WRITERS' MUSEUM IN EDINBURGH - Wednesday, July 25

The Writers' Museum

Tucked away

in Edinburgh is

the Writers' Museum which features Scotland's Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Burns, and Sir Walter Scott.

The Writers' Museum is tucked away in a lovely 17th century building (isn't everything in the U.K in a lovely old building?) near the Royal Mile in what is known as Lady Stair's House. As well as being home to exhibitions of the memorabilia of Stevenson, Burns, and Scott, it also showcases temporary exhibits, which during our visit, featured Ian Rankin, creator of the Scottish detective, Rebus. Another author to add to my stack of books "To Be Read."

This museum was fairly small and quiet, making it a nice change from some of the larger, almost overpowering museums we have visited. As we each bring our own stories to with us wherever we go, one thing which stayed with me was that both Scott and Burns died of brain aneurysms. Although Stevenson had struggled with what was probably tuberculosis and was sickly much of his life, and Scott had fought polio earlier, supposedly an aneurysm was the cause of death for both. Was it really? Were doctors truly able to tell at that time? Did they both think too much (just kidding - a little dark humor here!!)?

In the museum, a wooden rocking horse with one foot brace higher than the other gave evidence to Scott's battle with polio.

As a lover of quotes, I enjoyed Makar's (Scottish word for writer or poet) Court, which has quotations of Scottish writers in a number of the paving stones. outside the Writers' Museum.

The first inscription in Makar's Court was in 1997, and as there are many more spots available, it will be interesting to see what quotes may be put there in the future.