Learn more about what’s changed to help you plan your visit to the National Museum of Rural Life.

Our Spring Explorers school holiday activities are back at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Tractor Tots is a bookable series of playful sensory singalong sessions for under-fives and their adults at the National Museum of Rural Life.

This signed script for the influential Edinburgh-set film Trainspotting was donated to the Museum by actor Ewan McGregor.

Recreate your favourite museum objects and places using the LEGO you have at home!

Oracle bones are parts of animal bone, used in divination ceremonies in ancient China. National Museums Scotland’s collection of oracle bones dates from the late Shang dynasty (c.1200–1050 BC) and was found at Yinxu site near Anyang city, in central China.

Visitors were able to see cleaned and conserved objects from the Hoard, revealing intricate decoration not seen since the objects' burial more than 1,000 years ago.

Make the most of your visit with our museum highlights. Your rural adventure starts here!

Explore the museum with Sue the sheepdog! Use the trail to find out about our bee's and fun facts about our animals in the farm

Explore the museum with Sue the sheepdog! Use the trail to find out about our bee's and fun facts about our animals in the farm

Delve into the pages of an exquisitely illuminated Book of Hours in which Mary, Queen of Scots, inscribed an affectionate verse in French to her great-aunt, Louise de Bourbon.

EPISODE 2: Rachel Drury 🤹‍♀️ Learning Enabler

Explore the museum galleries with Lewis the Highland bull in Lewis’s Scottish Adventure Trail, available in English and Gaelic

Families can pick up our new trail to find the Bird Pin, from the Galloway Hoard, hiding amongst her feathered friends around the National Museum of Scotland.

The history of the Reid family and farming on the Wester Kittochside farm National Museum of Rural Life.

National Museums Scotland has been awarded a grant by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) with the National Maritime Museum, London to enable organisations around the UK to work with community groups to explore experiences of empire, migration, and life in Britain through their collections.

Everything you need to know about visiting the National Museum of Scotland.

These multi-coloured plastic dolls, western in their appearance, are very popular in Africa today.

We asked our Facebook fans which objects from the National Museum of Scotland their families would like to colour in, and here are the results! From our family of lions to the giant sunfish, T-Rex to our elephant - is your favourite here?

Join model and broadcaster Eunice Olumide as she shares her experience of a transforming industry with museum curator Georgina Ripley.

Uncover the landscape of L’Éden, a set of 20 rolls of 19th-century scenic wallpaper and discover how this spectacular wallcovering has been conserved by the Museum.

This bold and vibrant woollen pile rug once furnished the Edinburgh home of Sir Robert Murdoch Smith, the director of this museum from 1885 to 1900.

The story of this 100-year-old planetarium provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of science interpretation, as well as a behind-the-scenes peek into early 20th century museum politics.

Join us for a more relaxed morning, for those who might appreciate a calmer visit to the museum.

Celebrate all things cattle at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Join us for a weekend of all things woolly at the National Museum of Rural Life.

This articulated silver necklace encapsulating a large labradorite disc is one of Dorothy Hogg’s earliest works (1969-70).

Explore the largest interactive exhibition of the history and the culture of video games. 29 Jun - 3 Nov 2024. Tickets on sale now.

This trail is to help you to ‘reset’ and find some moments of mindfulness and wellbeing in the Museum. Listen on your own device as you explore the space.

Our working farm at the National Museum of Rural Life is home to Ayrshire, Aberdeen Angus and Highland cattle, Tamworth pigs, sheep, hens and Clydesdale horses.

EPISODE 1: Ian Brown ✈️ Assistant Curator of Aviation

EPISODE 4: Donnie McCathie 🤩 Visitor Experience Manager

EPISODE 5: Sophie Goggins 🦠 Senior Curator of Biomedical Science

EPISODE 6: Tiago Metello 🦅 Assistant Curator of Vertebrate Biology

EPISODE 3: Calum Robertson ⚔️ Senior Curator, Modern & Military History

See five highlight objects that summarise the legacy of Rome's invasions of Scotland

Our panel of artists and museum curators discuss the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis, the research and technology being used to tackle it and how art can help communicate this critical message and inspire change.

Possibly the oldest in the world, this pitch drop demonstration is also one of the slowest science experiments ever created

These rare Jacobite and British military colours were carried into battle at Culloden by opposing sides.

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

Learn how museums and zoos are helping to conserve endangered species through CryoArks – the UK’s national bank of frozen animal material.

Join the battle against five tropical diseases and the parasites that cause them in this interactive exhibition and discover how scientific research taking place in Scotland is leading the way in this field.

Between 1925 and 1935 a fascinating collection of objects and glass lantern slides were donated to the Museum from Sri Lanka.

How can you travel around the world without leaving Scotland? By visiting our World Cultures galleries.

Our press office handles UK and international media requests for the four national museums and our collection centre.

Learn more about what’s changed to help you plan your visit.