Edinburgh and Glasgow October 2022.

The final part of 2022’s Autumn Trip was to visit both Edinburgh and Glasgow. We've always tried to visit both once a year. That was until the dreaded Covid-19 landed amongst us and put a stop to that. We now feel it's reasonable safe to return as long as we wear masks appropriately. 

Our reason to visit Edinburgh was twofold. Firstly to see family including taking our daughter out to lunch on her birthday and secondly to visit the Surgeons Hall Museums. (Photography was not allowed) 

The museums are part of The College of Surgeons of Edinburgh which was founded in 1505 and is one of the oldest medical institutions in the world. The museum’s was expanded in the 19th century to include the remarkable collections of Sir Charles Bell and John Barclay.

There are in fact three main museums. The first is on the third floor. The History of Surgery covers surgical development over the years . You can enjoy the story of Scotlands first public dissection, relish the true story of Burke and Hare’s notorious exploits, find out about surgical techniques and explore the UK’s most comprehensive dental collections. 

Travel upstairs and across the landing to discover The Whole Pathology Museum. There you will find a gruesome collection of body parts and human remains (not for the squeamish) and interesting the role of women in surgery and  the story of military surgery from Waterloo right up to the second world war. 

New for this year (2022) is the brand new Body Voyager galleries which takes you on journey through the human body exploring modern technology and patient care. 

Scotland's first Covid memorial to NHS staff has been unveiled in Edinburgh. This is the  first memorial in Scotland dedicated to NHS staff who worked through Covid-19. This includes four life-sized statues of healthcare workers in scrubs erected in the grounds of the Royal College of Surgeons.   On the day we were there they were still being erected as seen in the above photos.

Next stop on our Autumn 2022 tour was the Red Deer Village at Stepps from which, following a short walk, you can catch a 38c bus direct into the City of Glasgow. 

As well as a look around the main shopping thoroughfare, which i must admit has deteriorated since our last visit with many named shops disappearing altogether, we were there for a second trip to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Partly financed by the International Exhibition of 1888, the Art Gallery and Museum was built in 1901 by the architects Sir J.W.Simpson and Milner Allen. This red sandstone building was built in a Spanish Baroque style. Originally intended to house a concert hall and an art school, it was opened in 1902. Redevelopment took place between 2003 -2006. 

This unusual museum is said to house over a million objects, so hence the second visit, and still not having the time see all its bewildering variety of exhibits.  

Our final day at Red Deer Village was mired by heavy rain not stopping until after lunch when we ventured out to walk passed the Frankfield Loch for a rather enjoyable circular walk around Hogganfield Loch.