Carved by virtuoso ivory sculptor David Le Marchand, this set of five portraits was commissioned by George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie, in 1696.

This sofa once graced one of London’s most splendid mansions, part of an opulent 18th-century interior scheme which was the height of Georgian fashion.

Created by designer Drummond Masterton, this milled aluminium bowl is inspired by the 60th anniversary of Italian cyclist Fausto Coppi winning the Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double in 1949.

This major exhibition unravelled the complex story of the different groups who have used or been given the name ‘Celts’ through the extraordinary art objects they made and used.

Comprising multiple specialist teams, Collections Services provides conservation, collections care, collections management, digitisation, analytical science, and library services expertise across the museum.

Tools to help aid teaching and learning about the Romans in Scotland

Find out about Freddy the robot developed in the 1970s at the University of Edinburgh and explore how robot technology has changed from early automota to assisting surgery and exploring Mars.

Amelia Robertson Hill was one of the few female sculptors in 19th-century Edinburgh. Her work can be found in many prominent locations in Scotland.

On his journey from the West to East Coast of Africa, the explorer David Livingstone collected a variety of geological specimens, which he presented to the National Museum of Scotland.

Throughout 2022, we want to work with local museums across Scotland to integrate more maths into their museum programming and provide support to take part in Maths Week Scotland.

With its slick design and sensational selection of records, this jukebox for the future may look like an all-American classic but it was designed in France and manufactured in the UK. Let’s rock this joint!

Discover how this stunning, detailed wall hanging was brought back to life by our Textile Conservation team.

The Tibetan Prayer Wheel House offers visitors a tangible experience of a common feature of Tibetan culture.

Discover a fascinating clock that kept time in a whole new way and find out how our assistant conservator of technology has strived to keep it accurate.

This famous Formula One car belongs to three times Formula One World Champion and Scottish sporting legend, Sir Jackie Stewart OBE.

In 1997, ferryman Robert Graham unearthed a sandstone sculpture from the mud of the River Almond, Cramond, Edinburgh. It turned out to be one of the most important Roman finds in decades.

Discover the story of Scotland's failed venture to colonise part of Panama in the 17th century.

This tent was a home-made 'mini' vigil travelling stall used by members of the Democracy for Scotland campaign.

Uncover the history of this iconic Celtic trumpet, and find out how it has been reconstructed to bring the music of the past to life.

This massive feast bowl, known as an umete, comes from Atiu, one of the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.

Discover more about our amazing objects through stories, films and resources.

As the first cloned mammal ever to be created from an adult cell, Dolly the sheep's birth was of huge excitement both to the scientific world and to the public.

Discover our Ancient Egypt, East Asia and Ceramics galleries.

This elaborate travelling set was made by the Edinburgh goldsmith Ebenezer Oliphant in 1740-41 for Prince Charles Edward Stuart.

Developed here in Scotland in 2010, this sustainable technology is helping to bring clean drinking water to the developing world

Enjoy a 30 minute wander around the museum and discover mindful moments throughout our galleries.

Explore the museum through song, rhymes and sensory play with our Magic Carpet activity sessions for toddlers and early years.

Our Scotland galleries guide you from the Palaeolithic era to the present day, from the earliest cultures to space age science, prehistory to pop culture.

Information to plan your self-guided group visit to the National Museum of Scotland.

This curious object, one of the earliest surviving pieces of Scottish-made gold, was used at the Scottish coronation of Charles I, held some eight years after his coronation in London.

Planen Sie Ihren Besuch im National Museum of Scotland.

Satanic spell, superstitious charm or echo of Edinburgh’s grisly underworld history? We examine the theories put forward to explain the strange tale of these tiny coffins.

Alexander Henry Rhind (1833–1863) was the first archaeologist to conduct systematic excavations in Egypt in the 1850s.

In it's 53rd year, this world-renowned touring exhibition showcased the very best in nature photography.

National Museums Scotland’s ancient Egyptian coffin collection remains largely unknown and has many exceptional items.

In 2022, South Asian community groups supported by Networking Key Services (NKS), visited the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh to view the galleries and interpret objects from the South Asian and Scottish collections through their eyes. These are their reflections.

Join us as we host two weeks of science-fuelled exploration at the National Museum of Scotland, from free interactive exhibits to family workshops and adult talks and events.

Professional cycling is a serious business. So how did a homemade bicycle come to break the World Hour Record in 1993?

In this talk, David Olusoga, one of the three presenters of the BBC's Civilisations series, asks ‘can TV still do that magical thing of bringing people to a place where they believe history and art is for them?’

In 1908, an intact burial of a woman and a child was discovered by a team of Egyptian excavators and British archaeologist W.M. Flinders Petrie in Qurna, Thebes, Egypt.

The South Asian Stories project aimed to explore museum objects through the eyes of the local communities of Bengali, Indian and Pakistani cultural heritage.

Sow the seeds of curiosity with a family visit to our museum and historic working farm.

Flora MacDonald famously helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape. This snuffbox, an heirloom of her clan, links the romantic pair.

With a diverse range of events spaces and idyllic grounds, the museum is an ideal location for corporate or private events.

Wylam Dilly, one of the world’s two oldest surviving locomotives, celebrated her bicentenary in 2013. Built in 1813, she used to pull coal along the Wylam Wagonway to the river, near Newcastle upon Tyne.

Use one of our ten-minute activities with your class today, with suggestions for how you can extend.

Lynx stones were considered by the Ancient Greeks to be the urine of the European lynx which solidified into precious stone. When burned, these fossils emit a smell similar to cat's urine, explaining their connection to the lynx myth.