Scotland & Medicine highlights Scotland's wealth of medical collections. Photo Scotland & Medicine

The voting for the 2007 Readers' Poll for the Gulbenkian Prize is now closed

24 Hour Museum continues its alphabetical roundup of the museums on this year's longlist for the Gulbenkian Prize with a look at a partnership of medical collections in Scotland.

Scotland & Medicine: Collections & Connections is a partnership of museums and other organisations covering the whole of Scotland, highlighting the prominent role the country has had in the development of modern medicine.

Led by Surgeons’ Hall Museum in Edinburgh, the project was established in December 2004 to promote medical collections and health connections in Scotland to local, national and international audiences.

The major medical museums housed in the universities and Royal Medical Colleges in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews hold a wealth of specimens, models, surgical instruments, paintings and images telling the story of how medical developments have changed our lives.

Scottish scientists have been at the forefront of modern medical advances. Photo Scotland & Medicine

The project was officially launched in July 2005 with a new website and the first of a series of regional leaflets, Edinburgh: City of Medicine.

The main initiative for 2007 is the touring exhibition Anatomy Acts, which has already attracted popular interest and is currently showing at the Swanson Gallery in Thurso until February 17 and then at the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery from March 31 to April 21.

Anatomy Acts is one of Scotland’s most ambitious touring exhibitions ever undertaken, presenting new commissioned work from artists Christine Borland, Joel Fisher, Claude Heath and poet Kathleen Jamie.

A host of exhibitions and events are occuring all over Scotland. Photo Scotland & Medicine

Other current exhibitions include Conan Doyle and Jospeh Bell: The Real Sherlock Holmes at the Surgeons’ Hall Museum and The George Shepherd Pharmaceutical Collection at Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

Scotland & Medicine was awarded £300,000 over three years through the Regional Development Challenge Fund funded by the Scottish Executive via the Scottish Museums Council.

Go to the Scotland & Medicine website for full details of all the exhibitions, events and venues taking part in the project.

Should Scotland & Medicine win the 2007 Gulbenkian Prize? Go to the 24 Hour Museum’s vote page to vote for Scotland & Medicine or any of the other longlisted museums in the 24 Hour Museum’s Gulbenkian 2007 People’s Vote.