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

Join us for a relaxed Magic Carpet session as we explore the museum through interactive songs, rhymes and sensory play.

Planen Sie Ihren Besuch im National Museum of Scotland.

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

With the introduction of rationing, the threat of air raids, and the loss of so many workers through conscription, daily life looked and felt very different for people at home in Scotland during the Second World War.

A variety of objects relating to the life of Scotland's bard can be found in National Museums Scotland's collections.

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 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.

Want to get creative with colour? Join artist Elisabeth Viguie-Culshaw for a hands-on natural dyeing workshop at the National Museum of Rural Life using locally cultivated plants.

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

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

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.

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?’

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

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.

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

The National War Museum is located within Edinburgh Castle. Find out how to get the most from your visit here.

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.

This handloom was used for weaving silk at Stonehouse in Lanarkshire in the 19th century. It has a Jacquard attachment which allows complex patterns to be woven.

This Calcite crystal is an excellent example of a complex doubly terminated scalenohedral crystal.

This 14th-century great helm belonged to one of King Edward III's knights, Sir Richard Pembridge, who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France.

This training resource focuses on the basics of caring for museum collections. It offers practical advice, shared good practice through case studies and demonstrations, and provides resources and links for further learning.

Throughout the year, we run a programme of access events and tours, including BSL tours, Audio-Described tours and Relaxed views and sessions, across the museum and in our Special Exhibitions

Scotland Creates volunteer Bethany Lane introduces this distinctive Harris Tweed suit created by iconic fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.

Join us for a relaxed after-hours visit to Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

This detailed model of Stephenson’s groundbreaking steam locomotive represents a major step forward in the history of transport.

This embossed object is one of thousands of shallow brass basins, bowls and trays from Europe which were traded extensively along the west coast of Africa.

Find out everything you need to know about visiting the National Museum of Rural Life.

This striking tile was made in Tehran, by the Iranian master potter Ali Muhammed Isfahani.

Explore museum highlights and discover new objects, themes and stories

This splendid sword was a gift to celebrate a historic military victory over the ‘Tiger of Mysore’.

The Galloway Hoard is the richest collection of rare and unique Viking-age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland.

On 30 October 1942, at the height of the Second World War, two sailors gave their lives in the service of their country. Discover their story here.

We now know that ammonites are extinct marine molluscs that lived between 240 and 66 million years ago. Yet, folklore tells a different story...

We want everyone who comes to our museums to enjoy their time with us and make the most of their visit.

Meet a very special Neolithic dog.

Friday Friends

This beautiful piece was commissioned from Scottish silversmith Hamish Dobbie by the P&O Makower Trust for the Making and Creating gallery.

We want everyone who comes to our museums to enjoy their time with us and make the most of their visit.

In 2014, something very special was found in Galloway, South West Scotland. This short animation is designed to introduce children and families to the Galloway Hoard.

Explore how we use our collections to understand the past, present and future of the climate emergency.

We've created a set of schools resources around the Galloway Hoard, including an animation, a quiz, and more.

Identity and belonging: reflections by Sikh Indians on the Maharaja Duleep Singh collection