A remarkable century-old discovery has been made at a historic and beautiful theatre in Scotland.
A 119-year-old message in a bottle was discovered behind a crown decoration at Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre.
The bottle contained a list of people who helped build the theatre in 1906, including prominent figures like contractor William Stewart Cruickshank and architect John Daniel Swanston.
The find occurred during ongoing £40 million restoration work, and experts used special techniques to carefully extract and preserve the note.
The discovery is being showcased in an upcoming exhibition at the theatre, offering a glimpse into its fascinating history.
Theatre donor and enthusiast Mike Hume uncovered the bottle, which was concealed behind an ornate crown decoration, while touring the restoration project.
After months of careful work, the note inside was retrieved, revealing the names of those who constructed the theatre in 1906.
The Kings Theatre team shared the news in a social media post that said: “A message in a bottle, hidden at the King’s Theatre for 118 years.
“Whilst on a tour of the theatre last week, King’s supporter, theatre photographer and historian Mike Hume discovered an object behind one of the ornate crowns above the stage.
“A bottle with a folded piece of paper inside – visibly marked with the date 1906. As if by miracle, this discovery has coincided with the anniversary of the King’s Theatre’s opening – also in 1906.
“Stay tuned for updates as we head to The Scottish Conservation Studio to safely open it and see what’s inside.”
Mike said in the Instagram post: “It’s crazy to think that this time capsule has been hiding in plain sight for nearly 120 years, silently bearing witness to every performance at the King’s. Can’t wait to find out what’s inside.
“Maybe a new bottle goes up there for the next 120 years?!”
