Chambers Street, Edinburgh

Chambers Street lies to the south of the Old Town. It was named after the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, William Chambers of Glenorminston and you will see a statue of him in the centre of the street.

Chambers Street is lined with ancient buildings of great interest and include the Old College of the University of Edinburgh which was built in 1791 and which pre-dates the laying out of the street. It now houses the Talbot Rice Gallery, with temporary exhibitions in the White Room, the Torrie Collection of Old Masters in the Georgian Gallery and small exhibitions and experimental projects in the Round Room.

In the Royal Museum, which was built in 1888, you can admire the Wylam Dilly steam locomotive that dates back to 1813. Adam House is also open to the public and it holds the Discover Science family experience created by the University of Edinburgh.

You will also find the Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street. In this marvellous museum you will see a part of the St Ninian’s Isle Treasure, eleven of the Lewis Chessmen (the others are in the British Museum), a collection of Pictish stones, Celtic brooches and an early form of guillotine named “The Maiden”. You will also find the perfectly preserved body of “Dolly”, the first mammal in the world to be cloned.