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Power: From Water to Steam

Discover how the advances of the Industrial Revolution made an impact in Scotland.

The discovery that steam could drive machines transformed manufacturing. Soon, engines and steam boilers were powering Scotland's industrial expansion.

The steam era

Steam technology began early in the 18th century. The dominating machine in the gallery is the huge Newcomen atmospheric engine, the first practical steam engine, invented by Thomas Newcomen of Dartmouth, Devon. A rare survivor, it was used to pump water from coal mines near Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. You can see the dramatic Newcomen engine in action twice a day.

James Watt

In 1769, the Scottish engineer James Watt invented the separate condenser (Case 3), a development which was to prove crucial to the advance of steam power, allowing for the invention of efficient steam engines that were able to drive all kinds of machinery and which soon became the main source of industrial power.

Spinning and weaving

This gallery also explores how technological innovations affected textile production, as spinning and then weaving moved from the home to the factory. Take a look at the handlooms on display, and compare them with the freestanding Corliss engine, which powered a small weaving mill in Alva, Clackmannanshire.