Surgeons' Hall Museums

Surgeons' Hall stands in Edinburgh’s old town, a grand neoclassical building designed by William Henry Playfair and finished in 1832. It serves as the headquarters of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and contains their museum, library and archives. The museum is Scotland’s main medical museum and holds national significance. The hall itself is a category A listed building. The college began in 1505 as the Incorporation of Surgeons and Barbers, later becoming the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1788. The museum’s origins go back to 1699 when the college started collecting ‘natural and artificial curiosities’. Early visitors included Daniel Defoe, who described a ‘chamber of rarities’ filled with too many wonders to list. In the 19th century the collection grew dramatically after John Barclay and Sir Charles Bell donated large anatomical collections. Playfair’s new hall opened in 1832 with the entire upper floor given over to the museum. By the early 20th century the college needed more space for meetings, so half the museum was converted into a main hall. Today the museum occupies several rooms in and around Surgeons’ Hall. The Wohl Pathology Museum retains Playfair’s original design and cabinets. Nearby are the History of Surgery museum, the dental collection and displays of surgical techniques and technologies. A major refurbishment in 2015 added lift access and doubled the number of items on show. The museum reopened with improved displays and now attracts large visitor numbers.