National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

The National Museum of Scotland is one of the Top 10 UK visitor attractions, and in the Top 20 of the most visited museums and galleries in the world. The museum houses a spectacular array of over 20,000 fascinating artefacts. The National Museum incorporates the collections of the former National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, and the Royal Museum. As well as the national collections of Scottish archaeological finds and medieval objects, the museum contains artefacts from around the world, encompassing geology, archaeology, natural history, science, technology, art, and world cultures. The 16 new galleries reopened in 2011 include 8,000 objects, 80 per cent of which were not formerly on display. One of the more notable exhibits is the stuffed body of Dolly the sheep, the first successful clone of a mammal from an adult cell. Other highlights include Ancient Egyptian exhibitions, one of Elton John's extravagant suits and a large kinetic sculpture named the Millennium Clock. A Scottish invention that is a perennial favourite with school parties is The Maiden, an early form of guillotine.

References:

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User Reviews

Daniel Ross (20 months ago)
Loved the Scottish exhibits. The building itself is artful and interesting. The exhibits were thoughtful and well arranged. I wish I could have stayed longer. Most notable was the staff. They were all knowledgeable, courteous, and helpful.

Ally Maxwell (20 months ago)
Excellent place to while away the day. Hugely informative, very interactive, great exhibitions and fantastic for kids. Cafe does good coffee - perhaps a bit pricey but you don't have to pay to visit the museum so it seems fair. Love this place!

Katie Luxmoore (20 months ago)
I always love this place! It's freaking huge, interactive and super varied in the exhibits it has at any one time. My favourites however are always the natural history ones and the fashion section (maybe it's not for everyone but please just take a walk through its Gorgeous!)

Laura Quin (20 months ago)
Really enjoyed the Robots exhibition. Just a pity there are only two small lifts and we had quite a long wait to get in with my wheelchair because it was busy with a lot of pushchairs. That is my only real complaint because the museum is very interesting and a lovely building. A fantastic place to lose a few hours in Edinburgh without spending a lot.

Mark Prime (21 months ago)
Well..what can I say...refreshingly brilliant!! LESS REALLY IS MORE!! By not packing stuff in to the rafters, like they do in London museums, it allows time to really see and absorb the items. Far far better engagement, especially for youngsters. Great mix of everything, things, like tech, really stimulating. Even had art and cultural iconic mix of ceramic, furniture, glass...just inspiring. To whomever coordinated and selected you did a great job!!

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Derbent Fortress

Derbent is the southernmost city in Russia, occupying the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains connecting the Eurasian steppes to the north and the Iranian Plateau to the south. Derbent claims to be the oldest city in Russia with historical documentation dating to the 8th century BCE. Due to its strategic location, over the course of history, the city changed ownership many times, particularly among the Persian, Arab, Mongol, Timurid, Shirvan and Iranian kingdoms.

Derbent has archaeological structures over 5,000 years old. As a result of this geographic peculiarity, the city developed between two walls, stretching from the mountains to the sea. These fortifications were continuously employed for a millennium and a half, longer than any other extant fortress in the world.

A traditionally and historically Iranian city, the first intensive settlement in the Derbent area dates from the 8th century BC. The site was intermittently controlled by the Persian monarchs, starting from the 6th century BC. Until the 4th century AD, it was part of Caucasian Albania which was a satrap of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. In the 5th century Derbent functioned as a border fortress and the seat of Sassanid Persians. Because of its strategic position on the northern branch of the Silk Route, the fortress was contested by the Khazars in the course of the Khazar-Arab Wars. In 654, Derbent was captured by the Arabs.

The Sassanid fortress does not exist any more, as the famous Derbent fortress as it stands today was built from the 12th century onward. Derbent became a strong military outpost and harbour of the Sassanid empire. During the 5th and 6th centuries, Derbent also became an important center for spreading the Christian faith in the Caucasus.

The site continued to be of great strategic importance until the 19th century. Today the fortifications consist of two parallel defence walls and Naryn-Kala Citadel. The walls are 3.6km long, stretching from the sea up to the mountains. They were built from stone and had 73 defence towers. 9 out of the 14 original gates remain.

In Naryn-Kala Citadel most of the old buildings, including a palace and a church, are now in ruins. It also holds baths and one of the oldest mosques in the former USSR.

In 2003, UNESCO included the old part of Derbent with traditional buildings in the World Heritage List.

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