Surgeons’ Hall Museum reopens after £4m refurb

Surgeons' Hall Museum has reopened after undergoing refurbishment. Picture: Jayne Emsley

Edinburgh’s Surgeons’ Hall Museums (SHM), which houses large collections of anatomical specimens and artefacts charting the development of surgery, had been shut to visitors for the past 18 months to allow the revamp to take place.

The refurbishment - the first time the building has been radically altered since 1908 - has allowed bosses to double the number of items on show.

The reopening will see the return of popular exhibits such as a pocket book made from the skin of the infamous murderer William Burke, and exhibits linked to Dr Joseph Bell, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s teacher and main inspiration for Sherlock Holmes.

New exhibits include a reproduction of a 17th century dissection theatre where, using digital technology, visitors will be able to experience a dissection of a human body just as medical students did 300 years ago.

The museums are part of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd).

College president Ian Ritchie said: “Surgeons’ Hall Museums and its collections are a very important part of the heritage of the college and an equally important part of its future.

“We feel keenly our responsibility to educate and inform the public as part of our commitment to patient care and professional standards.

“Through SHM, the college can reach visitors from across the globe and inspire the next generation of surgeons.”

Originally developed as a single teaching museum for students of medicine, SHM’s pathology collection has been open to the public since 1832, making the Wohl Pathology Museum which houses it Scotland’s oldest museum.

That original museum is now part of a group of museums and collections, including The History of Surgery Museum and The Dental Collection, which chart the transition of medicine from perceived witchcraft through to a recognised science.

The new SHM will also contain an education suite and a full-scale Vitruvian man made from medical prosthetics.

It opens its doors to the public today ahead of being officially unveiled by the Duke of Edinburgh on Monday.

The transformation of the SHM has been supported by a £2.7 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.