NMS

Close up of a taxidermy specimen of a grey legged douroucouli, looking directly at the camera. The douroucouli has grey fur, and a round face with a flat nose. It's main features are its eyes, which are red, striking, and looking directly at the camera.

Monkeys: Our Primate Family

Saturday 28 June – Sunday 30 November 2025

Come face to face with rare and endangered primates in our upcoming exhibition.

Book now

Our museums

What's on

  1. Exhibition

    Maps: Memories from the Second World War

    –
    Through personal stories, photography and memorabilia, this new exhibition charts the creation and use of maps during the Second World War.

    National War Museum

    More info
  2. A curator uses forceps to place a butterfly specimen in a small storage box.
    Event

    Curator Collection Centre Tour: Insects

    Wed 25 Jun, 11:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 16:00
    Go behind the scenes of National Museums Scotland’s collection of 2.5 million insect specimens.This Insect Week, explore fascinating insect collections with Entomology Curator Ashleigh Whiffin. Over one million species of insects have been…

    National Museums Collection Centre

    Find out more
  3. An adult helping a child with a science experiment
    Event

    Find Out Fridays

    10 Jan – 27 Jun and 15 Aug – 19 Dec 2025, every Friday afternoon during term time 13:30 – 16:00
    Drop-in Friday fun for families of all ages.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

    Find out more
See what else is on

Discover our collections

  1. Twelve bronze objects, including some rounded fittings with concentric circle designs and a rattle pendant.
    Discover

    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…
    Keep reading
  2. A bust portrait of a man slightly turned to the left, wearing a dark coat with a white shirt against picturesque landscape in the background.
    Discover

    Get to know Robert Burns through 10 objects

    A variety of objects relating to the life of Scotland's bard can be found in National Museums Scotland's collection. Read on to learn more about Burns' life, legacy, and his depictions in objects and popular culture.
    Keep reading
  3. A white sheep looking to camera, shown from the shoulders up against a grey background
    Discover

    The story of Dolly the sheep

    Dolly the sheep was the first cloned mammal ever to be created from an adult cell. Affectionately named after country music legend Dolly Parton, Dolly caused excitement and controversy among both scientists and the public.Why is Dolly…
    Keep reading
  4. Discover

    Discovering dinosaur bones on a Scottish island

    Dr Elsa Panciroli was walking along the shore of the island of Eigg when something caught her eye. She had stepped on a boulder, but there was something unusual buried in it.Dr Panciroli, a Research Associate at National Museums Scotland,…
    Keep reading
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