Museum on the Mound

Museum on the Mound Banking and money museum in Edinburgh. Privacy policy: https://museumonthemound.com/privacy-policy Admission Free

We’re always working to make our museum as accessible to everyone as possible. That’s why were so happy to announce that...
18/02/2025

We’re always working to make our museum as accessible to everyone as possible. That’s why were so happy to announce that we have received an Autism Friendly Award from the National Autistic Society! This week we’ll be showing you some of the things you can experience in the museum that might help you when you're visiting.

If you like to plan your visits we have sensory maps available highlighting noise, lighting and things to touch in the museum, and a full visual story can also be found on our website.https://museumonthemound.com/sites/default/files/Visiting%20Museum%20on%20the%20Mound%202024.pdf
We also have a quiet corner, sensory trails to follow, and much more, which we’ll tell you about throughout this week.

Did you have a try at our decimalisation quiz from 1971 we posted earlier? Here's a refresher of the questions and the a...
15/02/2025

Did you have a try at our decimalisation quiz from 1971 we posted earlier? Here's a refresher of the questions and the answers, should you need them!

Today is the anniversary of the day in 1971 that Britain's money went decimal. We found a quiz in Lloyds Banking News fr...
15/02/2025

Today is the anniversary of the day in 1971 that Britain's money went decimal. We found a quiz in Lloyds Banking News from that year designed to test your knowledge of the new money- we've given you the first answer, but can you get the rest? We'll post the answers later!

Super Squirrel was primping himself in front of a mirror.‘I’m so glad you explained self-awareness to me, Museum Assista...
14/02/2025

Super Squirrel was primping himself in front of a mirror.

‘I’m so glad you explained self-awareness to me, Museum Assistant. I was getting so annoyed at that handsome squirrel copying all my moves. It was such a relief to find it was me along!’

Super Squirrel sprayed himself with an elderly bottle of Hai Karate.

‘Now, take me to your friends’ house. It’s Valentine’s Day, and I’ve got my eyes on the prize.’

Museum Assistant was confused.

‘But Super Squirrel, I thought you had eyes for no one but Sue from Sooty and Sweep?’

‘That was true, until I laid my squirrel peepers on the most ravishing creature I’d ever seen. Sue is like Rosaline in Romeo and Juliet…’

‘What, a more sensible option that could have bought us all a couple of hours in a theatre back?’

‘No! A thing of the past, old news. I’ve moved on, pop me in my carrier bag and get me to the party!’

When they arrived at Museum Assistant’s friend’s house, Super Squirrel swaggered out of his bag.

‘Is she at home? Oh yes, she is’ he announced, vaulting onto a huge cat tower. A disgruntled meow could be heard from a basket, containing a sleeping feline.

‘Well hello, gorgeous! Look at that hair, those eyes, that breath with a slightly fishy smell…intoxicating!’

The cat hissed at Super Squirrel.

‘Soops, I don’t know how to tell you this, but she’s a cat, and you’re a squirrel?’

‘The love that dare not speak its name, I know. But we can transcend these barriers!’

The cat stared at Super Squirrel, and began to wiggle.

‘Oh, you dancing? I’m asking!’

‘Super Squirrel, I meant more that you’re kind of prey, and she’s a bit of a predator?’

The cat pounced at Super Squirrel and began chasing him down the hall.

‘It’s the thrill of the chase I enjoy!’ said Super Squirrel.

‘Let me know the breakages later’ said Museum Assistant to their friends, with a sigh.

(RIP Yoda, 2014-2025. A very fine cat indeed.)

Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which gives us a good reason to bring out the banknotes! We've...
11/02/2025

Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which gives us a good reason to bring out the banknotes! We've a nod to women in science on the back of the Bank of Scotland £20 from 1995, and also on the £100 note released in 2022. The £100 note features Dr Flora Murray CBE, Doctor, Suffragette, and co founder of the London Hospital for Children. Born in Murraythwaite in Dumfries, her career took her to London in the 1890s and then on to France in the First World War where she ran a field hospital with her partner, Louisa Garrett Anderson. She was quite the pioneer!

Museum Assistant and Super Squirrel were in Dublin for a few days. ‘So it’s the Emerald Isle but the national drink is ‘...
08/02/2025

Museum Assistant and Super Squirrel were in Dublin for a few days.

‘So it’s the Emerald Isle but the national drink is ‘the black stuff’? Squirrels have dichromatic vision, how will I tell if I’ve got it the wrong way round and my pint is green?’ pondered Super Squirrel. He did find travel very confusing sometimes.

‘Never mind that, Soops, look at that statue of Oscar Wilde over there. Doesn’t it look real?

Super Squirrel gasped, and ran up the statue’s leg.

‘Oscar! The great man! I’m his biggest fan!’ Gushed Super Squirrel.

‘Really?’ said Museum Assistant cynically.

‘You’ve never mentioned this before, have you actually read any of his work?’

‘How dare you, of course I have!’

‘Name one, then?’

Super Squirrel thought hard.

‘The Importance of Being Furnished: A man turns up in the countryside claiming to own mid-century Ercol furniture, but it turns out to be from Ikea?’

‘Try Again, Super Squirrel.’

‘One is a complex play about unfaithfulness, interfamilial relationships and the controversy that can happen when you serve mystery meat sandwiches at parties.’
‘And it’s called?’

‘Lady Windemere’s Spam.’

‘Anything else?

‘A stinky tropical fruit never seems to ripen, but up in the attic there’s an identical one that’s gone completely mouldy? Have you never seen The Picture of Durian Grey?’

Super Squirrel, will you please admit that you have never read or seen anything by Oscar Wilde?’ grumbled Museum Assistant.

‘Never! I have nothing to declare but my genius!’

Super Squirrel stumbled on the smooth metal, losing his grip and sliding to the ground.

‘We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars, Museum Assistant!’

It’s ten in the morning, Super Squirrel’ said Museum Assistant, putting the squirrel back in his bag.

For this week's we're in Greenock in 1971, where workman were having a few problems cracking a safe. The former Union ...
06/02/2025

For this week's we're in Greenock in 1971, where workman were having a few problems cracking a safe. The former Union Bank branch on Hamilton Street had been demolished as part of the redevelopment of the town centre, but while the building had come down, the safe was refusing to budge. According to a report in the Daily Record at the time, 'they'd drilled it, hammered it, kicked it, cussed it, and used every conceivable tool on it short of an H-bomb.' The troublesome safe was eventually removed after a solid week of concerted effort.
There was no doubting it was secure, at least...

in 1700, things were getting a little heated at Bank of Scotland's head office-literally. Based in Paterson's Land in ...
03/02/2025

in 1700, things were getting a little heated at Bank of Scotland's head office-literally. Based in Paterson's Land in Parliament Close, the bank's offices were at the heart of the crowded, and highly flammable, centre of Edinburgh. When flames were seen leaping from the building, David Leslie, 3rd Earl of Leven, saved the day. Holding the roles of Governor of the Bank and Keeper of Edinburgh Castle at the same time came in handy for the Earl as he mobilised a regiment of soldiers from the Castle to remove all the valuables from the burning building and take them back up to the Castle for safe keeping. You could say that he was a burning success when it came to multitasking...

Today is not only the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc which marked the beginning of spring, but also the feast day of ...
01/02/2025

Today is not only the ancient Celtic festival of Imbolc which marked the beginning of spring, but also the feast day of St Brigid, the patron saint of Ireland. All in all it's a good chance to remind ourselves of this very appropriate pound coin design, first released in1996. It features a Celtic cross with a Broighter collar, part of a hoard found in Country Derry in 1896.

We're in 1971 for this week's and something that might be very familiar to those of a certain age...Henry Hippo was th...
30/01/2025

We're in 1971 for this week's and something that might be very familiar to those of a certain age...
Henry Hippo was the first children's banking promotion used by Bank of Scotland, but w he was already a tried and tested formula. He had originated in Finland as Henri Hippo, and is still around at Ulster Bank to this day. You had to be very lucky to get one of the huge hippos...

There was a message in the museum from security.‘We have a squirrel caught in a branch in the car park, says he’s late f...
28/01/2025

There was a message in the museum from security.

‘We have a squirrel caught in a branch in the car park, says he’s late for work. Can you come and get him?’

Museum Assistant stomped out of the museum, holding Super Squirrel’s plastic bag squirrel carrier.

‘Oh there you are!’ Said Super Squirrel.

‘I was about to give up. I’ve been caught on this branch since Friday night. It turns out that people parking their cars are not keen to help a squirrel in need! I’ll remember that the next time they start charging at those electric thingies, I can chew cables, mark me, I can!’

Museum Assistant unhooked Super Squirrel’s suit from the branch.

‘I told you not to go out in Storm Eowyn! I thought you were hiding under the bed with the Christmas decorations like you do when there’s fireworks?

Super Squirrel looked sheepish.

‘It was just such good kite flying weather…I nipped up to the roof, unfurled the thing and…’

‘and?’

‘Do you remember ‘The Snowman’ where the little boy and the snowman go flying? Well, imagine that, except with me, a Tesco bag for life, and a really angry rat called Graham. He was REALLY annoyed, wouldn’t do the song or anything.’

Museum Assistant had been wondering what had been causing the scratching noises in the attic.

‘At first I resisted, I grabbed on to this squirrel brace until it came off in my hand.’

Super Squirrel held out the TV antenna. That would explain why the TV had stopped working, at least.

‘Then we blew over Princes Street! Graham got off at the top of the Scott Monument, he’ll be a nice surprise for the staff when they reopen today.’

‘Then as a finale, I did a back flip on the power cables at Waverley Train station. Oh, they are spicy!’

Museum Assistant looked at the station plunged into darkness.

‘And here I am. I reckon I could be a weather forecaster, what do you think?’

‘I think you’ve done enough already Soops’ said Museum Assistant, plunging him head first back into his carrier.

‘I’ve got Michael Fish on speedial’ said a muffled voice from within the bag.

We hope you're all ok after Storm Eowyn? We thought we had some damage this morning when we found a tree down and blocki...
25/01/2025

We hope you're all ok after Storm Eowyn? We thought we had some damage this morning when we found a tree down and blocking the path to the museum, but handily it turned out not to be one from our garden, but someone's Christmas tree that had gone into orbit...

Super Squirrel has cleared the path, and we'll be open as usual at 1pm. Hope to see you then!

PS, Christmas tree, free to a good home, immediate uplift. 😉

‘Fair fa, your honest, sonsie face, great chiefbum of the puddin’ race’ proclaimed Super Squirrel, in his best, presenta...
25/01/2025

‘Fair fa, your honest, sonsie face, great chiefbum of the puddin’ race’ proclaimed Super Squirrel, in his best, presentation voice.

‘I love pudding day, the day when you can skip the rubbish courses and go to the only important bit of a meal’ he said, swinging two Christmas puddings around, which on closer inspection looked distinctly knitted.

Museum Assistant caught the squirrel as he began to topple off the desk.

‘It’s Burns Night Soops, you’ve got it wrong, as ever’ said Museum Assistant, with a sigh.

‘You’re going to do that thing with pudding and the brandy and the big gas lighter? Like you did that time when you managed to burn your eyebrows off and you looked like David Bowie in the 70s for a month? That was the best!’ squealed Super Squirrel, who wasn’t sure today could get much better.

‘It’s the day we celebrate Robert Burns, Super Squirrel, the poet, the lyricist, the-‘

‘The man who liked a pudding?’ interrupted the squirrel.

‘It’s not that sort of pudding he was talking about, it was the meaty type. Remember how I tried to explain white pudding and black pudding and mealy pudding to you?

Super Squirrel shuddered.

‘Pretty sure you were making that up, like root canal surgery, and tax returns.’

‘He’s talking about haggis, Super Squirrel.’

Super Squirrel’s eyes became wide.

‘Haggis? As a pudding? What would you have with it? Neep flavoured custard? Tattie ice cream? And you think I get confused!’

‘Will you shut up if I give you a cake, Soops?’

Museum Assistant gave the squirrel an oatcake.

‘Have you got an address for this Burns chap? I need to write him a stern poem’ muttered Super Squirrel.

Due to today's extreme weather warning, Museum on the Mound will be closed today, Friday 24th of January. We'll be open ...
24/01/2025

Due to today's extreme weather warning, Museum on the Mound will be closed today, Friday 24th of January. We'll be open again at 1pm on Saturday 25th. Stay safe everyone!

Due to the red weather warning that's been issued for Friday 24th January we've taken the decision to keep the museum cl...
23/01/2025

Due to the red weather warning that's been issued for Friday 24th January we've taken the decision to keep the museum closed all day. Please stay indoors, stay home, and stay safe! We'll be open as usual on Saturday 25th, 1-5pm.

With Burns Night approaching on Saturday, we thought we'd take a look back to the refurbishment of the Burns Statue Squa...
23/01/2025

With Burns Night approaching on Saturday, we thought we'd take a look back to the refurbishment of the Burns Statue Square branch of Bank of Scotland in Ayr in 1990, and a couple of remarkable men. Andrew Drummond, on the left, cut the ribbon on the new renovation, only to find his ex colleague John Low behind the counter, ready to cash his cheque. What's remarkable was that Andrew had started work with the bank in 1904, and when he took over the Burns Statue Square branch in 1922, John Low had been his first employee. He retired in 1948 at the age of 60. At the time this picture was taken, Andrew Drummond was 102 years old, and John Low a mere slip of a lad at 86!

We are all about Burns Night this week, as was the cover of Bank of Scotland staff magazine Between Friends in 1998. Wil...
21/01/2025

We are all about Burns Night this week, as was the cover of Bank of Scotland staff magazine Between Friends in 1998. Will you be having a haggis this Saturday, either meaty or veggie?

Super Squirrel leapt enthusiastically from the camp blanket he’d been napping under.‘Today is our first Scout Saturday p...
18/01/2025

Super Squirrel leapt enthusiastically from the camp blanket he’d been napping under.

‘Today is our first Scout Saturday pack visit of the year! It’s going to be awesome!’ he shouted, doing a casual back flip.

‘Soops, I told you before, we only do Beavers and Cubs at the moment, not squirrels!’ said Museum Assistant, untangling Super Squirrel from the blanket.

‘About that- it’s not fair. They’ve got a whole section named after me these days, and they still won’t let me join?’

Museum Assistant sighed.

‘It’s because it’s for children aged 4-6, and you, as I have pointed out many times, are an inanimate banking mascot, aged approximately 40?’

‘Now you’re just nit picking’ muttered Super Squirrel, sulkily.

‘Doesn’t matter anyway, I’ve been doing my own badge programme. I’ve got them written down here.’

Super Squirrel handed Museum Assistant a battered log book.

‘Money badge, obviously.’

‘Gymnastics’

‘Recording songs off the radio and cutting it off before the DJ speaks?’

‘It’s a real life skill, of which I am a master?’

‘Band member identification?’

Super Squirrel held up a picture of Roger Taylor from Duran Duran, and Roger Taylor from Queen.

‘This was an advanced level question, and guess who got it right?’

‘Self defence…’

Super Squirrel kicked Museum Assistant in the shin.

‘Ouch! What was that for?’

‘Foresight badge achieved! Always pays to be prepared, Museum Assistant’ cackled Super Squirrel.

Address

The Mound
Edinburgh
EH11YZ

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+441312435464

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Museum on the Mound posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Videos

It's almost the end of our #CityofFinance month as part of Edinburgh 900-we can't believe it's almost over! We're going to loop back to the start of October and our online talk, Adventures in Banking, all about the first investors in Bank of Scotland. If you missed it, you can watch it here. Edinburgh City Archives #ed900

Soops showing off his moves.

Shortcuts

Share

Category