The People’s Story Edinburgh

Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it, or so goes the famous axiom. The People’s Story Edinburgh is a perfect chance to immerse yourself in nearly two hundred years of Scottish history and make sure you never forget it.

The People's Story on the Canongate, part of Edinburgh's Royal Mile

The People’s Story is housed in what is probably the most important building in this region of Edinburgh; the Canongate Tolbooth. Also one of the most beautiful buildings along the Royal Mile, (and indeed the country), the Tolbooth was built in 1591 and has been, at varying times in history, a judicial center, a prison, and a place where taxes were collected for the burgh of Canongate.

[Image credit: MikeLeone]

Edinburgh & Scotland’s History Is Told In The People’s Story

The People’s Story provides locals and tourists alike the opportunity to time-travel to various points in Scottish history. By engaging all the senses, including pictorial representation, audio tracks, and even smells and tastes coming from the kitchens, the People’s Story seems to actually transport you into the Scottish past. When entering the museum, a twenty minute video sets the mood and gears you for an afternoon of learning and fun. The main exhibits include a pub where you can feel the camaraderie in the air, an old fashioned tea room, a town square full of shouting political dissidents, a prison cell which shows just how miserable being locked up in the past would have been, and a dungeon where one could imagine even despair dying.

The People's Story is hard to miss on Edinburgh's Canongate!

The People’s Story Edinburgh is open Monday through Saturday, and also a handful of Sundays in August. The Royal Mile is one of the oldest and well-known streets in Edinburgh, and the Tolbooth looms large, so it will be easy to find. There is no admission. What better way to spend a present afternoon than by engaging the past? You won’t be sorry you did.

[Image credit: Peter Nijenhuis]