National Mining Museum Scotland
Scotland's national coal mining museum at the preserved Lady Victoria Colliery, with ex-miner guided tours, exhibitions and a play area.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Lady Victoria Colliery at Newtongrange in Midlothian was opened in 1895 and was promoted as Scotland's first super-pit. It produced coal for almost a century and closed in 1981. The four-acre site is regarded as one of the best-preserved Victorian collieries in Europe, with a Category A listed set of buildings that includes Scotland's most powerful steam winding engine, a long run of Lancashire boilers and a timber dredger that is the only one of its kind left in Europe.
The colliery reopened as a museum in 1984, and in 2009 a conservation project stabilised the tippler floor, picking tables, elevator shed and undercroft so that visitors could safely see how coal was processed for delivery. The museum cares for the national coal mining collections, archives and artefacts, and holds a national memorial to mining disasters in Scotland.
Visitors tour the pit head, a recreated underground coalway and coalface, and two floors of exhibitions, either with a guide who is a former miner or on a self-guided audio tour. The tour does not go underground. The Green Zone, an indoor play park with an energy lab, and the picnic area make the site a family destination.
Highlights
- Guided tours led by former miners
- Recreated underground coalway and coalface
- Scotland's most powerful steam winding engine
- The Story of Coal and A Race Apart exhibitions
- The Green Zone play park and Energy Lab
- National memorial to Scottish mining disasters
Permanent exhibitions
- The Story of Coal – Follows the formation of coal in the Carboniferous period and human efforts to dig it from the 13th century onwards, with tools and interactive displays.
- A Race Apart – Shows home and working life in Scottish mining communities from the 19th century to the 1984-85 strike, including a Victorian home where children can dress up.
- Founded
- 1984
- Operated by
- National Mining Museum Scotland (registered charity)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £3.50Concessions (exhibition galleries only) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 6 · Under 7s are free; ages 7 to 15 are free for the exhibition galleries only, and pay £3.50 for a guided tour or £2.50 for an audio tour. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Carers are admitted free with relevant ID. |
| Groups | –Group visits must be booked in advance by form or by contacting visitor services. |
| Families | £21Family ticket with guided tour; £18.90 with audio tour. Prices exclude the optional 10% donation. |
| Exhibition and guided tour with ex-miner guide, adult | £9.50Concession £7.50, child 7 to 15 £3.50; the booking price with the optional 10% donation is £10.45. |
| Exhibition and self-guided audio tour, adult | £8Concession £6.00, child 7 to 15 £2.50; the booking price with the optional donation is £8.80. |
| Local Families Passport (2 adults and up to 3 children aged 7 to 16, EH22/23 residents) | £20Unlimited visits for a year; includes a guided tour and access to the family fun day, Green Zone and Energy Lab. |
| Pit Pack Passport (2 adults and up to 3 children aged 7 to 16) | £25Unlimited visits for a year, with the same benefits as the Local Families Passport. |
| Flexible Passport (1 adult and a changing guest) | £22Unlimited visits for a year, plus a £5 café and shop voucher. |
Prices shown are the standard prices without the optional 10% voluntary donation that the booking system adds; the lowest regular price is for the exhibition galleries only. Tickets can be booked online or bought at reception. Corporate members and voucher holders book a free ticket online.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
All public parts of the museum are fully wheelchair accessible except the Winding Engine House, with lifts and spacious layouts, and there is level access from reception to the shop, café and toilets. The path from the car park and from Newtongrange station has a short cobbled stretch near the front entrance. Two manual wheelchairs can be booked in advance or on arrival. Accessible toilets are in the café area and on the second floor, and a hearing loop covers the exhibition floors. A visual guide, sensory backpacks, iPads with communication apps and walking-stick seats are available, and sensory and site maps can be downloaded. Guide and assistance dogs are welcome.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £21 · Family ticket with guided tour; £18.90 with audio tour. Prices exclude the optional 10% donation. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
- Playground / play area
- Kids’ birthday parties
The Green Zone has a play park, an Energy Lab and an interactive hub, is included in the ticket price and is accessible to pushchairs and wheelchairs. The museum also has a Victorian home where children can dress up, a family fun day and activities, colouring sheets in the café, high chairs and a picnic area. Baby-changing facilities are in the accessible toilets in the café. Birthday parties can be held in the Activity Room.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Newtongrange station
The Borders Railway runs every half hour from Edinburgh Waverley to Newtongrange station, from where a signposted accessible path leads to the museum. Lothian Buses 29 and 33 run from Edinburgh city centre (the 29 is the quickest), and First Borders buses 95 and X95 serve the Scottish Borders; the nearest bus stop is outside the museum gates.
By car
Free parking
Large free car park on site with coach and bike parking, disabled spaces, a ramp to reception and a drop-off zone outside the main doors.
- Accessible parking
The museum is on the A7 in Newtongrange, about nine miles south of Edinburgh. There are bike rails at the front of the museum.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
- Coat check: not available
- Lockers: not available
The café serves drinks, soup, sandwiches, paninis, toasties, cakes and vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options; it is currently being refurbished, with refreshments in the Power House meanwhile. The shop is open the same hours as the museum. There are no lockers or cloakroom. Visitors may eat their own food at the outdoor picnic tables.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Corporate events
- Weddings / ceremonies
Up to 120 guests.
The Victorian Power House holds up to 80 guests for a ceremony and up to 120 for a wedding with drinks reception, dinner and evening party; it is also used for conferences, funeral teas and parties. The Activity Room can be hired for activities, exhibits and birthday parties.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography is welcome; tripods are not allowed inside the buildings. |
| Good to know | The guided tour with a former miner takes about 1.5 to 2 hours and the self-guided audio tour about 45 minutes; the tours do not go underground. The museum recommends allowing several hours for the tours, exhibitions and colliery site. Other dogs may stay in the outside grounds only. |
