Home / Arts and Entertainment / Scotland's Rain: From Science to Supernatural
Scotland's Rain: From Science to Supernatural
17 Jun
Summary
- Exhibition explores how rainfall shaped Scottish science and culture.
- Features Minnie the Minx, Macbeth, and James Hutton's rain theory.
- Highlights rain's impact from literature to identity in Scotland.
An exhibition at the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh is exploring the multifaceted influence of rainfall on Scottish science, literature, history, and identity. The display highlights the work of James Hutton, the father of modern geology, who developed a "theory of rain" 250 years ago. This exhibition brings together diverse elements, pairing literary figures like Minnie the Minx and Robert Burns with inventions such as Charles Macintosh's waterproof fabric.
Visitors can see a rare copy of King James VI's "Daemonologie," which blames witches for storms, and explore how this text inspired Shakespeare's "Macbeth." Robert Burns' "Tam O'Shanter" is also featured, illustrating rain's role in his poetry. The library's director of collections noted that rain is an intrinsic part of Scottish life, appearing in manuscripts, maps, and prose.
The exhibition includes early rain maps of Scotland, with one from 1912 charting 25 years of rainfall. Interestingly, Edinburgh is noted as one of the UK's drier cities. The display also offers an interactive weather forecast wall. It will be dedicated to the memory of Mel Houston, a preventive conservator lost in a flash flood in early 2023, who was vital in preparing the library's collections for climate change impacts.
