Lady Victoria Colliery
Newtongrange
Lothians
p: +44 (0) 131 663 7519
f: +44 (0) 131 654 1618
w: Website
Welcome to the Scottish Mining Museum, which, since its establishment in 1984, has provided a great day out for all the family. The Scottish Mining Museum is a nationally registered independent museum, which was founded to preserve and present Scotland's mining heritage.
We're based at one of the finest surviving examples of a Victorian colliery in Europe, the Lady Victoria Colliery at Newtongrange, just nine miles from Edinburgh.
The Lady Victoria Colliery
The Lady Victoria Colliery opened in the 1890s and became renowned as one of the first Scottish 'super pits' and a showpiece for the industry. Today the A-listed complex is recognised as one of the finest surviving examples of a Victorian colliery in Europe, and is home to the extensive collections of the Scottish Mining Museum, a nationally registered independent museum founded in 1984 to preserve and present Scotland's mining heritage.
Named after the wife of the Marquees of Lothian, the 'Lady Vic' formed part of the vast mineral empire of the Lothian Coal Company, which was owned by the marquees and the self-made engineering entrepreneur, Archibald Hood.
From its earliest days, when engineers used new brick-lining techniques to sink the shaft, the Lady Victoria was a proving ground for innovative technologies, including steel pit props and the use of electricity for power as well as light. In its lifetime, it produced a record 40 million tons of coal, all hauled up the 500-metre shaft by the largest winding engine in Scotland. At its peak, the colliery had a workforce of almost 2,000 men and women.
Closed in 1981, the surface buildings, which were built on a grandiose scale and which are home to a vital part of the nation's heritage, continue to dominate the surrounding countryside. They stand as a vibrant tribute to the generations of men and women who laboured so hard to win Scotland's black diamonds.
Bringing History to Life
The Scottish Mining Museum is a unique opportunity for first-hand learning in the context of a real colliery. Coal mining is a significant part of Scotland's history and the story of coal is an exciting and inspiring tale - vividly brought to life at the museum.
School and group visits are welcome all year round.
A tour of the museum now includes:
A fully accessible, three-storey visitors centre
Two major exhibitions - 'The Story of Coal' and 'A Race Apart' - which feature interactive displays, reconstruction’s, sound, and visuals to describe the history and technology of coal and the story of the mining communities
A hands-on Operations Centre
A re-created underground roadway and coal face - experience the atmosphere and noise of a working pit
The pithead, where generations of miners descended 500 metres down into the blackness of the 'Lady Vic'
The massive winding engine - the largest in Scotland - which hauled men and coal up and down the pit shaft for nearly 90 years and is still in working order
Two audio-visual shows
Restaurant and Shop.
On your tour you will use our unique 'magic helmets', which are fitted with remote-controlled headphones to describe what you are looking at on the site.
And you can get the personal insights and anecdotes of our guides, all of whom are ex-miners.
For further information,
please contact Maureen Hardiker on 0131-663 7519.
To allow time for your visit, we recommend that you arrive by 2.00pm.The museum is fully accessible for disabled people.
How to get here
By Car from the eastern end of the Edinburgh city by-pass (at Sheriffhall Roundabout), follow the signs for Newtongrange and the museum for approximately three miles.
From the south, follow the A7 north from Galashiels.
There is plenty of free parking for cars and coaches.
By Bus regular buses (service number 30) connect the museum with Edinburgh's Princes Street.
Opening Times
The museum is open seven days a week,
from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.
Admission
Adult £5.95
Child: £3.95
Conc: £3.95
Family: £17.95
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