A Summer of Storytelling and Outdoor Adventure!

April 2022

Summer Programme 2022 at David Livingstone Birthplace

Our 2022 Summer Programme has been inspired by David Livingstone’s love of nature and storytelling.

Even as a child, Livingstone explored. He explored the grounds of what was Blantyre Cotton Works, now the grounds of our museum. He collected plants and researched what they could be used for, he hunted for fossils and even fished in the River Clyde.

Our museum now looks after acres of parkland and we’re determined to encourage a healthy eco system, full of trees, plants, animals, birds, and insects! We work with several partners to deliver workshops and teach children (and grownups!) how important it is to look after the natural environment, now more than ever. This summer, we’ll be running:

  • Bio Blitz - with The Conservation Volunteers. BioBlitz events encourage a love of our local environment, highlighting biodiversity and the ways we can help conserve these special natural areas. Together, we’ll investigate the wildlife surrounding the museum: catching bugs and butterflies, spotting birds and small creatures, and recording plant life.
  • Habitats - Join us to learn more about our wild residents and how they live. Find out how you can do more to help wildlife in your area.
  • Natural Expedition - Join our Learning Team, as they guide you through our grounds, pointing out interesting plants, trees, and maybe even a footprint or two!
  • Wild Crafts - Join us every other Tuesday for a WILD CRAFT SESSION! We’ll be making animal masks, etc.

Livingstone wrote down everything he saw on his adventures! A lot of his notes, diaries and journals were turned into books and relayed as stories. So, this summer – again inspired by Livingstone, but also by Visit Scotland’s Year of Stories - we’ll be including a whole heap of storytelling activities in our programme too. Join us for:

  • Storytelling Crafts - Join us every other Tuesday for a storytelling craft session! We’ll be making comic strips, story books, puppets, etc.
  • Animal tales - Join us every Monday for storytime in the museum. We’ll be telling stories about lions, hippos, rhinos, and all the other animals Livingstone saw on his journeys!
  • Musical stories - Join us and a guest storyteller and explore how we use music and instruments to share stories.
  • Global Tales - Join us for stories from around the globe, with special emphasis on the tales from Sub-Saharan countries.

Exact dates and times are coming soon - please follow us on social media for updates.

All activities will be priced between FREE and £5 per child. Activities in the museum will be included in museum entry.

Read More News.


We are very grateful to our key funders the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish Government for their support in helping us deliver the Birthplace Project.

National Lottery Heritage Fund
Scottish Government
Historic Environment Scotland
Note: Please note that David Livingstone Birthplace (and the David Livingstone Trust) is no longer part of National Trust Scotland (NTS). NTS members will therefore no longer receive discounted/free entry to the Birthplace Museum.

Support Us

As a registered charity, we rely on your donations to help maintain the museum's unique collections and educational programmes. Your generosity will make a difference. Thank you.

Support Us

Get Involved

Sign-Up For Our Newsletter

Sign-up for our newsletter