Displays

Today, Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland are two of the best-known banks on the high street. Since 2009, they have formed part of Lloyds Banking Group. Their origins, however, are very different…

They were founded in separate nations in contrasting circumstances in two cities hundreds of miles apart. Their stories are intertwined with the economic development of Britain and reveal three centuries of extraordinary banking history.

Explore the changing face of Edinburgh and our landmark building.

Museum on the Mound is housed in the magnificent purpose-built head office of Bank of Scotland. Today the building also serves as the Scottish headquarters for Lloyds Banking Group. Find out more about the fascinating history of this beautiful building.

Use our interactive maps to see how the city has changed and grown since the 1600s. Find out how the Mound got its name. Have a go at building the Bank for yourself!

Discover more about money – in all its shapes and forms.

Money matters to all of us – it is part of our daily lives. Although we think of money today as banknotes and coins, things like tea, shells and even feathers have been used in the past.

Find out how money has evolved over the past 4,000 years, see £1 million pounds and have a go at cracking a safe!

Learn about Victorian Britain and the rise of the building societies.

Britain is a nation of home-owners – but it wasn’t always like that. In the 19th century, building societies changed the way we live, for good.

Discover what housing conditions were like in the Industrial Revolution and how working people clubbed together to build themselves better homes. See how the dream of home-ownership has been sold over the past 100 years.

The early 19th century saw a steady rise in the formation of new life assurance companies. The Scottish Widows’ Fund and Life Assurance Society began business in 1815. Clerical, Medical and General was founded almost a decade later.

Discover how different diseases and lifestyle-choices could dramatically increase the cost of a policy. Find out which countries were considered safe to visit in the 1820s – and which were not.

You can even apply for an 1820s-style life assurance policy…

Enjoy the changing world of the workplace

Countless people have been employed by banks and building societies over the years to look after our money. For over 200 years, most were men and used nothing more than pens, ink and huge ledgers. But then everything changed.

Discover how early mechanisation and the first ‘computers’ changed the workplace. See how advertising changed to meet the needs of an ever evolving society.