119-year-old message bottle found behind Scotland theatre stage

Although the top of the bottle had been dipped in plaster to keep it sealed, Hume could see a note inside. He could just about make out the name 'W S Cruikshank'—the contractor who built the theatre.

The bottle was sealed with plaster. (Photo: Capital Theatres, via BBC)

Mike Hume, a theatre donor and enthusiast, was on a special behind-the-scenes tour of Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre when he discovered a 119-year-old message in a bottle hidden behind an ornate decoration above the stage, reported BBC.

Hume, 48, was on a scaffolding, 40ft (12m) above the stage, when he put his hand in a gap and found the century-old bottle. “It really was like a scene out of Indiana Jones,” he said, as per BBC. “It was a bit damp and there was all this crumbly plaster and stuff in there – then my hand stumbled on this solid object and I pulled out this glass bottle.”

Although the top of the bottle had been dipped in plaster to keep it sealed, Hume could see a note inside. Using his phone to photograph the folded-up note, he could just about make out the name “W S Cruikshank”—the contractor who built the Edwardian theatre.

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What was the message inside the bottle?

Theatre bosses, unable to open the bottle after it was found on December 6, sent it to specialists who carefully cut the top off. Inside, the note had got glued together with age, requiring experts to use special techniques and chemicals to separate it.

BBC Scotland News asked the genealogy service Findmypast to help uncover the identities of the men who left the note. The list included William Stewart Cruickshank, a prominent Edinburgh builder who led the theatre project in 1906, and architect John Daniel Swanston, who opened his own practice in 1895 and specialised in theatre and cinema design.

The note inside the bottle was titled ‘Contractors: W S Cruickshank & Son’ and included the names of the workers involved in the project. (Photo: Capital Theatres, via BBC)

Other names included architects James Davidson and John Tulloch, draughtsman John Alexander Cameron, and plasterers George King, William Begg, John Hutchinson, Andrew S Law, and William Hunter.

Extra details found by Findmypast about these men have been handed over to the theatre, which plans to include them in a new exhibition alongside the bottle and note.

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Also Read: | Message in bottle found after 40 years

Theatre’s multi-million pound redevelopment

The King’s Theatre, which originally cost £50,000 to build in 1905, is currently undergoing a £40.7m redevelopment that began in 2022. The project includes installing two lifts, widening staircases, upgrading the auditorium, and adding a new control room and ventilation system.

Abby Pendlebury, the theatre’s heritage engagement manager, called the discovery “incredibly thrilling,” as per BBC. She noted, “It’s showing how personal this was to so many people and how there is a real human connection going back. It’s just really beautiful to see.”

The King’s Theatre is expected to reopen in spring 2026.

(With inputs from BBC)

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