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

Our ancient Southern European collections offer a window onto the diverse cultures that flourished along the Mediterranean coast in antiquity.

The Cold War was a global conflict that began in the late 1940s and ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. It was fought as contest over a way of life as much as it was an armed confrontation.

Discover how brass and copper once featured as mediums of exchange, status and power in Africa through highlights of the museum’s 19th and early 20th century collections from west and central Africa.

In 1975, a Bronze Age burial was found in Inverness-shire. Interpreted as an archer, this man and his objects reveal fascinating stories about connections across Britain and Ireland.

Especially for us, master builder Warren Elsmore and his team have created a LEGO® Big Build of our very own Concorde.

Finely decorated household items of solid silver were a status symbol under the Pahlavi dynasty.

This woven bamboo flower basket titled ‘Crane Dance’ was created by Japanese artist Buseki Suikō in 2009.

How the kohl pot has a special place in South Asian homes

Memories of mirrorwork from the craftspeople of Sindh, Pakistan

People have been fascinated by mythical creatures for thousands of years. As important cultural icons, they come to life in stories and art.

2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the first transatlantic flight from Britain to the United States. On 2 July 1919 Airship R.34 departed from East Fortune Airfield, landing on Long Island, New York 108 hours later.

Discover the facts about a large ocean sunfish that stranded off Scotland’s coast in 2020 and hear what we can learn from studying this strange fish.

From intricate firelighting tools to rocket-powered aircraft and a fire alarm with a difference, our collections feature intriguing links to the element fire.

Investigate the 'fifth element' through the wonders of digital technology, from early computers to the development of mobile telephones and robot repairs.

Discover how air has been used in modes of transport from airships to hot air balloons and how different species make use of air to travel through flight and gliding.

Discover and investigate the history of the cash register, an object that has become a part of our everyday lives.

Our online database contains a selection of the 12 million objects and specimens in our collections.

National Museums Scotland is collecting history as it happens. Our new film series, Collecting the Present, explores objects we have collected recently that document cultural, political and social change in Scotland.

Novelist, poet, playwright and historian, Scott was one of the most celebrated writers of his time and his works brought Scotland’s evocative landscapes to public attention across Britain and Europe. Discover his story through objects in the National Collection.

Created in 1954, this glass sculpture marked a new collaboration between Picasso, glassmaker Egidio Costantini and the famed Fucina degli Angeli in Murano, Italy.

A rare opportunity to see one of the most important documents in Scottish history.

Celebrate Insect Week 2024 with family friendly activities at the National Museum of Scotland.

Celebrate Insect Week 2024 with family friendly activities at the National Museum of Flight.

These medieval chess pieces from the Scottish island of Lewis are among our most popular collections. They give us fascinating insights into the international connections of western Scotland and the growing popularity of chess in medieval Europe.

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.

Drop-in for some holiday fun and games at the museum this summer.

Fertility figure or Iron Age goddess of the straits? This carved sculpture of a female dates from around 600 BC, but its origins remain unknown.

This small display showcased an outstanding collection of works in ceramics, glass and jewellery.

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

Discovering the origins of the some of the world's most famous board games

The Museum’s East and Central Asian collections, comprised of over 36,000 objects, are of national and international importance. The collection includes ceramics, lacquer, prints and paintings, clothing and textiles, ivory, metalwork, jade, furniture, contemporary art, and coins.

Scottish-born Alexander Dalrymple was a significant figure in Britain’s maritime history.

John Dickson was a Paisley weaver who joined the army in 1807 and rode in the famous charge of the Union Brigade at Waterloo.

Water, water everywhere with worms, whales ​and sharks ​- and simple solutions for boiling water and solar energy.

Discover amazing science from inside your own home as we explore the elemental themes of the Edinburgh Science Festival 2020.

Curator Dr Martin Goldberg joins Vikings writer and producer Michael Hirst to delve into the mysteries of the incredible Galloway Hoard.

This exhibition explored design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, Beyond the Little Black Dress deconstructs this iconic garment and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion.

Get hands-on with craft ideas inspired by our collections.

From ancient ceramics to imperial jade, oracle bones to contemporary propaganda posters, our Chinese collection spans over four thousand years and includes around 11,000 items.

Still haven’t found what you’re looking for? It could be the innovative, Scottish-made Bond Electraglide guitar.

Unearth a fascinating Pictish treasure trove.

Explore our collection of wonderful miniature Japanese sculptures that served functional and aesthetic purposes.

Cotton cloths are a popular everyday item of clothing in Malawi and are produced in a wide variety of patterns and designs. They are also designed to mark social and political events.

This is the oldest surviving colour television in the world. It uses a colour system invented in 1937 by Scottish engineer John Logie Baird.

Salvaged from a shipwreck, this pocket watch has lain under water for over 300 years. But now a high-tech process has uncovered the hidden secrets of this rusty artefact.

What did you want for Christmas in the 1960s? Meccano? Lego? A toy nuclear power station?