An elaborate gold locket with pearls around one of its edges. It is open to reveal a portrait of a woman and of a boy.
Scottish History & Archaeology

Renaissance and Early Modern History

Our Renaissance and Early Modern collections contain objects relating to Scottish history from c.1450-1750.

This period encompasses the cultural developments of the Scottish Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and the seismic events of the Union of the Crowns, the Covenanting Revolution, the Anglo-Scottish Union of 1707 and the Jacobite Rebellions of 1715 and 1745.

Collections include decorative arts, jewellery, metalwork, furniture and weaponry, and objects relating to monarchical power, religion, trade and everyday life. Many of our objects were made in Scotland, but others were not, material evidence of the connections between Scotland, Europe and further afield.

Most notable are iconic pieces related to Mary, Queen of Scots, the Stewart kings, the Darien Venture, and the Jacobites. Star items include the Penicuik Jewels associated with Mary, a sword, targe and travelling canteen belonging to Prince Charles Edward Stuart, the awe-inspiring execution device, the Maiden, and the Company of Scotland’s large iron-bound chest related to the Darien Venture, the financially disastrous colonial scheme.

Meet the team

Renaissance and Early Modern History stories

  1. A silver coin with inscription to the edge and a profile portrait of a man in shoulder length curly hair wearing metal armour.
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    Exile, rebellion, and vanquishment: The Jacobite challenge

    In 1689, James VII and II was deposed. There then followed over half a century of attempts to reclaim the throne of Great Britain for the Stuart dynasty: the Jacobite challenge. National Museums Scotland now cares for a variety of objects…
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  2. A painting of a man from the waist up with brown wavy hair and a mustache and goatee. He wears a black hat with a jewelled brooch and a white jacket with a lace collar under a black cloak.
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    A brief history of James VI and I

    James VI and I was a hugely significant Stewart king. But he has been overshadowed by his notorious relations. His predecessor in Scotland was his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots. In England, his cousin, Elizabeth I, and finally his successor…
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  3. A black oval shaped tortoiseshell oval box with white ridge set against the black background. A white portrait of a woman wearing a curly shoulder length wig, dressed in a white jacket with golden brooch.
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    Flora MacDonald: An unlikely Jacobite heroine

    Flora MacDonald famously helped Charles Edward Stuart escape Scotland after the 1745 rising was crushed. A silver snuffbox, a treasured heirloom of her clan, links the romantic pair. 
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