The Writers' Museum Edinburgh (free admission)

How many Scottish writers could you name right now spontaneously? Now that many probably? Luckily there is The Writers’ Museum in Edinburgh, not far Edinburgh Castle and other Sights. The small but well-curated museum gives visitors insights into the lives and works of three three great Scottish writers Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. Just to name a few highlights you can see portraits, rare books and personal objects including Burns’ writing desk, the printing press on which Scott’s Waverley Novels were first produced, and Scott’s own dining table and rocking horse. More Details on the Collection can be found on the Museums website. Even if you’re not a bookworm, and haven’t heard about them before, it’s well worth a visit.
The House you can find the museum in, I entered via N Bank Street, was originally built in 1622 by Sir William Gray of Pittendrum, an Edinburgh merchant burgess. Its many subsequent owners include Elizabeth, Dowager Countess of Stair, whose name remains associated with the house and adjacent close. In 1895, when threatened by a housing clearance scheme, the property was purchased and renovated by the 5th Earl of Rosebery, a direct descendant of the first owner. The Earl gifted the house to the City Of Edinburgh in 1907 for use as a museum.