Take a look inside one of the most treasured objects in the National Museum of Scotland.

Archaeological finds from Rome's invasions of Scotland can be found throughout the country, from the Solway Firth to Moray. Three of the most prominent sites are Trimontium, Traprain Law, and the Antonine Wall.

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There are over 20,000 wood engraving blocks in the W. & R. Chambers Collection at National Museums Scotland. Over 7,000 of these blocks were created to print the illustrations in Chambers’s Encyclopaedia, which was first published in 1859.

Discover the classic Ruston steam excavator, and find out how our conservation team restored it to its former glory.

This workshop seeks to expand academic knowledge and improve museum interpretation of Scotland’s commercial diaspora, focusing on the material culture of short-term economic migration. The project is supported by the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Find out how this revolutionary telescope was invented, and how it found a home at the National Museum of Scotland.

Visitors to the Scotland Transformed gallery at National Museum of Scotland cannot miss the mighty Newcomen engine.

Discover how research and collecting at National Museums Scotland is reshaping understandings of Scotland in the past as we take a closer look at a very special Roman object with surprising Egyptian origins.

Explore how missionaries made a significant impact on gathering the materials featured within the Tibetan collections at the National Museum of Scotland, with their materials peaking between 1890-1904.

From the early 20th century, the tractor helped to transformed farm life in Scotland. There are several examples on display in the collection at the National Museum of Rural Life, East Kilbride.

The National Museums Collections Centre in Granton, Edinburgh is a specialist facility where we care for and research our collections.

Behind this frightening-looking mask, worn as a disguise by the outlawed Covenanting minister Alexander Peden, lies a fascinating story of rebellion and religious conviction.

Discover how an extra-terrestrial exhibit was made ready for display in the National Museum of Scotland.

We trace the story of the Australian mammals in the Natural World galleries at the National Museum of Scotland and meet the rare numbat.

‘The Matter of Slavery in Scotland’ was a collaborative research project with the University of Edinburgh which explored the history and legacy of Scotland’s connections with the transatlantic slave system through objects in public collections.

Meet Ching Ching the panda, one of the world’s most endangered species in Survival at National Museum of Scotland.

In the early 18th century, natural history was an increasingly popular pastime and many people visited fields and ponds, often bringing a microscope, to investigate the flora and fauna.

Learn how to say colours in Mandarin, explore the museum collections virtually and create your own Chinese object card.

Discover how air has been used in modes of transport from airships to hot air balloons and how different species make use of air to travel through flight and gliding.

Discover how the skull of a 40ft whale, which captured the heart of the nation, has become a permanent feature at the National Museum of Scotland.

Mineral collecting was Matthew Heddle's main passion. Several of his minerals are on display in the National Museum of Scotland.

Maori craftsmanship and museum conservation bring to life one of our most unusual and intriguing objects.

This tent was a home-made 'mini' vigil travelling stall used by members of the Democracy for Scotland campaign.

Discover more about the Tibetan project, in collaboration between the University of Stirling, Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions, and the National Museum of Scotland, Department of World Cultures.

The Research Library is our main reading room on level 3 of the National Museum of Scotland.

In 2013, National Museums Scotland acquired one metal sculpture and one work on paper by contemporary Australian artist Danie Mellor.

The Lewis chess pieces live in the National Museum of Scotland. Colour them in or cut out and make your own chess piece here.

These four unique instruments were specially created for Performance and Lives gallery at the National Museum of Scotland by internationally renowned composer and artist Victor Gama.

The Making Circles schools project invited children to be inspired by National Museums Scotland’s collections to create new Circular Economy products.

Explore the amazing collections of National Museums Scotland through films, animations and podcasts.

Play online games exploring a range of museum subjects.

This contemporary piece by sculptor Michael Eden celebrates the architectural styles of the National Museum of Scotland.

Discover how this traditional Scottish instrument was commissioned for the Performance and Lives gallery in the National Museum of Scotland.

The Glenmorangie Research Project on Early Medieval Scotland began in 2008 and since then has uncovered exciting new insights on this important period of Scotland’s past.

From Samurai treasures to tiny netsuke, the National Museum of Scotland has the largest Japanese collection in Scotland.

Explore a range of activities suitable for pupils working at Early, First and Second Levels including: - Mandarin - Writing a story - Maths and numeracy

‘Turkey red’ is a complex dyeing process which produced a bright, fast red. Find out more about this centuries old process.

A unique, full-length mummy shroud, which is over 2,000 years old yet is still in remarkable condition, has been discovered in National Museums Scotland’s collections.

Two new displays opening on Friday 24 September at the National Museum of Scotland explore the impact of climate change and the technological response in Scotland to the climate emergency.

This earthcreeper was one of thousands of specimens collected during a voyage that Charles Darwin joined on the HMS Beagle.

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