Edinburgh’s new museums website goes live

Highlights and hidden gems of the city’s collections will be brought to life and showcased through engaging, new content with top tips and guides on how best to discover and explore each venue, many of which are free to enter.

In a new collaborative partnership coordinated by Marketing Edinburgh, the newly launched website www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk will provide detailed information on the city’s much-loved museums, galleries and monuments including; Museum of Edinburgh, People’s Story, Writers’ Museum, City Art Centre, Scott Monument and Lauriston Castle.

Showcasing Edinburgh’s art and its history through 220,000 diverse objects, many of which have been recognised by the Scottish Government as being of national importance, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh also cares for 200 historic monuments in the capital.

Together, the venues welcome approximately 800,000 visitors each year, either residents or locals exploring their story and art, or visitors keen to discover the city from near and far.

The new website is full of clear information to help people navigate the beautiful A and B listed venues and their series of events and exhibitions. The rich knowledge and experience of curators and staff will be showcased alongside beautiful imagery of the collections, blogs and stories to inspire people to visit and explore further.

The new website allows people to browse for art, gifts and memorabilia to buy online with Art UK, or to donate to support the continued conservation and exhibition of the Museums & Galleries Edinburgh collection.

For the first time, visitors will be able to book tickets to events and exhibitions online.

This new website will enable everyone to explore the collections in a fifteenth venue, online.

Commissioned by Museums & Galleries Edinburgh the website has been designed and delivered by Tincan, whose other clients across arts and charities have included National Theatre, the Institute of Contemporary Arts, Homeless Link, Young Vic, Sir John Soane Museum and Mall Galleries.

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh are the following venues and collections:   

• City Art Centre: One of the premier gallery spaces in the heart of the city, housing one of the best collections of Scottish art. Visitors can enjoy a varied range of exhibitions from throughout the world including favourites from the City’s nationally recognised collection.
• Lauriston Castle: Step inside this Edwardian villa to see life just as it was in 1926.
• Museum Collections Centre: This centre houses the reserve collections of the city museums and galleries.
• Museum of Childhood: Visitors enjoy a trip down memory lane and learn about children of the past. Reopening in Spring 2018.
• Museum of Edinburgh: Discover more about Edinburgh’s history, its people, crafts, trades and the beautiful objects they created.
• Nelson Monument: Erected in 1807 and built in memory of Admiral Lord Nelson. Reach the top by climbing the 143 steps and enjoy panoramic views of the capita
• People’s Story: Explore the lives of Edinburgh’s ordinary people at work and play from the late 18th century to today.
• Queensferry Museum: Learn about the construction of the Forth Rail and Road Bridges and more.
• Scott Monument: Learn about Sir Walter Scott and the monument itself. Climb 287 steps and enjoy views of Edinburgh and the surrounding countryside.
• Travelling Gallery: A custom-built mobile art gallery which brings contemporary art exhibitions to schools and communities throughout Scotland.
• Writers’ Museum: Celebrating the lives of three great Scottish writers – Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.
• Trinity Apse: a spectacular gothic kirk in the heart of the old town (venue hire only)
• Makar’s Court: an evolving national literary monument where you can see some of the famous words of great Scottish writers inscribed in the flagstones
• City Observatory Complex (currently closed for refurbishment)
• The collection also includes 200 historic monuments and statues located throughout the city

The new Museums & Galleries Edinburgh website is now live: www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk

Brian Healy, Director of Business Development with Tincan said: “We are really engaged with and enjoyed the challenge of finding a way of presenting 14 different venues, together, coherently under one umbrella site. A major test for us was to create a new platform for accessible, inspiring content that would appeal to both visitors new to the city as well as local and regional audiences who might want to engage with more in-depth, detailed content and discover something new in their city.”

“The project was a neat challenge in terms of design and user experience but helping to shine a light on both the highlights and hidden gems that Edinburgh has to offer was a real pleasure for us.”

Councillor Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “Like a brand-new gallery space, this new website will let visitors immerse themselves in the beauty and history of Edinburgh, no matter where they are in the world.

“Edinburgh is city which is of course renowned for its culture and art and with 14 venues, 200 monuments and 220,000 objects in our care, there is no shortage to the stories and content we’ll be able to share.

“We hope the new website will expose our venues and events to new audiences, and provide a space for people to learn about Edinburgh, thanks to the many artworks and objects in the city’s care.”

John Donnelly, Chief Executive Marketing Edinburgh said: “As the official destination marketing organisation for the city, it made perfect sense for Marketing Edinburgh to step forward and support City of Edinburgh Council in its ambition to raise awareness to Museum & Galleries Edinburgh’s diverse collection of venues, collections, monuments and exhibitions.

“Over the last year, we’ve worked closely with the Museum & Galleries Edinburgh team to implement a marketing and business strategy that will drive additional footfall while strengthening an important commercial revenue stream, all of which is reinvested back into the city’s cultural offering. Following a subtle rebrand in 2016, the new website is a core element of that strategy, revealing the perfect digital shop window to showcase the rich variety of locations, artworks and curiosities that Museum & Galleries Edinburgh manage and maintain on behalf of its city residents. We are effectively creating what will be the 15th venue.”