I am going to Scotland for a few weeks for an archaeological field school and will have three days to kill in Edinburgh. Are there and places that are a must? Also are there any neat shops worth visiting that might have antique weapons?

You have the castle, the National and Royal Museum all about there. I found most of the stuff that is medieval is at the Royal Museum.

RPM

Like Randall said, you have the Castle and Museums. I particularly liked the castle as it's a 'Real' castle: not a palace or manor house. The castle houses the National War Museum, which had a few things in it, but I can't remember anything standing out for me in particular.

When I last went, I visited Paul MacDonald from MacDonald Armouries: http://www.macdonaldarms.com/armoury/

His workshop is just outside of the city centre. If you contact him beforehand, he might be amenable to a visit and chat about any projects he has on the go.

I couldn't find any decent weapon-related shops. I was only there for a weekend though, and didn't have time for a good search. A couple of tourist shops selling terrible John Barnett tat, and that's about all I could find.

Have a good time!

Ant

If you are able to, it might be worth taking a train ride to Glasgow to see the Kelvingrove museum for a day - there is a large, excellent and varied collection of arms and armour on display there, mostly european medieval and renaissance including an INGELRII sword and lots of zweihanders. Also some stone-age and bronze-age artifacts. There are even some interesting non-european artifacts like a Micronesian textile armour with a pufferfish helmet. There are also some fechtbucher and italian rapier-fencing manuals which they sometimes have on display if you are a HEMA practitioner. (Also on display there are a Spitfire Mk XXIII, a fossilized prehistoric giant elk skeleton and some very fine paintings by a number of famous artists - it is generally an interesting place!).

Otherwise in Edinburgh, the castle and museums already mentioned by others of course. And If your interest in the middle ages and scottish history extends beyond weapons and armour, I would also recommend St. Giles Cathedral - some of the stonework apparently dates back to the 12th century despite the usual victorian "restoration".

Thanks guys, I just wanted to make sure I don't miss something and regret not knowing about it beforehand.

Hi Isaac.

Recommended:

http://www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-scotland/ which is a bit of a mess since the controversial revamp of the galleries a few years back: Lots of dimly lit treasures but a good Roman collection and some familiar arms & armour, albeit scattered about a bit (takes a search to find the Pembridge helm, for example).

http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/ and as part of this the http://www.nms.ac.uk/national-war-museum/

Nationals are free entry, the castle is £16.50 ($25) adult entry but worth a visit.

I'd put in a second for the Kelvingrove museum in Glasgow http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/kelving...fault.aspx

In fact, I'd rate Kelvingrove above the Edinburgh museums; the arms and armour display here is superb and anywhere that greets you with a Spitfire hanging from the ceiling, in amongst a spectacular Victorian gothic facade, could never be bad. It's also free entry and has some of the finest Scottish art (i.e. portraiture). You can get an idea of the arms and armour display on the virtual tour on the website.

If in Glasgow, then also try the Burrell http://www.museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk/me...collection , superb war swords! And with it entry into Pollock House with an unexpected collection of portraits of the progressively dysmorphic Habsburgs.

Both Kelvingrove and the Burrell need a ride from the station if travelling in by train, Kelvin has a subway station and this service is pretty tidy, quick and cheap, otherwise buses run to/near both.

And continuing the artistic note, the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh https://www.nationalgalleries.org/visit/298/ is definitely worth visiting: Beautiful building, lots more of that finest of Scottish contributions to the enlightenment with lots of stunning Ramsays, Raeburns, etc. Admittedly, no arms and armour perhaps bar a few basket hilts in a picture or two!

I'm sure you could get this all in, in a few days.

Kelvingrove:

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Enough said!

Hi Isaac,
Yes Kelvingrove has one of the best collections of A&A in Britain (tho' a large proportion is in store, including nearly all the pistols). The Burrell is closed for restoration just now, alas - and for another year or so. In the National Museum in Edinburgh the old building (what was the Royal Museum) has the Noel Paton collection of A&A, but sadly nearly all shut away in store. The Pembridge helm is one of the few pieces on display. " there is no room to display politically incorrect stuff like weapons ".
However, in the new building (the 2 parts are joined) are good displays of Scottish A&A - some mediaeval swords, a lot of Scots basket-hilted swords, mostly top quality, and some all-steel Scots pistols + some Scots long guns. All spread over various sections of the museum. Enjoy your visit.
Neil

Also if you make it to Glasgow,m the Burrell Collection. IA small but very fine collection well worth looking at.