A multi-level museum atrium with white pillars and railings. Different museum objects are on display on each level. Visitors look up at the objects.

National Museum of Scotland

With thousands of amazing objects across dozens of galleries, the museum offers a world of discovery under one roof

Visitor information

Admission details:

Free entry, charges for some special exhibitions.

Find us:

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Tel: 0300 123 6789

Opening hours:

Open daily, 10:00 - 17:00

Closed 25 Dec. Open 26 Dec, 12:00 – 17:00. Open 1 Jan, 12:00 – 17:00.

What's on

  1. 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.
    Exhibitions

    Scotland's First Warriors

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

    National Museum of Scotland

  2. A child sits looking at a picture book.
    Events

    Family Storytelling Day

    Sat 24 Oct, 10:30 - 16:30
    Join us for a full day of free fun for families, including storytelling, crafts and object encounters.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

  3. A flock of geese flying in the sky.
    Events

    Words of the Wild: Changing Seasons

    Sat 24 Oct, 15:00 - 16:00
    Discover the interconnectedness of ecology and storytelling with the Scottish Wildlife Trust and storyteller David Hughes.
    Free

    National Museum of Scotland

See what else is on
  • A person standing smiling next to a set of prayer wheels.

    See and do

    With thousands of amazing objects across multiple galleries, the Museum offers you a world of discovery all under one roof.
  • A parent and child sitting at a table doing a crafts activity.

    Families

    All you need to know for a great family visit at the museum.

Stories from the collections

  1. Twelve bronze objects, including some rounded fittings with concentric circle designs and a rattle pendant. They are all silvery, with some green corrosion on the surface.

    What is the Peebles Hoard?

    Archaeology, Scotland

    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…
    Short read
  2. A group of Bronze Age objects including a ring of a large cauldron and fragments of spearheads, swords and dagger blades against a black background.

    Sacrifice or scrap? The Bronze Age weapons from Duddingston Loch

    Archaeology

    Written by Dr Matthew Knight
    Why was a 3000-year-old hoard of objects deliberately destroyed and sunk into a loch in Edinburgh?
    Long read
  3. A group of men in high vis working around a large crucible of melted iron.

    Forging a path - Scotland's iron industry

    Science and technology, Scotland

    Written by Georgina Grant
    In July 2025 one of the last iron foundries in Scotland closed its doors. Ballantine Castings Ltd, based in Bo’ness, had been in operation for 200 years. The foundry supplied decorative, architectural and engineering ironwork across…
    Short read
  4. A man wearing purple gloves examines pieces from the Blyth Hoard.

    What is the Blyth Hoard?

    Archaeology, Scotland

    Written by Dr Matthew Knight
    A unique discovery from the Scottish Borders is shedding new light on the making of Bronze Age objects in Scotland.
    Long read
View more stories

Awards