Top five ways to experience wartime history
All our museums offer a moving insight into life during
wartime.
1. World Wars Experience
National Museum of Flight
Every May, we turn back time at National Museum of Flight so
that visitors can discover what life was like during the First and
Second World Wars. From military manoeuvres to home front domestic
economics, our reenactors bring history to life.
Find out more
2. The Bothy
National Museum of Rural Life
Originally, this small, bare room next to the farmhouse at
Kittochside would have been used to house a male farm servant. In
the early 20th century it was used as a tack room, but it came back
into use as a Bothy during the Second World War, when it became the
temporary home of German prisoner of war Heinrich Lückel. You can
see the room as it would have been while Lückel was living there
and working on the farm.
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3. Fortunes of War
National Museum of Flight
The Fortunes of War exhibition tells the story of East Fortune
airfield during the First and Second World Wars. Through letters
and photographs, possessions and memorabilia, you can discover what
it was like to live and work at the base during wartime. You can
even make your own contribution to the war effort, by navigating an
airship to find an enemy submarine.
Find out more
4. Scotland: A Changing Nation
National Museum of Scotland
This fascinating gallery, right at the top of the Museum,
explores how everyday life has changed in Scotland during the
20th century. It begins by uncovering how two World Wars
touched the lives of Scottish people, through personal stories and
possessions. Meet the people who risked their lives in battle, who
were evacuated and sent away from their families, and who kept the
home fires burning back in Scotland.
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5. Active Service
National War Museum
This gallery offers a personal perspective of over 300 years of
warfare through collections of medals, memorabilia and weapons
relating to extraordinary individuals.
Find out more