The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street is two buildings joined together: a Victorian museum of 1866, with a light-filled Grand Gallery of cast iron and glass, and a sandstone wing of 1998 that tells the story of Scotland from its geology to the present day. Between them they cover natural history, science and technology, fashion, design and world cultures.
It is free, it is open every day, and it is big enough to fill a day — though two or three hours with a plan is what most visitors manage. It is also the best answer in Edinburgh to a wet afternoon or a tired child.
What to see and do: National Museum of Scotland
The Grand Gallery
Enter at street level and come up into the hall: tiers of slender columns and balconies under a glass roof. Among the large exhibits here are a giant deer skeleton, a lighthouse lens and the tall Millennium Clock, which performs at set times.
Scotland galleries
The Scottish wing runs chronologically from the basement upwards. Highlights include a group of the 12th-century Lewis chessmen, carved from walrus ivory; Pictish stones; the Monymusk Reliquary; “the Maiden”, an early Scottish beheading machine; and the mysterious miniature coffins found on Arthur’s Seat in 1836.
Dolly the sheep and the science floors
Dolly, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell, was born near Edinburgh in 1996 and now stands in the science and technology galleries, which are full of things to push, pull and try.
Natural world
A cast of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton greets you at the animal galleries, where whales, sharks and birds hang through several floors of open space.
The roof terrace
Take the lift in the Scottish wing to level 7. The terrace, planted with Scottish species, gives a wide view of the castle, the Old Town skyline and Arthur’s Seat — and few visitors find it.
How to get to National Museum of Scotland
- The museum is on Chambers Street, five minutes’ walk south of the Royal Mile via George IV Bridge and about ten minutes from Waverley station.
- Buses along South Bridge and George IV Bridge stop within a couple of minutes’ walk.
- Greyfriars Kirkyard and Bobby’s statue are directly across the road from the tower entrance.
Insider tips
- Pick up a floor plan and choose three or four things. Trying to see everything is how people end up exhausted.
- Special exhibitions are ticketed; everything else is free. Donations are welcome.
- Weekday mornings in term time bring school groups; late afternoon is calmer.
- There are lockers and cafés inside, and a brasserie at street level.
Best tours & tickets for National Museum of Scotland
These top-rated experiences pair well with a visit to National Museum of Scotland:
Walking tour from €21 Edinburgh: Old Town History and Tales Walking Tour
Two hours on foot through the medieval Old Town with a local guide: the Royal Mile, hidden closes, the Grassmarket, Greyfriars and the stories of the people who lived here. An inexpensive, well-reviewed way to get your bearings on your first day.
- The Royal Mile, closes and courtyards
- Greyfriars and the Grassmarket
- Low price, high rating
Walking tour from €21 Edinburgh: Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour
Much of Harry Potter was written in Edinburgh, and this hugely popular tour visits the places said to have inspired it: the curve of Victoria Street, the gravestones of Greyfriars Kirkyard and the cafés where early chapters took shape. Light-hearted, family-friendly and very well reviewed.
- Victoria Street and Greyfriars Kirkyard
- The cafés and school linked to the books
- More than 13,000 reviews
Bus tour from €21 Edinburgh: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
A loop of the Old and New Towns on an open-top bus, with commentary and the freedom to get off at any stop. Useful on a first day, for saving your legs on the hills, and for the long downhill-then-uphill haul to Holyrood.
- Open-top double-decker
- Stops at the castle, Royal Mile and Holyrood
- Audio commentary in several languages
