Natural History Collections

The University of Edinburgh has been home to a rich collection of "natural history" specimens and objects for over 300 years. These collections were built up by researchers and educators as a scientific record, as a teaching resource, as a historical record of how zoology and related disciplines have flourished in the University, and as a public museum. Today, the collections are located in the Ashworth Laboratories of King's Buildings Campus, and are open to the public by appointment.

The early history of The Natural History Collections was often turbulent and dominated by colourful and controversial individuals. Early instances of the collections have been dispersed as the museum has moved, and much of the original collections now reside in the National Museums of Scotland. The present collection was assembled over the last hundred years and displays specimens from all the different major groups of animals, including both non-vertebrates and vertebrates. Although its assembly was a less eventful process than the acquisition of the first collections, the story is just as fascinating and involves equally intriguing personalities. The Natural History Collections are one of the University Collections registered with the Museums and Galleries Commission.

Although most of the current exhibits are from the 1920s, the University has been amassing zoological specimens since 1692, when the first exhibits were displayed in Old College. The specimens are displayed within a taxonomic framework to illustrate the diversity of the animal kingdom. The highlight of the collections is the Aubrey Manning Gallery, named in honour of the Professor of Natural History from 1973 - 1997.

We are open by arrangement - please email the curators (Prof Mark Blaxter and/or Prof Graham Stone) well in advance so we can plan a visit for you.