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. Yellow patterned jacket, with black and white accents, on a manequin.
    Exhibition

    A Fashion Odyssey: Jean Muir, Bill Gibb, Zandra Rhodes

    –
    A Fashion Odyssey explores the work of three trailblazing British fashion designers - Jean Muir, Bill Gibb, and Zandra Rhodes.
    Just announced

    National Museum of Scotland

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List of Events

  1. Two children examine museum objects on a trolley. One is holding a small bone while the other looks intently.
    Event

    Summer Family Fun

    Every Mon and Fri, 29 Jun - 7 Aug, 10:00 - 16:00
    Get crafty, get curious, get up-close with our free summer holiday activities.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

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  2. Families enjoying object handling
    Event

    Deaf Families Museum Takeover

    Fri 7 Aug, 11:00 - 15:00
    As part of Edinburgh Deaf Festival and in partnership with Deaf Action, join us for a day of activities for deaf families.
    Just announced

    National Museum of Scotland

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  3. 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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  4. 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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  5. 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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  6. 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'.
    Sold out

    National Museum of Scotland

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  7. A person with a pram is talking to a museum worker, in the grand gallery at the national museum of scotland. The museum worker is at a small stand, with a sign saying 'Engagement team' behind them.
    Event

    Find Out Fridays

    4 Sep 26 – 26 Feb 2027, Friday afternoon during term time 13:30 – 16:00
    Drop-in Friday fun for families of all ages.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

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  8. A man and a boy sit on a bench in the grand gallery looking at a large dinosaur picture book. The boy is wearing ear protectors.
    Event

    Relaxed Morning

    1 Feb - 6 Dec 2026, 10:00 - 12:00 (Quiet space open until 12:30)
    Join us for our monthly Relaxed Morning for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

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  9. A child paints at a table
    Event

    Sensory Sunday

    Sun 1 Feb – Sun 6 Dec 2026, 11:00 – 12:00 and 14:00 – 15:00
    Exciting, hands-on sensory play sessions for children with additional support needs.
    Sold out

    National Museum of Scotland

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