National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street
Edinburgh
Lothian
EH1 1JF
Scotland
Website
Telephone
0300 123 6789
The new National Museum of Scotland is now open!
We’ve invested more than £47 million to create one of the UK’s best days out. From dinosaur bones to designer chairs and mummies to motors, a creative world of discovery awaits on every floor. Explore the diversity of the natural world, world culture, art and design, science and technology and Scottish history, all under one roof.
Venue Type:
Museum
Additional info
See website for details
Come and explore the National Museum of Scotland. When did people first settle in Scotland? What are our oldest treasures? Discover some of the nation's most precious possessions alongside the everyday objects that throw light on Scotland throughout the ages.
Our collections represent astonishing diversity, from fossils showing evidence of the earliest forms of life, to the rich artefact collections representing world cultures. Material evidence of Scottish history and culture from the earliest times to the present day has been collected and preserved for the future.
You can take part in lots of activities every day at the Museum. To get the most from your visit, pick up a map and check our information screens for details of all events and activities.
Collection details
Weapons and War, Trade and Commerce, Social History, Religion, Industry, Coins and Medals, Archaeology, Agriculture
Mary Queen of Scots
Created specially for the National Museum of Scotland and showing only in Edinburgh, the exhibition will draw on our Scottish collections, supported by international loans.
Mary Queen of Scots is arguably one of the most enigmatic figures in Scottish history. Her story arouses strong emotions: was she betrayed by those she trusted, condemned to die a Catholic martyr or was she a murdering adulteress with her husband’s blood on her hands?
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
Free.
Website
http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/national_museum/upcoming_exhibitions/mary_queen_of_scots.aspx
Amazing Amber
This breathtaking exhibition explores the many facets of a beautiful and versatile material that has been treasured for thousands of years: amber.
Bringing together for the first time the highlights of National Museums Scotland’s fine collection, Amazing Amber reveals the origins, properties and uses of this precious substance.
On display will be pieces from across the globe, from Borneo to the Baltic, Sicily to Scotland. Used for centuries as a decorative artefact, amber was also treasured for its perceived magical powers, crafted into charms and amulets to heal and ward off evil spirits.
Suitable for
- Family friendly
- Any age
Admission
Free.
Website
http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/national_museum/upcoming_exhibitions/amazing_amber.aspx
Ilana Halperin
Rocks are records of events that took place at the time they formed. They are books. They have a different vocabulary, a different alphabet, but you learn how to read them." John McPhee
The Library will introduce visitors to the alphabet of geology through agates that share the artist’s birthday, minerals that record the collision of Earth and outer space, artworks slowly formed in caves and geothermal springs and her most ambitious project to date, a 1.3 ton stone library featuring ‘books’ of the mineral mica.
The exhibition traces a thin and permeable line between geology and biology, culture and nature.
Suitable for
Admission
Free
Wee Stories presents: Hickory and Dickory Dock
Wee Stories Theatre Company's new show tells the story of what happens in a wee village when all the clocks go haywire. A tale of ingenuity, invention and surprises, with original music and puppetry
Suitable for
- 5-6
- 11-13
- 14-15
- 7-10
- 18+
- 16-17
Admission
£3. Performances at 10.30am and 2pm (duration 50 minutes). Book at www.nms.ac.uk/families
Tabanata Japanese Star Festival
On the seventh day of the seventh month people in Japan tie wishes to bamboo trees and hope they will come true. Enjoy a magical afternoon of traditional crafts and colourful performances
Suitable for
- Any age
When
12-4pm
Year of Natural Scotland
Celebrate Scotland's wildlife and historic landscapes with hands-on activities and gallery safaris
Suitable for
- Any age
RSPB: Raptors
Find out all about the importance of birds of prey in Scotland, from long ago up to the present day
Suitable for
- Any age
When
12-4pm
Royal Rumblings
Enjoy courtly crafts, costumes, and hands-on history inspired by the Mary, Queen of Scots exhibition. Please note that this event does not take place on Sundays
Suitable for
- Any age
Spotlight On: Mary, Queen of Scots
George Dalgleish, Keeper of Scottish History and Archaeology, introduces some of the star objects and stories from the Mary, Queen of Scots exhibition
Suitable for
- 14-15
- 16-17
- 18+
When
From 2pm
Admission
Auditorium Level 1, book online at www.nms.ac.uk/mary
Living History Scotland
Discover more about life at the time of Mary, Queen of Scots through living history demonstrations, performances and displays
Suitable for
- Any age
When
12-4pm
International Folk Dance Festival
Dancers from Lithuania, Belgium, Slovakia and Scotland perform as part of the Dunedin Dancers' 22nd International Folk Dance Festival
Suitable for
- Any age
When
From 3pm
RSPB: Raptors
Find out all about the importance of birds of prey in Scotland, from long ago up to the present day
Suitable for
- Any age
When
12-4pm
Living History Scotland
Discover more about life at the time of Mary, Queen of Scots through living history demonstrations, performances and displays
Suitable for
- Any age
When
12-4pm
Scotland highlight tours
A daily guided tour to discover some of the highlights in the Scotland galleries. Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0
Suitable for
- 16-17
- 18+
New Galleries taster tour
Join A New Galleries Taster guided tours and discover some of the highlights in the new galleries
Suitable for
- 18+
- 16-17
Admission
Hour-long tour
Themed Tours
In-depth tours with a different theme every day. You can see the schedule at www.nms.ac.uk/tours. Tours leave from Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0
Suitable for
- 16-17
- 18+
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