Mary, Queen of Scots is one of the most famous yet enigmatic figures in Scottish history. Explore her dramatic story through objects in our collection.

Discover the way of the Japanese warrior.

It's over 40 years since Scotland's Concorde took to the skies in the first BA Concorde fleet commercial passenger flight. Don't miss the chance to get up close to G-BOAA.

Delve into the streets and dwellings of Edinburgh’s Old Town in late 18th and early 19th century. Discover what life was like at the time of Burke and Hare and understand what drove them to commit murder.

Your journey from Scotland to the world begins in the Grand Gallery, one of Scotland's most beautiful spaces.

Find out more about our range of initiatives to support and welcome autistic visitors.

Meet the Buddhist guardian who's watched over the museum for almost 80 years.

Celebrate Maths Tales at the museum with maths-inspired family activities.

Go full circle at our brand new big event at the National Museum of Flight.

Join us for an awesome weekend of hands-on LEGO® at the National Museum of Flight, with lots to see and do for all ages.

The Natural Sciences department houses more than 2,000 shells, insects, bird skins and bats from the collections of the legendary naturalist John George Williams.

The Ann Paludan Photographic Archive consists of more than 10,000 photographsof historical Chinese sculptures, and represents over thirty years of site visits and research by writer and art historian Ann Paludan (1928–2014).

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.

Our Ancient Mediterranean archaeological collections consist of over 12,000 objects from across northern Africa, southern Europe, and western Asia.

Home to over 90,000 species, Scotland’s land, seas and skies support a wide range of native mammals and birds, amphibians, reptiles and over 50,000 different invertebrates. The collection at National Museums Scotland has examples of some of the iconic, at risk and once extinct birds and mammals native to Scotland.

This very important fossil, affectionately known as ‘Lizzie', was discovered in Scotland in the 1980s and could be the earliest known reptile.

This picture shows a turning point during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

These silver spoons were bought by Assistant Surgeon Stewart Chisholm using prize money awarded to him for his service at Waterloo.

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.

The Thin Red Line is one of the best known of all Scottish historical paintings and is the classic representation of Highland military heroism as an icon of Scotland.

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.

Ornate and intricately detailed, this collection of jewellery and personal possessions once belonged to the last ruler of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Duleep Singh.

These sumptuous galleries showcase the best of decorative art, design, fashion and style.

In these short films, experts from the world of photography introduce the heroes of Victorian photography.

Every year on 8 May, people take time to reflect and remember the sacrifices people made during the war, but also to mark this day of celebration.

How can design approaches support the Circular Economy?

Bring the history of the Second World War to live with our summer activity satchels for adults and families.

The first important professional woman artist of modern Scotland, Phoebe Anna Traquair was a leading figure within the Scottish Arts and Crafts movement.

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.

A giant T.rex guards our Natural World galleries, where we ask the big questions: how does the world work? What do we know about it? What is our place in the universe?

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.

Discover how Victorian inventors and entrepreneurs succeeded in capturing the very first images.

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!

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.

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.

Bring your little ones for a fun session on the Magic Carpet exploring maths tales.

Diba Mehrabi trained as an artist before studying contemporary textile practice. In her work, she brings both interests together.

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.