It was perhaps fitting that youngsters were digging for archaeological “treasure” at the Museum of the University of St Andrews (MUSA) as the facility struck gold in national tourism awards.
The museum, which opened eight years ago, has been named best visitor experience 2016 by the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) for being “inspiring” and “accessible”, and for constantly striving to improve the visitor experience.
MUSA beat fellow finalists the Royal Lochnagar Distillery Visitor Centre and The Helix to take the accolade.
Chairman of the judges Bob Downie said: “MUSA has clearly worked very hard to make the university’s past and present interesting, inspiring and accessible to a diverse audience that includes prospective students, tourists, schools and the local community.
“Their entry demonstrates that not only do they research and review how the visitor experience is being received by customers, they then use this feedback to continually improve and develop the quality of their offer to as wide an audience base as possible.”
MUSA offers a wide range of activities for children from messy play events for babies to simulated archaeological digs for older youngsters, and was also recognised for its accessibility for a wide range of people, including those with disabilities.
Photographic workshops and interactive events for visitors to explore exhibits are also among the dynamic programme of events available at the museum, as well as constantly changing exhibitions reflecting the discoveries and research at the university – and the history of the 600-year-old institution itself.
Emma Jane Wells, co-director of operations and public engagement at MUSA, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won this prestigious award from ASVA.
“Since opening eight years ago we have worked hard to identify the visitor journey at MUSA and have strived even harder to continuously evaluate and improve upon this journey.
“St Andrews is a town with many excellent heritage attractions, yet MUSA stands out because of our excellent customer service, wide-ranging events programme and varied, high-quality temporary exhibitions.”
