishermen, the maritime industries, the arrival of trains, local sports, industrialization, the role of Oban during the war years when the city welcomed Australian, Canadian and American crews, operations in the bay...

The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum is dedicated to the history of cinema and pre-cinema. The museum was founded in 1994 by the filmmaker Bill Douglas and his friend Peter Jewell, and it is located on the campus of the University of Exeter. The museum contains a vast collection of items related to the history of cinema, including posters, photographs, books, magazines, props, costumes, and equipment. The collection spans the entire history of cinema, from its earliest days to contemporary.

The Linlithgow Canal Centre is located a short walk from the city centre, where the Union Canal, which has linked Edinburgh to Glasgow since 1822, flows. This small museum, the only one on the canals in Scotland, retraces their history and also offers several boat trips, from 20 minutes to 4 hours (times online). The more experienced can also take advantage of rentals to sail according to their desires. There is also a tea room on site. The boat ride, but also the surroundings, is charming and very suitable for a family outing.

Historically, wool has been Wales' most important industry. This fascinating museum celebrates this textile material, once exported all over the world. You can even try your hand at it! The National Wool Museum is also a workshop where machines and craftsmen work on a daily basis. Admission is free, which may be an alternative on rainy days, for example. Many activities are organized for children (and not only). The agenda is available on their website.

Claimed to be the world's largest round balloon-related tourist attraction, it boasts some 2,500 items, including the oldest national competition trophy in history: the Scottish Cup. In all, 14 rooms are in a row. You walk through the "hall of fame", with its 89 portraits of Scotland's most popular players, including Sir Alex Ferguson and Kenny Dalglish. The site could not be better chosen: Hampden Stadium is the stadium of the Scottish team,

Some would have been offended if St Andrews had not had a museum dedicated to its star sport. It reopened in 2015, at the 144th Open, after some work. More than 500 years of history are told and there is the largest collection of objects related to the discipline in Europe. Clubs, balls, trophies, medals, decorative arts, films, photographs and archives follow one another to reveal all the secrets of golf, to the layman and the unconditional. There is also a brand new café on site.

This tour is particularly informative as it tells the maritime and natural history of the Orkney Islands, with a particular interest in the whaling industry, the Hudson Bay Company, and the German fleet sunk at Scapa Flow in 1919. In the summer, temporary exhibits are also programmed. The discovery of this museum allows a better understanding of the history and heritage of this part of Orkney. If you are passionate about archaeology, you should know that this museum gathers a large number of objects of international importance.

All the secrets of the fascinating island of Arran are told here for the curious who wish to learn more about the island culture, through archaeology, but also social history. A Bronze Age tomb, a replica Viking ship, reproductions of period interiors, costumes, photographs and videos bring the local heritage back to life, whether it is from 3,000 years ago or the last century. There's a coffee shop on the premises. Events are organized there every year: motorcycle and tractor show, handicraft day, children's day...

Reopened after renovation in July 2019, the Gairloch Heritage Museum will explore the historical, cultural and social past of the region. Its exhibition looks at the customs, traditions and daily life of the local people, as well as the events that have marked their lives, from the Bronze Age to the present day, including the Jacobites and the work of the crofters. If you're looking for original souvenirs, books on the region or local authors, stop by the shop: it's a real nugget!

An interactive museum has been set up in this old croft house, which presents the history of the port. The inhabitants who lived at one end of the house, built like the Viking longhouses, could observe the animals at the other end. Raise your head to look at the wooden structures on the roof. It was the first feat that men had to perform if they wanted to get married. Take advantage of being in Lybster to visit this picturesque and friendly village.

The Wick Heritage Museum brings the history of the town back to life and tells the story of its past, particularly in relation to fishing. The daily life of the men of the sea is detailed in detail, from the glory days of their profession to its decline. Numerous period objects are on display and reconstructions of a traditional house, a cannery and cooper and blacksmith workshops are also visited. There is even a small art gallery and a photo exhibition relating 150 years of social events. Also take a walk in the green haven of the garden.

The Mallaig Heritage Centre is a local museum about the history of West Lochaber, through stories, films, photos and exhibitions. From the Picts to contemporary history, to the Jacobites and the Clearances, you can learn more about the area's tumultuous past and its people. Among the exhibits, you'll learn about the arrival of the railroad in Mallaig and why its route is considered one of the most scenic in Scotland. Before it was installed, it took 7.5 hours by coach to get to Fort William!

In eight rooms and three floors, this local museum recounts the regional history of the western Highlands through its people and its significant events. The jacobite movement is particularly placed in honour, and one example is Bonnie Prince Charlie. There are many time items, reconstructions, exhibitions and photos: everything goes from Prehistory to the Victorian era. This is an interesting approach to the region and a visit adapted in bad weather or between two sports days.

The visit to the museum is fairly long. It begins with a film recounting Lloyd George's life. Then panels tell the story of his political work, his family life... Display cases show objects that belonged to him, such as the enormous pencil he used to write his memoirs! Next, a museum guide takes you into the cottage where he was raised by his mother and uncle. On the first floor, his uncle's shoemaking workshop and the dining room where Lloyd George did his homework. Upstairs, the bedroom.

Small museum that traces the history of boat building in the region. There are models of sailing ships and navigational tools. Pictures of the old port are also on display, at a time when shipbuilding was in full swing. A video also retraces the history of the place. If Porthmadog was the port from which the slate left, the sailboats also fetched salt from Spain to bring it to North America. If the museum is quiet, the cashier can give you a guided tour if you ask him nicely!

The Sailor's Institute is a nice little free museum. The reading room has hardly been touched since the opening of the premises, which retain their Victorian atmosphere. A collection of paintings and model ships is on display. The museum is housed in one of the oldest houses in the village, built in 1460, and also exhibits pieces from the wreck of a galleon found by divers in the summer of 1978, including a beautiful engraved bronze bell and precious marbles from Italy!

An amazing museum for a confidential community, the Quaker community. Many villagers converted to this religion after its founder, George Fox, visited the village in 1657. In total opposition to the Anglicans and their attachment to dogma, the Quaker movement, which was very independent, insisted on the mystical notion of "inner light", which made the followers suspect in the eyes of the local religious authorities. So they were forced to emigrate to Pennsylvania. A film and photographs trace the life of this community.

The city's School of Fine Arts is located in a superb Edwardian period classified building overlooking Cardigan Bay. It houses a museum open to the public with an impressive collection: there is an important collection of engravings, from the 15th century to the present day, drawings, watercolours and paintings by European artists. The museum also acquired two collections of photographs. The programming is always excellent. We recommend it to you!

The former chapel houses a museum of modern art whose purpose is to showcase the work of current Welsh painters through a series of temporary exhibitions. Every August, the Tabernacl Art Competition takes place, during which a prize is awarded to the best artists. Their paintings are then exhibited and sold. The building also houses concert halls, where the village's annual music festival takes place (usually in mid-August). Many events organized around art in general: books, music...

This entertaining and popular museum exhibits objects relating to everyday life in the 1900s. A section devoted to arts and crafts features watchmaking and silversmithing tools, among others.

Upstairs are landscape paintings and genre scenes depicting the lives of farmers and fishermen in the Aberystwyth and Cardigan Bay areas. The Bowen Gallery is devoted to the archaeology and geological formations of Cardigan Bay. Also on display are artefacts from excavations in the area, dating back to the Neolithic period.

Robert Owen is a particularly interesting political figure. He was not only a theorist, but also had the opportunity to put his ideas into practice in the factory he managed himself! This boss, anxious to ensure a better living environment for his workers by offering them evening classes and daycare for their children during the work, is really an historical exception! One can read the newspaper articles of the time, expressing the establishment's disdain for its work. A film recounts the life of this boss like no other.

The museum is housed in a large 19th century house. This weaving workshop was subdivided into six different dwellings where the employees' families were housed. This building is visited to discover the history of the wool industry, a major activity in Newtown in the 19th century. In some rooms, scenes with mannequins in costume and period utensils recompose the domestic interiors of the houses. In other rooms, garment workshops are completely reconstructed, with their large wooden weaving machines

The oldest pieces date back to 1792, it is an amazing journey that this museum offers us. What we also discover is the portrait of a pioneer of distribution: Henry Walter Smith, creator of the WHSmith bookstore, took up the challenge of delivering newspapers on time! There are miniatures of delivery cars and horse-drawn carts with the company's slogan "First with the news". There is also an original kiosk on wheels from the 1950s, which was used in railway stations to sell magazines.

Don't miss Aberconwy House, the town's oldest merchant house dating back to the early ^14th century. Inside, rooms have been reconstructed to depict daily life in different periods of history. The little medieval house has seen it all in seven centuries: it has been a bakery, an antique store, a captain's house and even a hotel. It has also survived numerous disasters and a few fires. The tour is very instructive and well done for children, who won't get bored.

The former prison of Ruthin has been transformed into this excellent museum which relates the living conditions of the prisoners who stayed there until its closure at the beginning of the 19th century. The construction of individual cells in 1866, as well as the obligation to work, were supposed to lead to the improvement of detention conditions. The audio commentary and panels explain the link between poverty and incarceration during the Victorian era. Very good and informative visit, very well adapted for everyone!

The Egypt Center boasts a fascinating collection of jewelry, statues and pottery from the age of the Pharaohs. The collection is complemented by a team of friendly volunteers who will let you touch some of the museum's pieces or show you how to make a mummy... Exciting! On Saturdays, the museum is run by young volunteers aged between 10 and 18. They're the ones who run the whole museum, from the cash desk to the gift store, and give you explanations about the display cases... Amazing!

The building was built as an extension of a former warehouse. Interactive audiovisual devices attractively present archives on the city's maritime past. Its large industrial port attracted a number of talents from fields as varied as crafts, engineering, medicine and the arts. We discover optical and navigational instruments, as well as old cameras and medical tools.

The oldest museum in Wales. A fascinating walk through the ages in six galleries, from geological to historical. Among the highlights are a fine collection of ^18th- and ^19th-century ceramics, objects from the Welsh countryside, paintings of the town and surrounding area, fish skeletons and an Egyptian mummy! There are also workshops (usually free of charge), film screenings, guided tours and temporary exhibitions. Check their website for all the latest news.

The museum opened its doors in 1878. It includes the social and maritime history of Pembrokeshire as well as information on the geology and archaeology of the region. Another gallery is dedicated to the works of Augustus Jones and his sister Gwen, painters of the early 20th century. Gwen pursued her painting career in Paris where she was also Rodin's model. She painted still lifes, self-portraits, in a style influenced by Parisian avant-garde movements.

This museum provides information on the activities of a former coal mine that closed in 1970. It is plunged into near darkness that we discover photographs and documents of the period, tools and objects related to the daily life of the mine staged in an original way. A tunnel has been built, in which one gets an idea of the working environment of the miners. From the visitor centre, circular walks through the forest start.

Celtic and old stone lovers cannot miss this museum, which is exclusively dedicated to them. It is located in a wing of the Cistercian abbey of Margam, built in 1147. There are engraved stones from the 6th century, pre-Christian sculptures and ornate crosses from the 10th and 11th centuries. There are also pieces from the medieval period, including the carved effigy of a knight. Attention, for visits from October to March, it is only on reservation on Wednesdays and Fridays.

The history of the inhabitants of the Torfaen Valley, in rural life completely around by the opening of mines, is told through an audiovisual device. Objects are exhibited: pieces produced by local industries and artisans, th and th-century ceramics, furniture. There are also a variety of rooms related to domestic life, education, recreation and transportation in the Victorian era. It is a real, friendly and very diverse people's museum.

This museum is dedicated to the history of the town. A series of watercolors depicts Chepstow's major architectural and technical developments. It also tells the story of transport, the construction of the bridge and the railroad. The history of the house, which was used as a hospital during the war, is also told, followed by that of the inhabitants, through an exhibition of everyday objects and accessories relating to work, leisure and fashion. Upstairs, paintings, engravings and drawings of the town from the ^18th and ^19th centuries.

This volunteer-managed museum is located next to the ruins of the castle built in the 11th century. It tells the story of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers, from the first militia established in 1539 to the creation of the regiment within the British regular army (of which it is now the main reserve regiment). This regiment acquired its first Royal and 1804 title and the second in 1877. Photos, illustrations, medals, weapons and military uniforms relating to various historical battles form the main part of the exhibition. Archaeological finds illustrate the early defences of Monmouth and a small section deals with Henry V, the winner of Azincourt (Agincourt in English), born in Monmouth Castle in 1387.

The museum houses an important collection of antiquities. One section is devoted to archaeology, tracing the passage of various peoples through these parts over the past 2,500 years. Artefacts from the Romans, Vikings and Normans can be found here.

The Natural History Museum has a highly developed geological section and a section devoted to zoology, with a fine taxonomic selection of seabirds.

Another gallery is devoted to the history of the town and its inhabitants during the industrial period. On display are domestic accessories from 200 years ago and documentation on the town's economic and social life. Of particular interest is the section devoted to the construction of the Transporter Bridge, with the engineer's original plans and impressive photographs of the building site, tracing the stages of its construction. The Transporter Bridge is a 197-meter-long, 74-meter-high metal bridge for pedestrians and vehicles. Opened on September 12, 1906, it was designed by French engineer Ferdinand Arnodin. It has been closed several times over long periods for renovation.

The museum takes great care to be as didactic as possible. A must-see if you're in Newport.

And don't forget to visit the Art Gallery, devoted to the visual arts: it boasts a fine collection of decorative ceramics, with some very colorful works!

This Norman fortress overlooking the city was one of the most important of the Abergavenny seigneury and was also used as a residence by the passing kings. In the 12th century, the castle had terrible stories of murder and treason. The castle, as we see it today, was essentially built between the 13th and 14th centuries, when it became the property of the Hastings. A museum is located inside the castle, where you can see a beautiful collection of objects.

It is the museum of the city's inhabitants, the one that pays tribute to them. Various objects related to life in the industrial site are displayed in display cases and photographs. The museum is named after the writer Alexander Cordell, whose book Le Viol de la Belle Contrée describes the troubled history of the village in the early days of the industrial revolution. He recounts the life of a family of miners fighting against poverty and social injustice

We cannot ignore Big Pit if we want to understand the country's past, the solidarity that came out of the mines and Britain's place in the industrial revolution. We start by going down into the mine itself where we stay for almost an hour. It's better not to be too claustrophobic to walk through these long tunnels! Then, to finish, we visit the huge block of collective showers and a permanent exhibition on the history of mines.

The Royal Welsh Regiment Museum explains the military life of the Brecon region, which still has an important garrison. Battle reconstructions and a film are dedicated to the Zulu War: a Welsh achievement as the 140 Welsh soldiers managed to defend themselves against 4,000 Zulu warriors! There is a vast collection of medals and firearms. Interesting enough to learn more about the history of the region.

Founded in 1928, the museum has recently been refurbished to become a vibrant cultural center in the heart of Brecknockshire. It houses a diverse collection of objects, artifacts and documents, offering a captivating insight into local history, archaeology, art and Welsh culture. Exhibits cover a vast period, from the region's earliest prehistoric inhabitants to key events and figures in more recent history.

At the docks, the Tall Ship is a three-masted ship named Glenlee, built in Port Glasgow and launched at sea in 1896. She circumnavigated the world four times, survived formidable storms before being bought by the Spanish Navy and became a sail training ship from 1922 to 1969, then a training school until 1981. Rediscovered in 1990 and fully restored, this ship is accessible from top to bottom and is well worth a visit, before or after the Riverside Museum.

Opened in the summer of 2015, it is the museum of a whole region, in the Clyde Valley. Its diverse collections explore 14,000 years of history in rural areas and small villages in the surrounding area, from prehistory to the mid-20th century. The first men of Scotland, the Neolithic farmers, the Bronze and Iron Ages, the Romans, the Middle Ages, the Victorian era, the World Wars are covered here, through period objects and reconstructions.

In operation from 1839 to 1973 - among the first to open and the last to close - this coal gas plant in Scotland is presented in this attraction that looks back at Biggar's industrial past. Unchanged since its closure, we discover a capital activity of the Victorian era, to light the streets and dwellings. The shovels and wheelbarrows have not moved, and you can also see the machines, some of which are in operation, learning about production techniques and breathing in that particular smell that you no longer know.

A few kilometres after Newbridge, you will find Ellislan Farm where Robert Burns lived. A small museum consists of original poems (one of them was written on a window with the kitten of his ring). Burns, then farmer, was respected by other farmers for his scientific methods and his sense of trade.