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national museum of scotland – following historical traces

text and photo sascha ihns

The National Museum of Scotland opened its doors in 1866 as the Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art. Today it is Britain’s largest museum outside of London, with more than 20,000 items on exhibit and drawing up to two million visitors a year on average. In 2011 the original Victorian-style Royal Museum was refurbished and integrated into the postmodern National Museum building (inaugurated in 1998) with its distinctive castle turret at the front.

Visitors begin in the vast entrance hall of the former Royal Museum, bathed in natural light and with a dazzling (even confusing) array of options for starting their tour. There are a number of galleries to choose from, like Grand Gallery, Window on the World, Art and Design or Discoveries. One of the most impressive exhibitions (and a favourite among younger visitors) is the Natural History Gallery, where visitors can gaze at several real dinosaur skeletons alongside modern animals (mounted) as well as fossils and geological findings explaining the development of our planet up to the present. Other exhibitions like World Cultures offer items and explanations about different indigenous people and present archaeological findings like weapons and coins from ancient Egypt and the Islamic world. In the Science and Technology gallery, visitors can get to know numerous Scottish inventions and also come face-to-face with a very famous Scot – Dolly the Sheep, who found her final resting place here, stuffed and mounted.

Afterwards, take a break at the museum’s café on Level 3 of the entrance hall before strolling on to the new part of the National Museum and it’s further 10,000 items. Here the visitor can trace the path of Scottish history, beginning at the lowest level with prehistory and then progressing to the early medieval period with its ecclesiastical history and religious wars, towards the industrial revolution and its impact on modern Scottish life. Highlights like the “Maiden”, an early Scottish version of a Guillotine, are explained interactively via touchscreens, while other exhibits like the complete steam locomotive and weaving loom are impressive enough without further explanation.

Tip: The upmarket Tower Restaurant is a lovely spot with a fantastic view above the roofs of Edinburgh. Just off the restaurant is a rooftop panorama terrace open to anyone, even if you’re just stopping by for the view.

Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF.

Mon - Sun 10am - 5pm. Admission free.

www.nms.ac.uk