One of the museums attached to the University is the Bell-Pettigrew Museum, which I have heard referred to as the Taxidermy Museum.
It's a natural history museum in a classic Victorian style. Lots of birds, insects, and shells. There's a bunch of fossils, including a dinosaur leg bone. They even have some old science equipment.
But they have a lot of taxidermied animals. Animal heads.
A buck toothed weasel.
And then there is this. It has to be the most terrified predator I have ever seen.
I'm sure they meant it to be snarling or something. But really, this just says Oh my God I saw a scary bird and it's going to eat me!
See if you don't agree. It's a British wild cat, for those interested. They are pretty much extinct in England, and there aren't that many in Scotland left. It's supposed to be a pretty fierce animal. Yes, it looks like a domestic cat.
And this is a good one. Because what's a museum without a vampire deer? It's actually a musk deer, but honestly? That screams Vampire.
One can imagine that not many people would study in here with all the dead eyes looking at them. But no. People do. It's a good place to hang out. They provide tables to spread out your stuff, plugs for the computer, and it's generally a quiet spot out of the hustle and bustle. Not to mention you don't have to jockey for a space in the library.
Not a lot of distractions, except for the dead stuff. And hey I can appreciate the humor, unintended as it may be, of the displays.
So unless it really creeps you out, it's a cool place. Despite the stuff in jars.
