As part of this year’s Edinburgh Doors Open Day event the museum will be opening its doors on Sunday 27 September. On offer are four guided tours of the museum at 12.00, 13.00, 14.00 and 15.00 which are bookable in advance. Information regarding the event and online booking can be viewed here. As there are […]
Category: Latest News
Edinburgh’s Cockburn Association pays Tribute to Professor Roland Paxton
The Cockburn Association (Edinburgh Civic Trust) in its June 2026 Newsletter published a tribute to Professor Roland Paxton. It can be viewed here.
Why do land surveyors have to thank the National Gallery of Scotland? Update
Indeed, why do they? Well, it’s because the north-east side of the Gallery was used to calibrate land chains. A series of brass plates were embedded in the base of the building to facilitate calibration of land chains manufactured to measure distance in links or feet. For more information on this see here. Addendum […]
Professor Roland Paxton: Obituary in The Scotsman 27 November 2025
View The Scotman’s obituary to Professor Roland Paxton here.
BBC’s Last Word: Professor Roland Paxton
Last Word BBC Radio 4’s obituary programme broadcast on 21 November included a piece on Professor Roland Paxton. You can listen to the broadcast here.
Obituary Note: Professor Roland Paxton
Obituary Note: Professor Roland Paxton MBE, FICE, FRSE, Hon DEng, PhD, MSc, Civil Engineer and Engineering Historian and Bibliophile 1932-2025 by Professor Paul Jowitt It is with great regret that I have to inform you of the death of HWU Honorary Professor Roland Paxton, on 30th October 2025, aged 93. Roland was without doubt, the […]
Railway 200 Celebration
Given the current celebrations of the bicentenary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, it is worth noting the Museum has a number of artefacts in its collection dating back to the earliest days of the railways in Scotland. A number of these were uncovered during the restoration works on the Laigh Milton […]
Why do land surveyors have to thank the National Gallery of Scotland?
Indeed, why do they? Well, it’s because the north-east side of the Gallery was used to calibrate land chains. A series of brass plates were embedded in the base of the building to facilitate calibration of land chains manufactured to measure distance in links or feet. For more information on this see here.
Donation of Tellurometers
The museum has just acquired a pair of Tellurometer MRA3 distance measurers used by the British Antarctic Survey in the early 1970’s (see here).
Giant Cranes built by Sir William Arrol & Co Ltd – a Unique List
A unique list of giant cranes built by Sir William Arrol & Company Ltd (titled Sir William Arrol Giant Cranes [undated]). compiled by the late Dr Brian Newman was recently added to the collection. The list provides [Completion] Year, Customer, Max Load, Height of Lift, Working Radius, Slew Roller Path and Remarks. See here.