Museum on the Mound

The Museum on the Mound stands in Edinburgh’s historic centre, inside the grand Baroque Revival building that once housed the Bank of Scotland’s head office. The building itself rises above The Mound, a sloping street linking Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns, and its dome is a familiar landmark. The museum occupies part of the extensive basement, where visitors find displays about money, coinage and economics. More than 50,000 people come here each year to explore the collection. The site has been a place of finance and learning since the Bank of Scotland opened in 1695. The museum’s exhibits trace the history of banking in Britain from barter to modern notes. Artefacts include early 12th-century tokens and examples of Scottish paper money. A highlight is the Bank of England £1 million note, used to back Scottish banknotes. The collection also shows how the Bank of Scotland has issued its own currency for more than three centuries. Paintings and models illustrate the changing architecture of the head office building. A small display opened in 1986 with the crime writer Ian Rankin present, before the current museum opened in 2006. Inside, visitors move through rooms that explain the role of money in society. Cases hold coins, notes and tools once used in trade. The displays link the past with the present, showing how banking shapes daily life. Outside, the view from The Mound looks over Princes Street Gardens and the city’s rooftops. The building’s dome and stonework add to the sense of history. The museum remains a place where finance, design and culture meet.