Zoology Museum Tour

The Zoology Museum is running guided tours on Wednesday 11 November, from 12:00 to 12:45. It's a 45-minute walk through the collections, and it's one of three dates this autumn, with the others on 28 October and 4 November.

The tours are devised and led by students from the Zoology and Biological Sciences Society, with support from the University Collections team. The guides take you through displays with a worldwide scope, from sea sponges and great whales to the Indian elephant and the giant Japanese spider crab. Along the way, you'll see taxidermy, skeletons, fluid-preserved specimens and models, so it's a good cross-section of how the museum holds its animals.

One thing that sets these apart is who's leading them. Each guide is a student, and they're all at different stages: you might get someone who's given many tours by now, or someone giving their very first. It's a student-run thing, so the tone is usually more informal than a professional tour.

Entry is free to all, and booking is recommended — you can do it online in advance, though people are welcome to drop in on the day too. Group tours are also available at no charge, with donations welcome. The museum is part of the University of Aberdeen, so if you're around the university area on a Wednesday, it's an easy one to slot in.