Hunterian, University of Glasgow

Scotland's oldest public museum, which holds a piece of High Possil, the first meteorite recorded in Scotland.

Key facts

Where

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Kind

University collection

Visiting

Public gallery or display at a university

The Hunterian grew from the bequest of the anatomist William Hunter in the 18th century and opened in 1807, making it Scotland's oldest public museum. Its geology collections hold minerals, fossils and meteorites used in teaching and research at the University of Glasgow.

Its best-known meteorite is High Possil, which fell at a quarry on the northern edge of Glasgow on 5 April 1804 and was the first meteorite recorded in Scotland. The stone broke in two when it landed, and the larger piece was later lost, so the surviving material is especially precious. The museum's geology curators have written about the fall and its history.

The Hunterian has also lent samples of meteorites to projects that put thin sections of British meteorites online for students to study under a virtual microscope.

Highlights

• High Possil Scotland's first recorded meteorite L6

See every meteorite recorded in the UK and Ireland on the Britain and Ireland page.

Opening times, what is on display and access to research collections change over time, so check with the institution before you visit.