10/04/2008 01:25:00
Edinburgh's Royal Museum plans to celebrate its £46.4 million revamp with a series of special events over the last weekend of April.
The free event, which takes place on April 26 and 27, will offer a series of "last-chance" tours of the Edinburgh museum, as well as music from popular bagpipe rock band the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and "in conversation" book festival talks from authors Maggie O'Farrell and Kate Atkinson.
Other events hosted throughout the free weekend include workshops in circus skills and Indian dancing, as well as a series of live music and dance performances.
When the party ends on Sunday April 27, half of the Royal Museum will be closed for refurbishment until 2011, during which time parts of the historic building will be rebuilt and lifts will be added.
As one of the most popular attractions in central Scotland, the partial closure of the 147-year-old museum will be unwelcome news for some. However, the scheduled revamp plans to make the Royal Museum better than ever.
According to the BBC, Jane Ferguson, the museum's spokesman, said: "This is an exciting time in our history, and while we will be sad to temporarily close parts of the museum, over half will remain open with an exciting programme of events and exhibitions continuing."
The Edinburgh museum made headlines recently when it was left a £2 million legacy by Adele Stewart, an elderly patron who died in late 2006.
As a token of their gratitude, the museum's directors have decided to name the new World Cultures galleries, which will be built during the refurbishment, after Ms. Stewart.