National Museum of Scotland

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Photo by flickr user subberculture

Some of Scotland’s treasures are millions of years old, while some less than ten, and the National Museum has valuable and interesting bits and bobs from both ends of the scale and from a spray of points in between. The types of artefacts that make up the collection are about the same distance apart as well.

The ‘Connect’ gallery has interactive exhibitions on science and technology – see NASA space suits and capsules, learn about robots and how to design your own, try out a Formula 1 race car simulator or see the remains of Dolly, the cloned sheep. There are also extensive exhibitions charting Scotland’s history from Gaelic origins, the influence of Christianity, trade and the monarchy to the union with England and an exhibition called ‘Scotland: A Changing Nation’ which looks at the lives of the Scottish today.

Dolly is/ was probably the world’s most famous sheep so she’s definitely a highlight; others include a Millennium Clock, one of Elton John’s wackiest and most over the top suits and the Egyptian exhibition – no one seems to tire of mummies.

As well as offering free entry you can also join a free tour and be taken around by an expert guide. Just down the hill from Edinburgh Castle you can find the gruff old limestone Renaissance style building on Chambers Street – it looks like a museum should, but on the inside it’s far more modern – in fact it was modelled on the Crystal Palace.

Written by  World Reviewer Staff.

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