National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
The National Museum of Scotland brings Scottish history and culture together with collections from across the world. This museum complex combines a modern building opened in 1998 with the former Royal Museum beside it, and Benson & Forsyth are its architects. The connected buildings stand on Chambers Street near George IV Bridge, giving you a striking contrast in stone, glass, and iron.
Notice the former Royal Museum’s ornate façade and its grand hall, where cast iron rises through the building’s full height. That building began in 1861 and opened in part in 1866; its design came from Francis Fowke and Robert Matheson. Inside, the collections range from archaeology and medieval objects to science, technology, natural history, art, and world cultures.
Among the memorable displays is Dolly, the sheep, preserved here after scientists successfully cloned a mammal using a mature cell. The museum’s sixteen galleries reopened in 2011 with 8,000 objects, including many that had not previously been shown. You can also find an extravagant suit worn by Sir Elton John, the Jean Muir costume collection, and the kinetic Millennium Clock. The result is a museum where Scottish stories meet global science, design, and culture.
