Scottish Maritime Museum, Linthouse Building
Scottish Maritime Museum, Linthouse Building things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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🚢 What a wonderfully rich museum and exhibition space with so much going on! Where to start!? The staff were so friendly and welcoming they went out of their way to make my experience special in every way at every step of my visit. 🌟 The building itself is a beautiful glass roofed brick building that was reconstructed brick by brick from an older shipyard. The space breathes with life and light, it’s not a dusty old space like some museums. The model boats are artworks in their own right! I loved reading about the history of the boats on the Clyde and beyond and being able to interact with the various exhibits about the maritime history of Scotland. So many little nuggets of information to spend hours here. The Enormous engines and pistons reminiscent of Miyazakis Howls Moving Castle make the exhibits as exhilarating to children as they would be to my nostalgic grandparents from the islands. I came for a glassblowing flameworking experience with Robert McLeod and learned so much. I came away awe inspired with a greater appreciation for the skill that goes into making scientific glass, that will never leave me. 🧪 They have so many events on and It’s only 35 mins from Glasgow! This museum and the people gave me the most unforgettable experience. Maybe yours too! 🤩
Botanica ObscuraBotanica Obscura
00
We spent a few hours here on a Wednesday morning, so it was quiet. Staff were really friendly and told our little boy about the challenge of finding certain objects in the museum as well as the cat and rat quest. Our little boy found all the items needed and was allowed a couple of stickers and a certificate, which he was buzzing about. The main cafe is a short walk down the road, but there are light refreshments at this venue such as cold drinks, teas/coffees, and sweets/crisps. There's a small children's activity space near the front too with stuff for under 5s such as colouring in, train tracks, boats and games etc. All in all, a great few hours spent walking around the museum and around it looking at the 3 ships in the car park, the lifeboats inside, thr engines and displays. It was great for our 6 year old.
John JamesJohn James
10
I'm very glad I took the time to visit the Scottish Maritime Museum...the history of the Linthouse building itself is amazing. There is plenty of fascinating history here and learning activities for young children. What made my visit extra special was the guided tour to the museum's coastal vessel, ex SV Kyles and the dockyard workers historic house. The information given by my guide, Keith, was wonderful. The house tour was like stepping back in time and it was very nice to step aboard the Kyles. The museum staff are very knowledgeable and willing to give their time to ensure you get the most out of your visit. The museum has it's own cafe, the Puffer, which served a wide variety of snacks and meals. A very nice shop to look around will round off your day nicely⚓⚓⚓
Mark MonaghanMark Monaghan
10
I visited for the first time today and I was not disappointed. The building its self is amazing and full of amazing exhibits. I had the best time looking round the amazing boats and reading about their fascinating history, seeing the different and what they were for. The staff could not of been nicer, part of my ticket included a tour of the fitting shed and the 1920s flat which was out of this world, I was the only one on the tour and my tour guide who’s name I didn’t catch was brilliant and I can’t thank him enough for the tour, it was great fun, he also recommended visiting Dragon hill as it was such a nice day, not part of the museum but well worth a visit for the most spectacular views. Will 100% be back
ashlie cunninghamashlie cunningham
20
We spent a lovely few hours visiting the Scottish Maritime Museum. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. Great displays and information boards telling you about the history of ship building. There are even fun interesting interactive displays along the way. Great place to bring children as they have things to find and mark off on a fact sheet, as well as a designated area with colouring, dressing up etc. There are toilets in the building and a seating area where you can get snacks, tea, coffee and cold drinks. Across the road is the Maritime Museum shop and cafe 'Puffers' which serves everything from cakes, light meals , burgers, hotdogs, pasta and specials. Both are well worth a visit!
Barbara BowenBarbara Bowen
10
Great place to visit with interesting stories about the people of the area responsible for the build. Very nice items on display. Was very interesting to see a jet engine there even. If you are in the area and can spare the £9 it's not a bad place to visit. You can spend about and hour or two and see all they have to offer. Ensure to play the games even if you are not a kid because you can learn some good principles even as an adult. Make sure to try inserting the "hot" rivets into the steel sheeting to remind yourself how difficult the work back then used to be.
Nystrom EdwardsNystrom Edwards
20
Nearby Attractions Of Scottish Maritime Museum, Linthouse Building
Irvine Beach Park
Harbour Arts Centre
Trinity Church (Former)
Irvine Beach Park
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Harbour Arts Centre
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Trinity Church (Former)
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Nearby Restaurants Of Scottish Maritime Museum, Linthouse Building
GRO Coffee
The Auld Brig - JD Wetherspoon
The Niche Restaurant
Porthead Tavern and Hamiltons Restaurant
The Carrick
Puffers Café Bistro
Harbour Lights
Duncan's Bar and Bistro
Mamma's
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The Auld Brig - JD Wetherspoon
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The Niche Restaurant
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Porthead Tavern and Hamiltons Restaurant
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Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
Linthouse Building, Harbour Rd, Irvine KA12 8BT, United Kingdom
Map
Phone
+44 1294 277177
Call
Website
scottishmaritimemuseum.org
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.5
(392 reviews)
Ratings & Description
cultural
entertainment
family-friendly
accessibility
Description
The Scottish Maritime Museum is an industrial museum with a Collection Recognised as Nationally Significant to Scotland. It is located at two sites in the West of Scotland in Irvine and Dumbarton, with a focus on Scotland's shipbuilding heritage.
attractions: Irvine Beach Park, Harbour Arts Centre, Trinity Church (Former), restaurants: GRO Coffee, The Auld Brig - JD Wetherspoon, The Niche Restaurant, Porthead Tavern and Hamiltons Restaurant, The Carrick, Puffers Café Bistro, Harbour Lights, Duncan's Bar and Bistro, Mamma's, Small Talk
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