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.

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User Reviews

Daniel Ross (2 years 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 (2 years 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 (2 years 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 (2 years 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 (2 years 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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