Honour for Star Trek's Scotty
Linlithgow Exhibition Celebrates Enterprise's Montgomery Scott
Star Trek fans will be in orbit over an exhibition in a small Scottish town. Scotty is Linlithgow's favourite son-to-be.
There can't be many exhibitions dedicated to popular figures who haven't yet been born. But in Linlithgow, Scotland, the life of Star Trek's beloved Montgomery Scott (Scotty to friends and fans) is being celebrated long before it supposedly began in that town in 2222.
Famous as the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots in its now-ruined palace, Linlithgow has never been slow in making the most of its famous daughter. Now an almost equally famous son-to-be has joined her, with an exhibition of his own in the town's museum, Annett House.
Scotty's Birthplace Uncovered
For some years the birthplace of Scotty, the Enterprise's chief engineer in the original series of TV's Star Trek, was in dispute. The controversy was ended when Trek writer Dorothy Fontana confirmed Linlithgow as the cantankerous Scotsman's place of origin. Thus was born (or would be born) a new local hero.
Officials at Annet House were quick to seize the opportunity. Working with the co-operation of the family of James Doohan (the Canadian actor who created Scotty and died in 2005, aged 85) the museum was able to assemble an impressive range of artefacts relating to both the character and the actor. While most of Scotty's "history" will be well-known to fans, Doohan's pre-acting career in the military, including training as a pilot, may come as a surprise to some.
Photos of Doohan's early days, and early acting career, offer an insight into a man who was single-handedly responsible for Scotty's nationality. After proffering many accent options to the producers, he was asked which he preferred. "Well, if you're going to have an engineer, you'd better make him Scottish," was reportedly his reply.
Dilythium, the Enterprise and a Tribble
Star Trek fans will enjoy the informative displays and photos, but it's the memorabilia from the show that will get their hearts pumping. A large model of the Enterprise dominates the collection, as does a smaller one that was the original model used in the opening credits. A dilythium crystal shimmers under glass, watching warily over an original Tribble. Hundreds of these furry balls would have been used in "The Trouble with Tribbles", one of the most popular episodes of the series, and no doubt most cast members, including Doohan, were able to snaffle one as a souvenir.
While fascinating, the exhibition is small, and will leave visitors with plenty of time to explore the rest of the museum and find out more about the Royal burgh of Linlithgow. 2222 may be the most important date in its future, but the here and now offers a history of humanity, war and intrigue that would rival any Starship's mission.
Details
Linlithgow is situated about 20 miles from Edinburgh and under an hour from Glasgow by train or car.
Annet House is open from March 21 to October 31. Opening hours 11am-5pm Mon-Sat and 11am-4pm Sun. Small admission fee applies.
