The Scottish Mining Museum was founded to preserve and present Scotland's mining heritage and is one of the finest surviving examples of a Victorian colliery in Europe.

A tour of the museum includes two major exhibitions: The Story of Coal and A Race Apart - which feature interactive displays, reconstructions, sound and visuals to describe the history and technology of coal and the story of the mining communities.

The Lady Victoria Colliery opened in the 1890's and became renowned as one of the first Scottish super pits and a showpiece for the industry. At the museum you'll find:

• a re-created underground roadway and coalface - experience the atmosphere and noise of a working pit
  

• the pithead, where generations of miners descended 500 metres down into the blackness of the 'Lady Vic'
  

• the massive winding engine - the largest in Scotland - which hauled men and coal up and down the pit shaft for nearly 90 years and is still in working order
  

• two audio-visual shows

On a tour you use the 'magic helmets', which are fitted with remote-controlled headphones to describe what you are looking at on the site.

And you can also get the personal insights and anecdotes of the guides, all of whom are ex-miners.

Photographs and information The Scottish Mining Museum

Further information www.scottishminingmuseum.com