The Institution of Civil Engineers Scotland Museum is home to a collection of over 600 artefacts relating to civil engineering many of which have strong local connections including a number of items relating to the Forth bridges. In addition to the collection of artefacts, the website hosts The Paxton Archive which comprises almost 200 papers and other documents on a wide variety of historical and biographical civil engineering topics written by Professor Roland Paxton over several decades.
The collection is owned by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and under an agreement between the Museum and Heriot-Watt University the collection is hosted by the University.
The museum is located at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Campus at Riccarton where most of the items are on display in cabinets in the east crush area of Level 1 of the William Arrol Building and other larger items are placed at other locations both inside and at the west end of the William Arrol Building. The museum is unattended; however, visitors are most welcome on any weekday between 7 am and 6 pm. There is an online guide which can be opened as a pdf file. Paper copies of the guide are also available at the museum on Level 1 (east end).
Convenient disabled parking is available on Fourth Gait (off Boundary Road North) close to the west door of the William Arrol Building. The west door provides a level entry to the building. A lift to all floors is available at the east end of the building.