Letter: Making a splash without the pools

I REFER to Anna Burnside's article (At Large, 31 July) on the reopening of the National Museum of Scotland. It was a great pleasure on a recent visit to see so many excited young people enjoying the new experience - as have our family over five generations.

It is acknowledged that museums are not just buildings, but are collections of interrelated objects and artifacts. They are always "works in progress" in which a careful balance has to be achieved between education, entertainment, serious academic study and conservation.

Passing reference has been made to the removal of the "fish pools". I recall that these were installed in the 1960s for the practical reason of humidifying the main hall and overcoming problems that caused damage to its floor tiles; they also provided a focal point, a seating area, and a central meeting place from which the magnificent structure of the building could be viewed. The introduction of fish into the pools was an afterthought. While regretting the loss of much-needed seating for rest and reflection, a more flexible space has now been created. No doubt, modern climate control measures will overcome the past problem of lifting floor tiles!

Anthony Finlay, Edinburgh