Delve into the diverse collection of pioneering ethnomusicologist Jean Jenkins.

These four unique instruments were specially created for Performance and Lives gallery at the National Museum of Scotland by internationally renowned composer and artist Victor Gama.

The Lewis chess pieces live in the National Museum of Scotland. Colour them in or cut out and make your own chess piece here.

This vintage Avro Anson first flew in 1935, when it represented leading edge technology.

For almost 30 years, anyone who could afford the ticket could shoot across the globe at twice the speed of sound. How? By flying on Concorde, the world’s only supersonic passenger aeroplane.

This Nimrod XV241 served with the RAF from the early 1970s until March 2010.

Meet Cybraphon, the moody autonomous robot band in a box created by Edinburgh-based artist collective FOUND.

Marvel up close at the pages of an illustrated prayer book featuring a handwritten poem by a young Mary, Queen of Scots.

A general self-led visit to the National Museum of Scotland is free to book and allows you to explore a wide range of topics.

Pioneering Percy Pilcher could have been the first person ever to fly. But why did the glider he designed never take off?

Discover the classic Ruston steam excavator, and find out how our conservation team restored it to its former glory.

Download our family trail to help you plan a structured visit to the National Museum of Scotland.

The Cockcroft-Walton generator was developed at the University of Cambridge in the early 1930s to accomplish the first artificial splitting of the atom.

Head outdoors and see how many brilliant birds you can spot with the help of some bright binoculars! Learn how to make them here!

National Museums Scotland launched its first national strategy in 2006 and since then our work across the country has gone from strength to strength.

What is it like to hold your own brain? John Scott, a Lothian Birth Cohort participant, was lucky enough to find out

Go full circle at our brand new big event at the National Museum of Flight.

Archaeological finds from Rome's invasions of Scotland can be found throughout the country, from the Solway Firth to Moray. Three of the most prominent sites are Trimontium, Traprain Law, and the Antonine Wall.

This contemporary piece by sculptor Michael Eden celebrates the architectural styles of the National Museum of Scotland.

Discover how this traditional Scottish instrument was commissioned for the Performance and Lives gallery in the National Museum of Scotland.

This display highlights a small selection from our Scottish History & Archaeology collections, showing how research and collecting at National Museums Scotland is reshaping understandings of Scotland in the past, and reflecting the Scotland of today for future generations of museum visitors.

Museums are great places to uncover stories. Build your own story, inspired by our amazing objects.

Robert I, also known as Robert Bruce, was king of Scots from 1306 to 1329. Follow his journey from coronation to grave through objects associated with this famous warrior.

Find out more about the only giant ibis skeleton owned by any museum in the world.

Make your own bird spotting Blue Tit buddy with these instructions!

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland showcasing artworks created in response to the climate crisis in Australia and the Pacific Islands.

This revolutionary pneumatic tyre was donated to the museum by its maker, John Boyd Dunlop, in 1910. But who really invented it?

In 2013, National Museums Scotland acquired one metal sculpture and one work on paper by contemporary Australian artist Danie Mellor.

In the early 18th century, natural history was an increasingly popular pastime and many people visited fields and ponds, often bringing a microscope, to investigate the flora and fauna.

This exhibition explored the life and career of Bernat Klein, one of the 20th century’s leading forces in modernist design, in this free exhibition marking the centenary of his birth.

Join curator Anna Groundwater for a guided virtual tour of life in Renaissance Scotland at the National Museum of Scotland.

Join curator Margaret Maitland for a guided virtual tour of our Ancient Egypt Rediscovered gallery.

Discover the life of the National Bard through the collections of National Museums Scotland.

Preparing for the Art of Glass exhibition at National Museum of Scotland.

Thursday 25 June 2020 marks the 65th anniversary of the first flight of the Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer. We mark this occasion with a look back at how commercial aviation has changed.

From Samurai treasures to tiny netsuke, the National Museum of Scotland has the largest Japanese collection in Scotland.

A huge range of different elements are used to make up the components of a mobile phone. But did you know that many of them can be found in minerals you can see on display at the National Museum of Scotland?

Watch as artist Kayleigh McCallum shows you how to draw a King Penguin from our collection.

Watch as artist Kayleigh McCallum shows you how to draw an Egyptian Coffin from our collection.

Watch as artist Kayleigh McCallum shows you how to draw the Hunterston Brooch from our collection.

Summer is usually the season for gala days and rural shows, including our own Heavy Horse Show. Celebrate the champions you know – family, friends or even pets - by making them a personalised rosette!

The story of how specimens make their way into a museum’s collection is often a peculiar one.

Explore the National Museum of Scotland with your class using our themed trails.

Can you complete our Selfie Safari challenge? Find all the animals and take a family portrait with each one!

This Victorian scale model of a printing press was made in the Museum's own workshop.