An elaborate gold locket with pearls around one of its edges. It is open to reveal a portrait of a woman and of a boy.
Scottish History & Archaeology

Renaissance and Early Modern History

Our Renaissance and Early Modern collections contain objects relating to Scottish history from c.1450-1750.

This period encompasses the cultural developments of the Scottish Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and the seismic events of the Union of the Crowns, the Covenanting Revolution, the Anglo-Scottish Union of 1707 and the Jacobite Rebellions of 1715 and 1745.

Collections include decorative arts, jewellery, metalwork, furniture and weaponry, and objects relating to monarchical power, religion, trade and everyday life. Many of our objects were made in Scotland, but others were not, material evidence of the connections between Scotland, Europe and further afield.

Most notable are iconic pieces related to Mary, Queen of Scots, the Stewart kings, the Darien Venture, and the Jacobites. Star items include the Penicuik Jewels associated with Mary, a sword, targe and travelling canteen belonging to Prince Charles Edward Stuart, the awe-inspiring execution device, the Maiden, and the Company of Scotland’s large iron-bound chest related to the Darien Venture, the financially disastrous colonial scheme.

Meet the team

Renaissance and Early Modern History stories

  1. Set of miniature wooden coffins with wooden dolls inside.
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    An unsolved mystery: the coffins found on Arthur's Seat

    Satanic spell, superstitious charm or echo of Edinburgh’s grisly underworld history? We examine the strange tale of these tiny coffins, discovered on Arthur’s Seat almost 200 years ago.
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  2. A watercolour painting of a rural scene, where a group of people are sat enjoying refreshments in a field, with harvested bales tied up with string all around them.
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    The Autumn harvest in 8 rural snapshots

    Seasons of the year have always shaped how communities and people live. Farming and rural life was driven by the changing of the seasons. While the technology employed to do the work has changed, the tasks done in each season have largely…
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  3. Twelve bronze objects, including some rounded fittings with concentric circle designs and a rattle pendant.
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    What is the Peebles Hoard?

    The Peebles Hoard is a spectacular collection of bronze, leather and wooden material. Dating to the Late Bronze Age (c.1000-800 BCE), it contains several hundred elements from a complex set of objects. A complete sword in a wooden scabbard…
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