Edinburgh, Scotland: The Writers' Museum

You've got to admire a city that has a museum that pays tribute to writers ... even if none of them ever covered a hockey game. Edinburgh qualifies with a salute to three superstars.

Robert Burns, Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson are three of the all-time greats. Burns is essentially the national poet of Scotland, a Romantic known for his support of liberalism. Scott wrote novels and poems, and also studied history and did government work. He's best known for Ivanhoe. Stevenson came up with such literary classics as Treasure Island, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and Kidnapped. The museum has exhibits and portraits of the three authors. 

It's all located in Lady Stair's House, which is about 400 years old. There's a sign on the Royal Mile of Edinburgh directing visitors to go down a narrow alley to reach the courtyard that contains the Museum. Sadly, it was closed during my visit. 

By the way, the museum borders on a courtyard called Makers' Court, which has plenty of charm. Quotes from authors are engraved into the pavement in the area. Nice touch. And the sign pointing toward the area has some company, as a plaque points out that Burns used to live in the building along the Royal Mile.