Royal Burgh of Science

The Royal Burgh of Science is a community engagement partnership between university researchers and Linlithgow Museum, designed to inspire and engage the community on local scientific history.

Funded by The Royal Society, The Places of Science funding stream was designed to support museums to engage local communities with science through their heritage and collections. The 'Royal Burgh of Science: From Waldie to Scotty' project provides a unique opportunity to bring together researchers and the locality of West Lothian, in a fusion of cultural heritage and history alongside STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) research. 

The project and event series will explore museum collection items relating to pharmacy and chemistry specialisms, encapsulating some of the University's ongoing research in these spheres. Visitors will be taken on a journey of Linlithgow Museum's science collections, from local historical discoveries, through to the latest scientific developments being undertaken by researchers at Heriot-Watt University. The project will celebrate the Museum-University connections through a series of workshops, talks and events aimed at children, families and adult audiences.

Not only will the project explore historical hero chemist David Waldie (1813 – 1889), but also a future Linlithgow resident Montgomery Scott, or Scotty from Star Trek! Sci-Fi themed events, ranging from black holes to teleportation, will feature through the lens of Heriot-Watt University's innovative research. The project will also enlist the support of a creative practitioner to co-design creative activities for families to enjoy, and further creative thinking in the sphere of research.

Keep up to date on social media (@hwengage) or get in touch with project lead, Camilla Irvine-Fortescue if you would like to know more.