John Muir's life and work has inspired people all over the world. Now the Dunbar birthplace of the pioneering conservationist has been transformed into a new visitor attraction. Our family-friendly interpretative centre explores the work and achievements of this remarkable man.
History
History
History tells stories about people, places and things to help explain to young people of any age why the world is as it is as they grow up and begin to question it.
Schools will choose different periods and settings and topics to cove during different Key Stages, but all of them are pretty well guaranteed to be rooted in actual places that can be visited, explored and enjoyed.
It has been a curious fact that for many years primary classes have studied the Roman, Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods, while secondary school syllabuses have been more engaged in post-medieval periods. For a while secondary courses involved a great deal of ‘topic work’. While this discipline still exists, the recent examination syllabuses have returned to an emphasis on historical periods and links.
But all periods and topics provide fantastic opportunities for school visits. We are so lucky that so many general and specialist museums and visitor centres exist in the UK. The problem is not a shortage of possibilities but how one sifts through the available opportunities to make choices.
The Historical Association website carries information about course, conferences, study tours, and the Association has published ‘The Historian’ magazine for many years. Handsam is also happy to help, please contact us on 03332 070737 or email info@schooltripsadvisor.org.uk.
Most venues will have teaching materials and activities geared to students’ different ages and aptitudes whether at primary or secondary level. All of them will set out to develop students’ ability to understand, analyse and evaluate key features and characteristics of historical periods and events studied.
Some venues will be easy to identify because they fit neatly with the period and topic being studied but others may offer new possibilities, not least to the teachers themselves. Teachers need and deserve their own stimulation.
Over the next four years there will be an upsurge in visits to the First World War battlefields. Because of this there will be an increase in companies offering visits and requirement for battlefield guides, especially in northern France and Belgium. There are bound to be discrepancies in guides’ knowledge and experience. Close research into the credentials of the company you are contracting with, and the company’s guarantees about guides, will ensure that your group will not be disappointed.
Main organisations:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Inclusion: NASEN
Thought of visiting?
Roman Vindolanda and Roman Army Museum at Hadrian’s Wall
Viriconium, Wroxeter, Shropshire
The Jorvik Viking Centre, York
Offa’s Dyke Trail and Chirk Castle
The National Trust for Scotland
Clan Donald Visitor Centre, Isle of Skye
Bosworth Battlefield Visitor Centre
Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin
Exeter Cathedral Education Centre
The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
The Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth
East Anglia Railway Museum, Colchester
The National Tramway Museum, Matlock
Venues for this Curriculum
East Lothian’s Archaeology, Museum, Archive and Local History Services
The John Gray Centre Museum is located on the first floor of the Centre. This 5-star museum tells the story of East Lothian from its earliest settlers to present-day communities. Explore the land, the sea and the people of this historic region through our film, audio guides, activity sheets and handling objects.
A unique gem of Europe's architectural heritage and Scotland's finest stately home
Visit Hopetoun and discover a place of beauty, tranquility and architectural magnificence dating from the 17th century. It has been home to the Hope Family since the late 1600s and the present Lord Hopetoun and his family still live in Hopetoun House.
Welcome to the Hibernian Historical Trust website. Here you can discover information about the Trust, our work and some of our achievements to date. As the site grows, we aim to give visitors the opportunity to view many of the artefacts and memorabilia held by the Trust via our Gallery pages.
Founded in 1982 the Archive, Records Management and Museum Service is part of the Corporate Communications Division. We preserve, manage and provide access to the University’s archive, art and artefact collections. We promote their use by staff, students and the public in research and scholarship; and in displays and exhibitions.
an active teaching and research museum, with a wide diversity of zoological specimens from Scotland and round the world
The University of Edinburgh has been home to a rich collection of "natural history" specimens and objects for over 300 years. These collections were built up by researchers and educators as a scientific record, as a teaching resource, as a historical record of how zoology and related disciplines have flourished in the University, and as a public museum.
The museum has on display 40 life masks and death masks of renowned individuals from famous scientists and politicians to notorious murderers. Plus skeletons and other anatomical items and sketches from the last 200 years.
The museum is open daily to the public.
History
The historic Dunbar Town House, built towards the end of the 16th century, contains what is considered Scotland's oldest functioning Council Chamber.
Spanning a history of more than 400 years, the building has recently been given a 21st century refurbishment and is now open to the public, complete with a brand new museum and gallery exhibition space managed by the Museums Service.
The former North Berwick Museum was re-opened in July 2013 as the new Coastal Communities Museum. Come and visit our new exhibition of the artist Henry Scott Tuke.
Visit the museum to see and hear stories of old Uphall and Broxburn in our "Strathbrock Stories" display between May and September. We show two temporary exhibitions during the rest of the year.
A community museum housed in the stable block of an old coaching inn. Open during library times, the museum relates the story of Blackridge’s coaching and travelling past. An exhibition on the history of the village with objects donated by local people is regularly shown, interspersed with displays from West Lothian Council’s touring exhibition programme.
The Bennie Museum opened on 20th May 1989 as a museum of Bathgate’s history and life. It is run entirely by Volunteers under the management of a Charitable Trust.
It has been commended by the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions.
A display by the History of Armadale Association with lots of fascinating facts about life, work and leisure in Armadale over the last 200 years and more.
Discover the story of the lead miners of Minera, the village named after the ore beneath, at Minera Lead Mines visitor centre and explore the remains of the 19th century lead processing works, where they worked.
Now a Scheduled Ancient Monument, John Wilkinson, the pioneering industrialist, built Penrhos Engine House in the late 18th Century, in order to house an engine to pump water from his coal mine on the site. It is thought to be the earliest surviving colliery engine house in Wales.
Set in the attractive planned village of Holt, Holt Castle is a ruin on the banks of the River Dee.
Interested in Walking? The Clywedog Trail is a great way to enjoy the open air, whilst discovering the industrial heritage of Wrexham and you don’t have to walk the full length of nine miles in one go – do it in easy stages!
The Wrexham Archives and Local Studies Service is the place in Wrexham to do your research on local history and family history.
The collection includes comprehensive family archives, a collection of old photographs, audio and video tapes, and material relating to local fishing. A room is dedicated to the Iron Age village at Bostadh.
Cradle of Christianity
The Royal Burgh of Whithorn has an important history which is immediately obvious from the medieval street layout. Even more significant is the hidden evidence of the early origins of a settlement on this site going back to the 5th century, Scotland’s first Christian community.
The Tolbooth Art Centre is based in Kirkcudbright's 17th century Tolbooth. This served previously as the Town Council offices, Burgh and Sheriff courts and the criminal and debtor's prison. One of its most famous prisoners was John Paul Jones, hero of the American Navy.
The Stonehaven Tolbooth is thought to have been founded by George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal (c. 1553–1623), with the original purpose of the rectangular building being to act as a storehouse during the construction of the nearby Dunnottar Castle. In 1600, an Act of Parliament provided that the building become a tolbooth.
The Stewartry Museum was founded in 1879. As the collections grew, the present purpose-built museum was opened in 1893. In recent years, the interior has been considerably upgraded whilst retaining its charm as a traditional late Victorian museum.
Newton Stewart is the gateway to the Galloway Hills and the Museum is an exciting place to visit in this fascinating region.
A fascinating journey through time takes visitors from the prehistoric period up to the era of nuclear fission. Displays include costume, First World War memorabilia, town regalia and a remarkable collection of paintings depicting Annan and the Solway shore. Look out for a 4,000 year old Bronze Age burial urn, mummified baby crocodiles and the 110 year old piece of chocolate!
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