National Museum of Scotland

What's on

List of Exhibitions

  1. Large 3D origami like sculptures of giant animals, in the giants exhibition space. In the foreground is a woolly mammoth, with glass panels on the legs that show real fossilised bones inside.
    Exhibition

    Giants

    –
    'Giants' showcases the colossal prehistoric creatures that lived 66 million years ago, through life-sized sculptures, skeletons, and fossils.

    National Museum of Scotland

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  2. An array of bronze age weapons including a brown shield with a hole in the centre, a dark grey spearhead and a stack of green and grey short swords against a black background.
    Exhibition

    Scotland's First Warriors

    –
    'Scotland's First Warriors' reveals the origins and impact of conflict in prehistoric Scotland.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

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  3. A Roman stone altar with the face of the Roman god Sol carved into it. Rays of light pass through slits around the head of Sol.
    Exhibition

    Roman Scotland: Life on the Edge of Empire

    –
    'Roman Scotland' will tell new stories of Roman occupation and reshape our understanding of Scotland’s relationship with the Roman world. 

    National Museum of Scotland

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  4. Two women looking at geological samples in a museum display case.
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    Enjoy a range of benefits, including free entry, unlimited access to our special exhibitions, and event discounts. 

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List of Events

  1. A large white card structure in the shape of a whale skull. The inside of the structure contains parts of a real bone skull, and teeth.
    Event

    Morning Curator Tour: Giants

    –
    Join our exhibition curator for an exclusive early-morning tour of Giants.

    National Museum of Scotland

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  2. Event

    Museum Late: Festival Ceilidh

    Friday 7 and Friday 14 August, 19:30 – 22:30
    Come ‘gie it laldy’ as our sell out Festival Ceilidh returns for two nights this August.

    National Museum of Scotland

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  3. A large origami-shaped model of a Woolly Mammoth in a museum exhibition space.
    Event

    BSL Tour: Giants

    Join tour guide, Babs Brown, for a Deaf-led tour of Giants.

    National Museum of Scotland

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  4. Two people wearing headscarves handling museum objects from the Ancient Egyptian collection
    Event

    Creative Workshop: Egyptian Ceramics

    Join writer and ceramicist Mohamed Tonsy to explore Egyptian ceramics and make your own clay piece in this hands-on workshop.

    National Museum of Scotland

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  5. A man in a shirt, glasses and white gloves examines a corroded bronze age spear head in front of a black background.
    Event

    Morning Curator Tour: Scotland's First Warriors

    Wed 26 Aug and Fri 18 Sept, 09:45 - 10:30
    Join our exhibition curator for an exclusive early morning tour of 'Scotland’s First Warriors'.

    National Museum of Scotland

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  6. Woman and baby in arms sitting on the floor on a checked carpet.
    Event

    Magic Carpet

    Mon 11 May - Mon 22 Jun
    Explore the collection with our Magic Carpet sessions for under 5s. Inspire curious little minds through song, rhymes, movement and sensory play.

    National Museum of Scotland

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  7. Two fossils lying on a large map next to some coloured pencils and a sketchbook. The sketchbook contains illustrations of the fossils.
    Event

    Creative Workshop: Drawing the Earth

    Sat 12 Sep, 12:30 - 16:30
    Inspired by the Tercentenary of James Hutton's birth, join us for this geology drawing workshop.

    National Museum of Scotland

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  8. Young woman sketching on clipboard in front of wildlife exhibition
    Event

    The Sunday Sketch

    Sun 20 Sep 2026 – Sun 21 Mar 2027, 14:00 - 16:00.
    Join us to learn how to sketch, taking inspiration from the incredible collections on display in our museum galleries.

    National Museum of Scotland

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  9. An expressive painting of a large figure with two smaller figures
    Event

    In Conversation: Understanding Prehistoric Lives Beyond Conflict

    Sat 26 Sep, 14:30-16:00
    Tristan Hughes and Nicole DeRushie join exhibition curator Dr Matthew Knight to discuss the evidence of life beyond conflict in prehistoric Scotland.
    Just announced

    National Museum of Scotland

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