Writers' Museum

Welcome to Lady Stair's Close, a tucked-away sanctuary in the heart of Edinburgh's Lawnmarket. We are standing before the Writers' Museum, housed in the magnificent Lady Stair's House, built in 1622 by the wealthy merchant…

Before we delve into the lives of the writers, let us appreciate the building itself. Lady Stair's House is a rare survivor of the Old Town's crowded 17th-century 'lands.' The carved lintel over the main entrance still bears the…

Our first major collection is dedicated to Robert Burns, 'Scotland's Bard' or the 'Ploughman Poet.' Born in 1759 into a poor farming family, Burns's rise to fame was nothing short of meteoric. Here, you can see 'Burns's first…

Moving to the collection of Sir Walter Scott, we encounter the father of the historical novel and the man who made 'tartan fashionable.' Scott was a legal advocate and a tireless writer who produced the 'Waverley Novels'…

The final major collection is dedicated to Robert Louis Stevenson, born in 1850 and the beloved author of 'Treasure Island' and 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.' A 'sickly child' who spent much of his youth being tutored…

Stepping back outside into the courtyard, we find ourselves in Maker's Court, a 'evolving national literary monument.' The term 'Maker' or 'Macker' in Scots means a skilled worker in the craft of writing. Since 1997, new…

Within the museum's temporary exhibition spaces and near the entrance, you may encounter a photograph or a replica of one of the mysterious 'book sculptures.' In 2011, an unknown artist secretly deposited ten intricate sculptures…

As we conclude our tour of the Writers' Museum, we are left with a profound sense of the 'importance of writers in our lives.' We have journeyed through the humble beginnings of Robert Burns, the grand romantic visions of Sir…