All stories
Looking good
We take a look at the history of beauty through some of the items in our collections.
Shanah Tovah! (Good Year!)
Tonight (18 September) marks the start of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, typically regarded as the Jewish New Year.
Pests in collections – silverfish
Pests can cause irreversible damage in historical collections. Silverfish are very hard to eradicate, so we keep them in check with integrated pest management programmes.
The ‘Spanish flu’ and the Tenement House
We take a look at how the 1918 flu pandemic might have affected Miss Agnes Toward, who lived in Glasgow at that time.
Ask a curator!
For #AskACuratorDay, our curators share their favourite objects from across the Trust’s collections.
Tartan in art
We take a look at a much-admired portrait and discover the hidden meanings behind the use of tartan in art.
Morphinomania in the 19th century
We take a look at one of 19th-century Britain’s most ubiquitous but deadly substances.
The Hill House: the bathroom
One of the more unusual objects in the Hill House collection is the shower. Yes, you read that correctly – visitors are often quite startled to see a shower in a house of this age, and by how it looks!
James Nasmyth and the Philosopher’s Stone
To celebrate World Literacy Day (8 September), we take a closer look at a painting by James Nasmyth to uncover a story about alchemy and friendship.
Art competition gallery
We asked you to create your very own masterpiece to celebrate our incredible places. Take a look at some of our favourites.
Best of the beards
In celebration of World Beard Day on Saturday 5 September, we share some of the best bristles from across our collections.
Anne, 3rd Duchess of Hamilton (1631–1716)
Join Regional Curator Sarah Beattie over the next few months as she looks at the lives of some of the Hamilton family and explores the impact they had on the building, collections and interiors at Brodick Castle.
Vintage cleaning hacks from the Tenement House
The Tenement House archive in Glasgow holds some great advice to help you keep your home spick and span!
A Gladstone’s Land plague remedy
Gladstone’s Land sold all the ingredients to ‘cure’ 17th-century Edinburgh residents of the plague.
Why do we collect shells?
As British summertime ends, we’re beachcombing our collections for shells, to illustrate how a humble home for a sea creature has become a symbol of luxury and power in art and design.
25 of the very best dogs in our collections!
In celebration of National Dog Day, we thought it would be fun to share some examples of our canine friends from across the years ... and in various guises.
It’s a dog’s life – Canna’s Cairns and other canines
To celebrate National Dog Day on 26 August, we take a look at some of the canine companions of the Canna House Collections.
Collections Diaries – Part I: Photographs of a Hidden Empire
As the Collections Team return to work, we’re sharing stories that give a behind-the-scenes look at their current projects to preserve Scotland’s history.
Throwing new light on difficult histories
Our collections contain a considerable number of controversial objects which we can use to reveal the complexities of our heritage and culture.
Predicting the future at the Tenement House in Glasgow
Some items found in the archive at the Tenement House have given us a fascinating insight into the popularity of the supernatural and spiritual in Britain.
The Hill House cookbook
Have you ever wanted to eat like a Victorian? At the Hill House we have an original cookbook by Mrs De Salis, filled with delicious recipes enjoyed by the Blackie family.
Work, rest or play
As children prepare to return to the classroom, we chart changes in education for girls through a selection of samplers from our collection.
Pretty in pink ... and blue: the conservation of two 18th-century gowns
What does it take to bring two 18th-century gowns back to their former glory, ready for display at House of Dun? We take a look ‘behind the scenes’ at the Trust’s collaboration with The Scottish Conservation Studio.
Margaret Fay Shaw’s diary – the voyage to Scotland in 1920
Read Canna’s Margaret Fay Shaw’s diary entries during her first voyage to school in Helensburgh, on the Anchor Line’s SS Columbia.