Schools

David Livingstone Birthplace Museum welcomes school groups of all ages and abilities. We offer curriculum-linked workshops and tours, suiting classes from early level to third level learners.

“Children and young people can benefit from additional or targeted support, tailored to their individual circumstances. This could be at any points of their learning journey or throughout their journey.”
CfE updated 31/10/2025

Every workshop has pre-visit and post-visit activities and resources if the school require them. They are free.

We can also provide a sensory pack, during the visit, to assist any pupils with Additional Support Needs (ASN) and we can supply and adapt any differentiated class material as required.

Alternatively, our Handling Boxes offer schools the opportunity to explore our collections without leaving the classroom.

We have space for your class to enjoy their packed lunch under cover, plus LOADS of outdoor space and an awesome play park! Coach parking is also available on site, so no problem about accessing the site safely.

Through the lens of David Livingstone, your class will learn about the multi-layered histories linked to the famous Scot. Children will investigate and think critically about Scotland within a global context. We welcome school groups of all ages and abilities and offer workshops and tours linked to Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) and we are constantly revisiting the Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC) as it unfolds.

• The room where David's journey began and dreams took root Pupils can experience first-hand what David would have felt, with an immersive tour of the room where he was born. Reflecting on the Scottish Victorian Era of Scottish mill workers and sit round the fireplace that he sat at, while listening to his father read from the Bible. Then we move into his ‘learning days’ with more direct or hands on experience of life during Victorian times.
• Into Africa and Return Engage with real objects contained in the museum collection. Classes will engage them as way explore the geography, culture, and languages of Africa, and how David became known as the, now famous, explorer.
• African Drumming Session Pupils will engage in a thrilling mixture of African storytelling, dressing up, practical Djembe drum tuition and a chance to feel the excitement of this part of African culture.
• Exploring Garden The park is a wonderful community resource, a natural habitat for otters, badgers and heron. It’s an essential part of the David Livingstone Birthplace experience. We have recently included workshops and school events to allow pupils to learn the secrets of Nature in our new ‘Exploring Garden’.

Handling Boxes

The boxes include quality replicas of the kinds of tools Livingstone would have used. The box uses STEM and the curriculum for excellence as the basis for the linked activities, which are designed to develop literacy and numeracy skills.

The handling box also includes various materials, through which, pupils are encouraged to think critically about the historical context of Livingstone’s travels,

After completing these activities, you will:

• Know more about David Livingstone’s Trans-Africa Expedition.
• You will have developed critical thinking through questioning the links between David Livingstone’s missionary work during the Victorian period.

We are currently developing indoor and outdoor learning resources. Please get in touch if you would like to learn more and get involved in the development of these.