Within the walls of Edinburgh Castle, the National War Museum tells the story of Scotland at war.

The Library is based in the National War Museum within the walls of Edinburgh Castle.

Resources for your class trip to the National War Museum.

1914 brought war to Scotland on what would prove to be an unprecedented scale. Delve into the stories behind those who fought in the First World War here.

The National Museum of Scotland is housed in magnificent buildings. Find out about its striking architectural details below, and explore them further on your next visit to our Museum.

Our First World War Centenary programme of exhibitions and events shares the Scottish memory of these world-changing events with national and international visitors.

The National Museum of Scotland has become the first museum or gallery in Scotland available for exploration online via Google Arts & Culture’s Museum View experience.

Resources for your class visit to the National Museum of Flight.

1939 saw the start of a conflict that would change Scotland and the world. Discover Scottish stories related to different aspects of the Second World War - life on the Home Front, the development of technology driven by the conflict, and personal memories of some of the people who lived through it.

Your journey of discovery starts here.

During and directly after the Second World War, the Reid family at Wester Kittochside, East Kilbride employed both Italian and German prisoners of war.

Explore life in the countryside at our five-star museum, farmhouse and historic working farm.

Wing your way to one of Scotland's top days out at East Fortune Airfield.

Book a self-guided educational group visit to the National Museum of Scotland.

Resources to use during your visit to the National Museum of Rural Life.

Find out more about our exhibitions, workshops, events and resources for primary and secondary students at the National Museum of Scotland

Resources for your class visit to the National Museum of Scotland.

Wherever you are, there are lots of ways to explore and learn about our amazing collections online.

Our library services support the research and learning needs of Museum staff, visitors, and the wider external research community.

We are currently looking for volunteer farmhouse guides at the National Museum of Rural Life.

Casualty of War: A Portrait of Maharaja Duleep Singh is by renowned British Sikh artists, The Singh Twins.

Discover a range of paintings, drawings and pastels from the First and Second World Wars from our military collection.

Our beautiful Clydesdale horses are one of the star attractions at the National Museum of Rural Life

Discover the latest information about visiting our museums

More than 10 million objects make their home at the National Museum of Scotland. Discover the secrets of our treasures with this unique five-part series.

For forty years two superpowers and their allies took the world back and forth from the brink of catastrophe in a nuclear stand-off that pervaded everyday life for billions. Three decades since the fall of the Berlin Wall, our collaborative project ‘Materialising the Cold War’ explores how this conflict is represented in museums.

Take part in survival skills training for all the family at the National Museum of Flight this October half term. Learn how to set up a ‘leave no trace' camp in the Concorde Hangar and sign up for our family bushcraft workshop.

Explore the story of Waterloo at the National War Museum.

In 2016, we celebrated 150 years since the magnificent building that houses the National Museum of Scotland first opened to the public. Explore the Museum’s history here.

At the National Museum of Rural Life we have a significant collection of 20th-century harvesting machines in our large machinery store.

An update on the new hangar.

Discover objects on loan to the new Trimontium Museum in the Scottish Borders

Join curator Lydia Prosser for a guided virtual tour of our Kingdom of the Scots gallery at the National Museum of Scotland.

Discover the Museum brings classes from schools who are not regular visitors, from areas of mid-high deprivation within Edinburgh, to the National Museum of Scotland for a free, self-led, supported visit.

Visitors discovered some of the treasures within the National Museum Scotland's significant collection of oracle bones, the second largest in the world outside of China.

This exhibition at the National War Museum explores the little-known story of British conscientious objectors of the Second World War through paintings, poems, letters, music and speeches.

Reduce, Reuse, and Rewild this October Half Term with activities to do at home or visit us in the museum to learn more

The battle of Tel-el-Kebir was a decisive moment in the British maintaining order in Egypt in the late 19th century and its depicted in a magnificent painting at National War Museum.

Find out how and why the poppy was adopted as a symbol of remembrance in the aftermath of the First World War.

Long before the French Revolution, the Scots had invented and were using the beheading machine known as the Maiden. It was used to execute criminals and political opponents of the crown from 1564 to 1710.

Thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we are able to create opportunities for people of all ages, abilities and walks of life to enjoy our museums and connect with inspiring collections.

The Wester Kittochside Farm at National Museum of Rural Life was owned and run by the Reid family for more than 400 years.

Discover how engineers are working to make air travel less damaging to the environment with this museum trail.

New to the National Collection showcased the latest additions to our collections, including objects that will feature in ten new galleries in 2016.

Join Chief Chebe as he takes you on two African storytelling adventures at the National Museum of Scotland.

This striking fusion of styles, traditions, and Scottish and Ugandan cultures is designer José Hendo's sustainable fashion statement for our times.

Changing technology played a vital role in the Second World War. Major advances in communications, weaponry and medicine came about as a direct result of the conflict.

Acclaimed historian and broadcaster Michael Wood joins Dr Adrián Maldonado, Glenmorangie Research Fellow, to discuss Adrián’s new book, 'Crucible of Nations: Scotland from Viking Age to Medieval Kingdom'. The book reassesses the museum’s Viking-age collections, uncovering an exciting new vision of Scotland’s diverse and creative past.