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.
Free
Schools sessions

Scotland’s First Warriors exhibition visit

National Museum of Scotland

About Scotland’s First Warriors exhibition visit

Explore the origins of conflict and the lives of people in prehistoric Scotland. This self-led exhibition visit invites pupils to discover how and why people fought, and what objects can tell us about Scotland’s distant past.

This exhibition brings together over 250 fascinating artefacts, including rare weapons and internationally significant archaeological discoveries, spanning from the Stone Age to the arrival of the Romans.  

'Scotland’s First Warriors' runs until Sunday 16 May 2027.

What will my pupils do?

Pupils will get the opportunity to: 

  • Explore real prehistoric objects, including rare weapons and artefacts
  • Discover how people lived in Scotland from the Stone Age to the Roman period
  • Investigate how and why people fought in the past
  • Use observation skills to interpret archaeological evidence
  • Develop enquiry skills through questioning, analysis and interpretation. 

Our exhibition provides a rich stimulus to support critical thinking and cross-curricular enquiry. 

Suggested learning focus 

You can tailor your visit to suit your class. Possible enquiry questions include: 

  • What was life like in prehistoric Scotland?
  • Why did people fight, and what were the impacts of conflict?
  • What can objects tell us about the past?
  • How did life in Scotland change over time? 

Find out more about 'Scotland’s First Warriors'

Curriculum links

SOC 1-01a, SOC 2-01a, SOC 3-01a 

SOC 1-02a, SOC 2-02a, SOC 3-02a 

SOC 1-03a, SOC 2-03a, SOC 3-03a 

SOC 1-04a, SOC 2-04a, SOC 3-04a 

SOC 1-06a, SOC 2-06a, SOC 3-06a 

SOC 1-14a, SOC 2-14a, SOC 3-14a 

LIT 1-02a, LIT 2-02a, LIT 3-02a 

LIT 1-09a, LIT 2-09a, LIT 3-09a 

Sustainable development goals

4, 10, 11, 16 

Meta skills framework

Self-Management - Focusing, Adapting

Social Intelligence - Communicating, Collaborating

Innovation - Curiosity, Sense-making, Critical Thinking

Timings

Check your booking for timings and arrive at the museum at least 15 minutes before the start of your exhibition visit slot.

Available dates

August 2026

Tue 18 Aug 2026 - 11:30

Wed 19 Aug 2026 - 11:30

Thu 20 Aug 2026 - 11:30

Tue 25 Aug 2026 - 11:30

Wed 27 Aug 2026 - 11:30

September 2026

Tue 1 Sep 2026 - 11:30

Wed 2 Sep 2026 - 11:30

Thu 10 Sep 2026 - 11:30

Tue 15 Sep 2026 - 11:30

Wed 16 Sep 2026 - 11:30

Thu 17 Sep 2026 - 11:30

Tue 22 Sep 2026 - 11:30

Wed 23 Sep 2026 - 11:30

Thu 24 Sep 2026 - 11:30

Tue 29 Sep 2026 - 11:30

Wed 30 Sep 2026 - 11:30

October 2026

Thu 1 Oct 2026 - 11:30

Tue 6 Oct 2026 - 11:30

Wed 7 Oct 2026 - 11:30

Thu 8 Oct 2026 - 11:30

Tue 27 Oct 2026 - 11:30

Wed 28 Oct 2026 - 11:30

Thu 29 Oct 2026 - 11:30

November 2026

Tue 3 Nov 2026 - 11:30

Wed 4 Nov 2026 - 11:30

Thu 5 Nov 2026 - 11:30

Tue 10 Nov 2026 - 11:30

Wed 11 Nov 2026 - 11:30

Thu 12 Nov 2026 - 11:30

Tue 17 Nov 2026 - 11:30

Wed 18 Nov 2026 - 11:30

Thu 19 Nov 2026 - 11:30

Tue 24 Nov 2026 - 11:30

Wed 25 Nov 2026 - 11:30

Thu 26 Nov 2026 - 11:30

December 2026

Tue 1 Dec 2026 - 11:30

Wed 2 Dec 2026 - 11:30

Thu 3 Dec 2026 - 11:30

Tue 8 Dec 2026 - 11:30

Wed 9 Dec 2026 - 11:30

Thu 10 Dec 2026 - 11:30

Tue 15 Dec 2026 - 11:30

Wed 16 Dec 2026 - 11:30

Thu 17 Dec 2026 - 11:30

January 2027

Tue 12 Jan 2027 - 11:30

Wed 13  Jan 2027 - 11:30

Thu 14 Jan 2027 - 11:30

Mon 18 Jan 2027 - 11:30

Tue 19 Jan 2027 - 11:30

Wed 20 Jan 2027 - 11:30

Tue 26 Jan 2027 - 11:30

Wed 27 Jan 2027 - 11:30

Thu 28 Jan 2027 - 11:30

February 2027

Thu 4 Feb 2027 - 11:30

Tue 9 Feb 2027 - 11:30

Wed 10 Feb 2027 - 11:30

Thu 11 Feb 2027 - 11:30

Wed 24 Feb 2027 - 11:30

Thu 25 Feb 2027 - 11:30

March 2027

Tue 2 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Wed 3 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Thu 4 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Tue 9 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Wed 10 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Thu 11 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Tue 16 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Wed 17 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Thu 18 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Tue 23 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Wed 24 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Thu 25 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Tue 30 Mar 2027 - 11:30

Wed 31 Mar 2027 - 11:30

April 2027

Thu 1 Apr 2027 - 11:30

Tue 27 Apr 2027 - 11:30

May 2027

Tue 4 May 2027 - 11:30

Wed 5 May 2027 - 11:30

Thu 6 May 2027 - 11:30

Tue 11 May 2027 - 11:30

Wed 12 May 2027 - 11:30

Thu 13 May 2027 - 11:30

Request a visit

Booking Terms and Conditions

Cancellation Policy
  • National Museums Scotland reserve the right to charge a fee for short notice cancellations or no-shows.
  • Bookings cancelled less than 2 weeks prior to the visit will incur an administration fee of £25.
  • A charge of £50 will apply to no-show or last-minute cancellations.
  • In certain circumstances National Museums Scotland may waive the administration fee.
  • Cancellations should be notified in writing to schools@nms.ac.uk.

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