Clyde’s Winter Trail National Museum of Rural Life, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride G76 9HR 2 Dec 2022 – 8 Jan 2023 Free with museum admission and Annual Pass 10:00-17:00
Clyde and his friends have been getting the National Museum of Rural Life ready for the festive season. Can you find all the miniature scenes around the museum?
Drawn Together at the Museum National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 28 Dec – 30 Dec 2022 Daily, 10:30 – 16:30 Grand Gallery, Level 1 Free drop-in
Escape to the museum between Christmas and Hogmanay and enjoy sketching around our galleries. Your artwork will be added to our informal public gallery for everyone to enjoy.
Sprogmanay National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 1 Jan 2023 14:00 – 16:30 Grand Gallery, Level 1 Free, drop-in
Sprogmanay at the museum is back! A warm welcome to 2023 with music and fun for all the family.
This afternoon of fun for children of all ages is free and unticketed and families can drop in to enjoy a programme of live music, comedy, magic and arts and crafts.
Exhibitions & Displays National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Bernat Klein: Design in Colour 5 Nov 2022 – 23 Apr 2023 Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 Free entry
Marking the centenary of his birth, Bernat Klein: Design in Colour will celebrate the work of the influential émigré textile designer. Visitors will be able to explore Klein’s creative process and varied career, from providing couture fabrics for fashion designers to his influence on modernist architecture and interior design in the UK and Scandinavia
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder 9 Dec 2022 – 1 May 2023
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder features eight zones filled with immersive, hands-on experiences. Travel through the Time Vortex Corridor, discover Sonic Screwdrivers, teleportation technology and much more in a TARDIS Tech room, and get up close with some of the series’ weird and wonderful creatures in the Monster Vault. Join us for the Scottish premiere of this ground-breaking exhibition. It’s bigger on the inside!
Japanese Contemporary Design Until 5 Mar 2023 Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1 Free entry
From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this new free display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades. The star object is Hitomi Hosono’s A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019. Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings.
Inspiring Walter Scott Until 18 Jun 2023 Exhibition Gallery 4, Level 1 Free entry
Following the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott’s birth, experience his novels through objects that inspired him. In this small exhibition we show how Scott drew upon real historical objects for inspiration, placing objects alongside Scott’s words, and the stories in which they feature. While you view these fascinating objects, you can listen to an actor reading extracts from these tales.
In association with Walter Scott 250: Celebrating 250 Years of Scotland’s Greatest Storyteller and supporting Year of Stories 2022.
COMING SOON Beyond the Little Black Dress 1 Jul – 29 Oct 2023 Special Exhibition Gallery, Level 3
From design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, this exhibition deconstructs the little black dress and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion. The exhibition will chart a century of fashion in a series of themed, immersive displays. Iconic early pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Jean Muir will be juxtaposed with recent looks by ground-breaking contemporary designers and brands like Gareth Pugh, Simone Rocha and Off-White.
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Relaxed Morning 8 Jan 2023 10:00 – 12:00 (quiet space open until 12:30)
Join us for our monthly Relaxed Morning for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum. This session is primarily for, but not limited to, families with autistic children; autistic young people and adults; adults living with dementia; adults and children with mental health problems; and any other visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.
Art at the Start in the Museum 18 Jan 2023 14:00-16:00 Imagine Gallery Free, drop-in
The Art at the Start team, based at the University of Dundee, will be running drop-in creative and sensory play activities within the Imagine Gallery, all aimed at babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers and their grown-ups. You can join us at any time throughout the session for baby-safe activities using light boxes, collage, and colourful and tactile materials.
Magic Carpet Minis Various times and dates £15 per child for block of 3
Magic Carpet Minis introduces you and your little one to some of the wonderful galleries, objects and themes in the museum in a fun and gentle way. Taking place in different spaces around the museum, you will explore subjects such as the Natural World, Space, World Cultures and Scottish History through songs, stories, rhymes, actions, objects and sensory play.
National Museum of Rural Life Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Tractor Tots 10 Feb – 24 Mar 2023 Dates, times and pricing information in the link below
Tractor Tots is a bookable series of playful sensory singalong sessions for under-fives and their adults at the National Museum of Rural Life. Running in blocks of three Friday sessions, Tractor Tots offers a fun, focused experience for our younger visitors, introducing them to rural life through interactive creative play. Each session will feature handling objects from our learning boxes, singing, storytelling, rhymes, actions and sensory play to learn all about life in the countryside.
A memorial pole brought to Scotland nearly a century ago will be returned to its place of origin in what is now British Columbia, Canada.
The House of Ni’isjoohl Memorial Pole has been on display in what is now the National Museum of Scotland since 1930. During a visit from a delegation of Nisga’a representatives to Edinburgh in August, a request for its transfer to the Nisga’a Nation was made.
The request was formally agreed by the Board of Trustees of National Museums Scotland and subsequently approved by the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.
Dr Chris Breward, Director of National Museums Scotland said: ““We are committed to promoting understanding and dialogue with respect to those parts of the Museum’s collection associated with our nation’s colonial history and its difficult legacies.
“The fact that our Trustees have agreed to this request demonstrates our readiness to act on this commitment. We are pleased to have reached this agreement and to be able to transfer the Memorial Pole to its people and to the place where its spiritual significance is most keenly understood. We hope this is not the end of the process but the next step in a fruitful and ongoing relationship with the Nisga’a.”
Sim’oogit Ni’ijoohl (Chief Earl Stephens) of Nisga’a Nation said: “In Nisga’a culture, we believe that this pole is alive with the spirit of our ancestor. After nearly one hundred years, we are finally able to bring our dear relative home to rest on Nisga’a lands.
“In means so much for us to have the Ni’isjoohl memorial pole returned to us, so that we can connect our family, nation and our future generations with our living history.”
Ian Russell, Chair of the Board of Trustees of National Museums Scotland, said: “The decision to transfer objects which are in our care is not to be taken lightly. Following careful consideration in line with our Procedure for Considering Requests for the Permanent Transfer of Collection Objects from Non-UK Claimants, the Board approved the request.
“Having subsequently sought and now received the required approval from the Scottish Government, we have informed the Nisga’a Nation and will now begin to make arrangements for the transfer of the Pole to the Nisga’a Museum.”
Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson said: “I welcome the decision taken by National Museums Scotland’s Board of Trustees to return the Ni’isjoohl memorial pole to its place of origin. It follows a deeply moving recent meeting with the Nisga’a delegation when they came to Scotland to explain the huge importance of the pole to their culture, people and community.
“I would like to thank National Museums Scotland’s Board for their speedy but careful consideration of the request and for reaching such a positive outcome and also the Nisga’a delegation for helping us to understand the memorial pole’s history and importance to them.
“It has been a pleasure to give the required ministerial consent to enable National Museums Scotland to proceed with the transfer of ownership to the Nisga’a Museum”
Sigidimnak’ Nox Ts’aawit, Dr. Amy Parent, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Education and Governance, Tier 2, said:
“Our hearts have been moved with the commitment to return our family’s cultural treasure, which enables us to create a new story to re-right a colonial wrong with the honour, dignity and solidarity of the Scottish Peoples who are walking beside us on our decolonizing journeys.”
Following the decision, staff at National Museums Scotland will begin planning the complex task of safely removing the 11-metre pole from its display location and preparing it for transport to British Columbia.
The Ni’isjoohl Memorial Pole was carved from red cedar in 1855 by artist Oyea Tait and his assistant carver, Gwanes, in memorial of Ts’aawit, a Nisga’a chief of British Columbia, Canada. It shows a series of interlocking figures relating to Ts’aawit’s family history through his ancestors, family crests, and his clan.
The pole originally stood in front of the house of Ts’aawit’s relatives in Ank’idaa village on the Nass River. Today the Nisga’a Memorial Pole is on display in the Living Lands gallery at the National Museum of Scotland.
In 1929, Marius Barbeau purchased the pole from its Nisga’a owners on behalf of the Royal Museum of Scotland, which later became the National Museum of Scotland. It went on display the following year. Barbeau was an ethnographer and curator at the National Museum of Canada from 1911-1949.
Clyde’s Winter Trail National Museum of Rural Life, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride G76 9HR 2 Dec 2022 – 8 Jan 2023 10:00-17:00 Clyde and his friends have been getting the National Museum of Rural Life ready for the festive season. Can you find all the miniature scenes around the museum?
Festive Weekend National Museum of Rural Life, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride G76 9HR 3 & 4 Dec 2022 10:30-12:30 & 13:30-15:30 Learning Centre & Farmhouse Free with museum admission and Annual Pass.
Celebrate the season with a weekend of festive family crafts at the museum. On Saturday, you can also join in rhymes, songs and games at the farmhouse.
Drawn Together at the Museum National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 28 Dec – 30 Dec 2022 Daily, 10:30 – 16:30 Grand Gallery, Level 1 Free drop-in
Escape to the museum between Christmas and Hogmanay and enjoy sketching around our galleries. Your artwork will be added to our informal public gallery for everyone to enjoy.
Marking the centenary of his birth, Bernat Klein: Design in Colour will celebrate the work of the influential émigré textile designer. Visitors will be able to explore Klein’s creative process and varied career, from providing couture fabrics for fashion designers to his influence on modernist architecture and interior design in the UK and Scandinavia.
OPENING SOON Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder 9 Dec 2022 – 1 May 2023
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder features eight zones filled with immersive, hands-on experiences. Travel through the Time Vortex Corridor, discover Sonic Screwdrivers, teleportation technology and much more in a TARDIS Tech room, and get up close with some of the series’ weird and wonderful creatures in the Monster Vault. Join us for the Scottish premiere of this ground-breaking exhibition. It’s bigger on the inside!
Inspiring Walter Scott Until 8 Jan 2023 Exhibition Gallery 4, Level 1 Free entry
Following the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott’s birth, experience his novels through objects that inspired him. In this small exhibition we show how Scott drew upon real historical objects for inspiration, placing objects alongside Scott’s words, and the stories in which they feature. While you view these fascinating objects, you can listen to an actor reading extracts from these tales.
In association with Walter Scott 250: Celebrating 250 Years of Scotland’s Greatest Storyteller and supporting Year of Stories 2022.
Japanese Contemporary Design Until 5 Mar 2023 Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1 Free entry
From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this new free display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades. The star object is Hitomi Hosono’s A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019.
Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings.
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
MEMBERS ONLY In Conversation with the Director: Earth in Space 1 Dec 2022 18:00 –19:00 Auditorium (enter via Lothian Street) Free for Members, booking required
Join Director Dr Chris Breward, Senior Curator of Science Dr Tacye Philipson, and Senior Curator of Mineralogy Peter Davidson, as we discover how we’ve explored our place in the universe.
Relaxed Morning 4 Dec 2022 10:00 – 12:00 (quiet space open until 12:30)
Join us for our monthly Relaxed Morning for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum. This session is primarily for, but not limited to, families with autistic children; autistic young people and adults; adults living with dementia; adults and children with mental health problems; and any other visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.
Our Friday Friends programme offers a welcoming space for visually impaired and D/deaf children and their families. The groups meet monthly and explore the themes of the museum through objects, music, art and activities.
Magic Carpet Minis 2023 dates available soon Various times and dates £15 per child for block of 3
Magic Carpet Minis introduces you and your little one to some of the wonderful galleries, objects and themes in the museum in a fun and gentle way. Taking place in different spaces around the museum, you will explore subjects such as the Natural World, Space, World Cultures and Scottish History through songs, stories, rhymes, actions, objects and sensory play.
National Museums Scotland has acquired an exceptionally rare gold sword pommel, created around 700 AD.
Discovered in Stirlingshire, this spectacular object is one of the first of its kind found in Scotland and has been allocated to the Museums by the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer following the recommendation of the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel.
The pommel is a decorative fitting that would have capped the top of a sword hilt made over 1000 years ago. Crafted in solid gold, the object is encrusted with garnets and intricate goldwork. This rich and technically accomplished decoration is highly symbolic, featuring religious motifs and fantastical creatures.
The discovery was made near Blair Drummond in Scotland, adding significantly to its archaeological value, affirming important cultural, political and artistic interactions within northern Britain.
Its decoration masterfully combines elements from both Anglo-Saxon England and the kingdoms of Early Medieval Scotland. This vibrant ‘Insular art’ style, made famous by illuminated manuscripts such as the Lindisfarne Gospels, is Britain’s unique contribution to medieval European art and the Stirling pommel is an outstanding expression of this creative fusion in gold.
Dr Alice Blackwell, Senior Curator of Medieval Archaeology and History at National Museums Scotland, said: “Goldwork from this period is virtually unknown from anywhere in the UK and we are delighted to secure the Stirling Pommel for Scotland’s national collections.
“It is a hugely significant archaeological find, revealing more about this fascinating period in the history of northern Britain and representing the spectacular skill and craftsmanship of the period.”
The pommel was discovered by a metal detectorist and declared to the Treasure Trove unit, in accordance with Scots Law. It was subsequently allocated to National Museums Scotland by the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP).
John Logue, King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer, said: “This discovery highlights the positive work done by the Treasure Trove Unit to decide upon the preservation of rare items for the nation.”
The announcement follows the success of Scottish Archaeology month 2022 in September. This initiative is focused on sharing and engaging with stories related to history, heritage and archaeology in Scotland.
A new study of a tiny Triassic fossil reptile first discovered over 100 years ago in the north east of Scotland has revealed it to be a close relative of the species that would become pterosaurs – iconic flying reptiles of the age of the dinosaurs.
In a new paper published in Nature, a team of scientists led by Dr Davide Foffa, Research Associate at National Museums Scotland, and funded by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, have used Computed Tomography (CT) to provide the first accurate whole skeleton reconstruction of Scleromochlus taylori.
The results reveal new anatomical details that conclusively identify it as a close pterosaur relative. It falls within a group known as Pterosauromorpha, comprising an extinct group of reptiles called lagerpetids together with pterosaurs.
Living approximately 240 -210 million years ago, lagerpetids were a group of relatively small (cat or small dog-sized) active reptiles. Scleromochlus was smaller still at under 20 centimetres in length. The results support the hypothesis that the first flying reptiles evolved from small, likely bipedal ancestors.
The finding settles a century-long debate. There had previously been disagreement as to whether the reptile, Scleromochlus, represented an evolutionary step in the direction of pterosaurs, dinosaurs or else some other reptilian offshoot.
The fossil of Scleromochlus is poorly preserved in a block of sandstone, which has made it difficult to study in sufficient detail to properly identify its anatomical features. The fossil is one of a group known as the Elgin Reptiles, comprising Triassic and Permian specimens found in the sandstone of the Morayshire region of north east Scotland around the town of Elgin.
The specimens are held mostly in the collections of National Museums Scotland, Elgin Museum and the Natural History Museum. The latter holds Scleromochlus, which was originally found at Lossiemouth.
Dr Davide Foffa, Research Associate at National Museums Scotland and lead author of the paper said: ““It’s exciting to be able to resolve a debate that’s been going on for over a century, but it is far more amazing to be able to see and understand an animal which lived 230 million years ago and its relationship with the first animals ever to have flown.
“This is another discovery which highlights Scotland’s important place in the global fossil record, and also the importance of museum collections that preserve such specimens, allowing us to use new techniques and technologies to continue to learn from them long after their discovery.”
Professor Paul Barrett at the Natural History Museum said: “The Elgin reptiles aren’t preserved as the pristine, complete skeletons that we often see in museum displays.
“They’re mainly represented by natural moulds of their bone in sandstone and – until fairly recently – the only way to study them was to use wax or latex to fill these moulds and make casts of the bones that once occupied them. However, the use of CT scanning has revolutionized the study of these difficult specimens and has enabled us to produce far more detailed, accurate and useful reconstructions of these animals from our deep past.”
Professor Sterling Nesbitt at Virgina Tech said: “Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to evolve powered flight and for nearly two centuries, we did not know their closest relatives. Now we can start filling in their evolutionary history with the discovery of tiny close relatives that enhance our knowledge about how they lived and where they came from”
In addition to National Museums Scotland, the Natural History Museum and Virginia Tech, the study also involved the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol and Edinburgh as well as the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Scotland claimed another special milestone in pterosaur history earlier this year with the unveiling of Dearc Sgithanach, an unusually complete and well-preserved fossil discovered on the Isle of Skye and the largest pterosaur known to the Jurassic period.
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life Until 30 Oct 2022 Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3 Ticketed, £0-£10
Explore the history of anatomical study, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci to the Burke and Hare murders.
This exhibition looks at the social and medical history surrounding the practice of dissection. It will trace the relationship between anatomy, its teaching and cultural context and the bodies that were dissected.
Looking at Edinburgh’s role as an international centre for medical study, the exhibition will offer insight into the links between science and crime in the early 19th century.
Bernat Klein: Design in Colour 5 Nov 2022 – 23 Apr 2023 Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 Free entry
Marking the centenary of his birth, Bernat Klein: Design in Colour will celebrate the work of the influential émigré textile designer. Visitors will be able to explore Klein’s creative process and varied career, from providing couture fabrics for fashion designers to his influence on modernist architecture and interior design in the UK and Scandinavia
NEW Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder Tickets on sale soon 9 Dec 2022 – 1 May 2023
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder features eight zones filled with immersive, hands-on experiences. Travel through the Time Vortex Corridor, discover Sonic Screwdrivers, teleportation technology and much more in a TARDIS Tech room, and get up close with some of the series’ weird and wonderful creatures in the Monster Vault.
Join us for the Scottish premiere of this ground-breaking exhibition. It’s bigger on the inside!
Inspiring Walter Scott Until 8 Jan 2023 Exhibition Gallery 4, Level 1 Free entry
Following the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott’s birth, experience his novels through objects that inspired him.
In this small exhibition we show how Scott drew upon real historical objects for inspiration, placing objects alongside Scott’s words, and the stories in which they feature. While you view these fascinating objects, you can listen to an actor reading extracts from these tales.
In association with Walter Scott 250: Celebrating 250 Years of Scotland’s Greatest Storyteller and supporting Year of Stories 2022.
Japanese Contemporary Design Until 5 Mar 2023 Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1 Free entry
From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this new free display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades.
The star object is Hitomi Hosono’s A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019.
Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings.
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Burke, Hare and The University of Edinburgh’s Anatomy School 1 Oct 2022 10:30 – 16:30 Seminar Room, Learning Centre, Level 4 £ 49 (concessions available)
This one-day course with The University of Edinburgh is designed to complement the National Museum of Scotland’s major new exhibition Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life.
Examine the study of anatomy within the context of 19th century Edinburgh, including the University’s role as an international centre for medical teaching. Uncover the circumstances that gave rise to the Burke and Hare murders in 1828, and consider the actions of William Burke, William and Margaret Hare, and anatomist Dr Robert Knox.
NEW The Beauty of Maths: Tiling, Geometry and Art 2 Oct 2022 10:00-16:30 Learning Centre, Level 2 Free
Part of Maths Week Scotland and hosted by Open University, view art pieces created by artists, mathematicians and engineers before getting hands on to create your own. Explore the exciting work of regular and aperiodic tilings through beautiful artwork and hands on 2D and 3D puzzles.
NEW How do you take a photo of a dinosaur? 15 Oct – 16 Oct 2022 Various times Seminar Room, Learning Centre Level 4 Free Booking required
Join us to experience the story of a day told through poetry and puppetry, light and shadow, moving sound and musical instruments. From dawn through to dusk, we move about the space, following unusual sounds into unexpected atmospheres. Join us on a journey to create a very special kind of photograph made up of sensory snapshots.
NEW Museum Mid Term Mash-up 17 Oct – 21 Oct 2022 Daily, 10:30 – 15:00 Grand Gallery Level 1 Free, drop-in
Join us for a daily mix of favourite family activities inspired by our amazing collections.
This half term we’re bringing back some of our most popular crafts, trails and activities for families. Design a morse code bracelet, explore ancient Egyptian objects, make a woolly mammoth mask and more! There’s a different theme each day so pop in and see what fun you discover.
Magic Carpet Minis Until 14 Dec 2022 Various times and dates £15 per child for block of 3
Magic Carpet Minis introduces you and your little one to some of the wonderful galleries, objects and themes in the museum in a fun and gentle way. Taking place in different spaces around the museum, you will explore subjects such as the Natural World, Space, World Cultures and Scottish History through songs, stories, rhymes, actions, objects and sensory play.
Friday Friend Until 31 Dec 2022 14:00-16:00, selected Friday afternoons Free, pre-booking required
Our Friday Friends programme offers a welcoming space for visually impaired and D/deaf children and their families. The groups meet monthly and explore the themes of the museum through objects, music, art and activities.
National Museum of Rural Life Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Tractor Tots Until 11 Nov 2022 10:15 – 10:55 Ticketed
Running in blocks of three Friday morning sessions, Tractor Tots offers a fun, focused experience for our younger visitors, introducing them to the museum and farm, and bringing it to life through interactive creative play. Each session will take place in a different location at the museum and working farm, and will feature handling objects from our learning boxes, singing, storytelling, rhymes, actions and sensory play to learn all about life in the countryside.
NEW Adult Workshop: Mushroom Alchemy 8 Oct 2022 11:00 – 15:00 (with lunch break) Learning Centre Advance booking required
Join Rhyze Mushrooms for this beginner’s mushroom cultivation workshop. Learn how to grow oyster mushrooms from household waste, and come away with all the materials you need to get started at home.
LAST CHANCE Operation Sabotage 29 & 30 Oct 2022 Age 14+ event Ticketed
The year is 1942 and you are stationed at the RAF base at East Fortune. There has been an act of sabotage and one of the aircraft is unknowingly carrying live ordnance with instructions to bomb the town.
Solve a series of fiendish puzzles to call off the flight and save North Berwick! Operation Sabotage is an escape room experience for 4-8 people that lasts up to an hour. Working together as a team, you must race against the clock in two Second World War-themed rooms to decipher the identity of the saboteur before it’s too late.
Behind the Scenes Tours Until 26 Oct 2022 11:00–12:00 & 14:00–15:00 Object Store Free with museum admission Booking required
National Museums Scotland has one of the most comprehensive collections of aircraft engines anywhere in the world, some of which are in the Object Store at the National Museum of Flight, not normally open to the public.
Join Aviation Curator Ian Brown for one of our regular guided tours of the museum’s Object Store. Explore some of the collections not normally on public view and discover the fascinating stories behind them.
Members’ Spotlight: From Table to Melting Pot – Roman Silver from Traprain Law
4 Oct 2022 18:30 -19:30 Free, booking required
In 1919, archaeologists excavating Traprain Law in East Lothian discovered a stunning hoard of buried treasure made up of over 300 fragments of Roman silver which had been cut into bullion, and were destined for melting down and recycling into new objects.
Join us and Dr Fraser Hunter, Principal Curator of Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology, as we explore more about this remarkable find and discover how recent research into the treasure has caused us to rethink how the Roman world engaged with groups beyond its frontiers, and the effects this had in the centuries that followed.
Ancient African Queens: New Perspectives on Black History
27 Oct 2022 19:30 – 20:30 Free, with optional donation
In the 19th and 20th centuries European and American Egyptologists appropriated ancient Egypt into an idea of ‘Western civilisation’ and set it apart from other African cultures. This historical colonial bias against Africa has ramifications on how we interpret ancient Egyptian and Sudanese collections today.
Join our panel as they discuss how reassessing 19th and 20th century colonial attitudes can bring new perspectives to fascinating aspects of ancient Egyptian culture and its place in African history.
For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789
A selection of exhibition and event images are available to download here. For additional information and images visit media.nms.ac.uk or contact media@nms.ac.uk.
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
E.Coli by Luke Jerram National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Until 31 Aug 2022 Grand Gallery Free entry
Part of the Edinburgh Art Festival programme, this 90ft long inflatable sculpture by Bristol-based Luke Jerram (above) will be suspended from the ceiling of the National Museum of Scotland’s Grand Gallery.
The E.coli is 5 million times bigger than the real bacteria. When standing next to it, does the bacteria alter our personal sense of scale? Does it look scary, beautiful, comical or alien? Will people be attracted or repelled by it?
The Typewriter Revolution Until 11 Sep 2022 Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 Free entry
The typewriter’s social and technological influence is revealed in this exhibition and looks at its role in society, arts, and popular culture. It traces the effect and evolution of typewriters across more than 100 years, from weighty early machines to modern style icons.
The impact of the typewriter has been much wider than simply speeding up the way we write. It helped revolutionise the world of work and change the lives of working women in particular.
Typewriters helped them launch their own businesses at a time when female employers were rare and became a vital weapon in the fight for the vote.
Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life Until 30 Oct 2022 Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3 Ticketed, £0-£10
Explore the history of anatomical study, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci to the Burke and Hare murders.
This exhibition looks at the social and medical history surrounding the practice of dissection. It will trace the relationship between anatomy, its teaching and cultural context and the bodies that were dissected.
Looking at Edinburgh’s role as an international centre for medical study, the exhibition will offer insight into the links between science and crime in the early 19th century.
Bernat Klein: Design in Colour 5 Nov 2022 – 23 Apr 2023 Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 Free entry
Marking the centenary of his birth, Bernat Klein: Design in Colour will celebrate the work of the influential émigré textile designer. Visitors will be able to explore Klein’s creative process and varied career, from providing couture fabrics for fashion designers to his influence on modernist architecture and interior design in the UK and Scandinavia
Inspiring Walter Scott Until 8 Jan 2023 Exhibition Gallery 4, Level 1 Free entry
Following the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott’s birth, experience his novels through objects that inspired him. In this small exhibition we show how Scott drew upon real historical objects for inspiration, placing objects alongside Scott’s words, and the stories in which they feature. While you view these fascinating objects, you can listen to an actor reading extracts from these tales.
In association with Walter Scott 250: Celebrating 250 Years of Scotland’s Greatest Storyteller and supporting Year of Stories 2022.
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Until 5 Mar 2023 Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1 Free entry
From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this new free display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades.
The star object is Hitomi Hosono’s A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019.
Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings.
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Gilded Balloon at the National Museum of Scotland National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Until 28 Aug 2022 Ticketed
Gilded Balloon are back: bringing Festival fun to the National Museum of Scotland throughout August! Bringing a colourful line-up: from science for kids to satire for grown-ups, from chat shows to live podcasts.
There’s an influencer, a ventriloquist, assorted Fringe favourites and of course a couple of Britain’s Got Talent winners.
Performers include Scottish treasures Fred MacAulay, Lynn Ferguson and Jack Docherty, alongside Paul Zerdin and assorted puppet pals, Lost Voice Guy, the one and only Chesney Hawkes and even Boris Johnson?! Plus, our own favourite – Comedy Night at the Museum where top comedians improvise a humorous look at our amazing collection.
Audio-Described Access Evening: Anatomy Special Exhibition Gallery 1 30 Aug 2022 17:30-19:00 £7.50 (free accompanying carer ticket available if needed)
Explore our fascinating Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life exhibition supported by an audio-described tour of key objects for those who are blind or visually impaired.
Join us after-hours for an audio-described tour of Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life led by artist Juliana Capes. Explore the history of anatomical study, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci to the Burke and Hare murders. The tour will last around 45 minutes with time to explore the exhibition independently afterwards. This event is particularly aimed at those who are blind or visually impaired.
Join our expert panel as they discuss the process of hoarding across time and cultures.
From assembling and burying, to curating and displaying, our panel will give diverse perspectives on this fascinating practice. Presentations will include the latest research on the Galloway Hoard, hoarding in the Viking Age and Scotland’s prehistoric hoards.
Relaxed Access Evening: Anatomy 13 Sept 2022 Special Exhibition Gallery 1 17:30 – 19:00 £7.50 (free accompanying carer ticket available if needed)
Join us for a relaxed after-hours visit to Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life for anyone who would prefer a calmer visit to the exhibition. During this opening of Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life, sounds will be lowered and light levels adjusted wherever possible to provide a more relaxed experience.
A quiet break-out space will also be available. A visual welcome guide will be provided in advance to help you prepare for your visit.
This session is primarily for, but not limited to, autistic young people and adults, adults living with dementia, adults with learning difficulties or mental health challenges or any other visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.
NEW Burke, Hare and The University of Edinburgh’s Anatomy School 15 Sep -1 Oct 2022 10:30 – 16:30 Seminar Room, Learning Centre, Level 4 £ 49 (concessions available)
This one-day course with The University of Edinburgh is designed to complement the National Museum of Scotland’s major new exhibition Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life.
Examine the study of anatomy within the context of 19th century Edinburgh, including the University’s role as an international centre for medical teaching. Uncover the circumstances that gave rise to the Burke and Hare murders in 1828, and consider the actions of William Burke, William and Margaret Hare, and anatomist Dr Robert Knox.
NEW Victorian Edinburgh 29 Sep – 8 Dec 2022 11:00 – 13:00 Seminar Room, Learning Centre Level 4 £180 for 10 sessions (concessions available)
National Museums Scotland are delighted to host a new term of University of Edinburgh Short Courses – a great way to explore our collections and their wider history with experts.
Victorian Edinburgh considers the complex challenges and changes wrought in the period 1837–1901 within Scotland’s capital city. It examines examples of the economic, social and political context in which ‘Edinburghers’ lived, and assesses their responses to the most important Scottish, British and international events.
National Museum of Rural Life Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR Open 10:00–17:00 daily
Bird Bingo Until 30 Sep 2022 10:00-17:00 A trail around the museum Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Come and play Bird Bingo at the National Museum of Rural Life! Can you find all the birds hiding around the museum? Using the clues on our family trail sheet, see if you can spot different birds in our museum galleries and learn fun facts about them on your journey.
This family event is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery
Nature Track Packs National Museum of Rural Life, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR Until 30 Sep 2022 10:00 – 17:00 Borrow from the ticket desk Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Explore more at the National Museum of Rural Life this summer with our new Nature Track Packs. Each pack contains fun ideas and activities to encourage children to engage all their senses to explore the countryside on a walk up to the farm. Nature Track Packs are available to borrow on a first come, first served basis over the summer – just ask on arrival at our ticket desk, then return the pack to the desk once your Track Pack adventure is complete.
NEW Tractor Tots 30 Sep – 11 Nov 2022 10:15 – 10:55 Ticketed
Running in blocks of three Friday morning sessions, Tractor Tots offers a fun, focused experience for our younger visitors, introducing them to the museum and farm, and bringing it to life through interactive creative play.
Each session will take place in a different location at the museum and working farm, and will feature handling objects from our learning boxes, singing, storytelling, rhymes, actions and sensory play to learn all about life in the countryside.
National Museum of Flight East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF Open daily 10:00 – 16:00
Summer Satchels Until 23 Sep 2022 10:00 – 17:00 Free with museum admission Just ask at the desk in the Concorde Hangar.
See the National Museum of Flight in a different way this summer with our new family activity satchels. Each satchel contains all the equipment and simple instructions for five playful activities to help children explore the museum from a different perspective. The activities are designed to use outside on our spacious site.
NEW Operation Sabotage 29 & 30 Oct 2022 Age 14+ event Ticketed
The year is 1942 and you are stationed at the RAF base at East Fortune. There has been an act of sabotage and one of the aircraft is unknowingly carrying live ordnance with instructions to bomb the town. Solve a series of fiendish puzzles to call off the flight and save North Berwick!
Operation Sabotage is an escape room experience for 4-8 people that lasts up to an hour. Working as a team, you must race against the clock in two Second World War-themed rooms to decipher the identity of the saboteur before it’s too late.
Silent Teachers: The Story of Modern Body Donation 13 Sep 2022 19:30 – 20:30 Free, with optional donation
Inspired by our current exhibition, Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life, our expert panel will discuss the modern approach to anatomical study and body donation in this online event. In the 18th century, Edinburgh was Britain’s leading centre for medical teaching. As anatomists sought to understand the human body, the demand for bodies to dissect and study vastly outstripped legitimate supply.
As a result, grave robbing became common practice. Since then, legislation has ensured bodies used today are acquired, with proper consent, through donation. From their perspectives as exhibition curator, professor, medical student and living donor, our expert panel will discuss the modern approach to body donation and contrast the ethics, practices and beliefs of today with those from two centuries ago.
Members’ Spotlight: From Table to Melting Pot – Roman Silver from Traprain Law 4 Oct 2022 18:30 -19:30 Free, booking required
In 1919, archaeologists excavating Traprain Law in East Lothian discovered a stunning hoard of buried treasure made up of over 300 fragments of Roman silver which had been cut into bullion, and were destined for melting down and recycling into new objects.
Join us and Dr Fraser Hunter, Principal Curator of Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology, as we explore more about this remarkable find and discover how recent research into the treasure has caused us to rethink how the Roman world engaged with groups beyond its frontiers, and the effects this had in the centuries that followed.
NEW Ancient African Queens: New Perspectives on Black History 27 Oct 2022 19:30 – 20:30 Free, with optional donation
In the 19th and 20th centuries European and American Egyptologists appropriated ancient Egypt into an idea of ‘Western civilisation’ and set it apart from other African cultures. This historical colonial bias against Africa has ramifications on how we interpret ancient Egyptian and Sudanese collections today.
Join our panel as they discuss how reassessing 19th and 20th century colonial attitudes can bring new perspectives to fascinating aspects of ancient Egyptian culture and its place in African history.
Gilded Balloon at the National Museum of Scotland National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Until 28 Aug 2022 Ticketed
Gilded Balloon are back: bringing Festival fun to the National Museum of Scotland throughout August! Bringing a colourful line-up: from science for kids to satire for grown-ups, from chat shows to live podcasts.
There’s an influencer, a ventriloquist, assorted Fringe favourites and of course a couple of Britain’s Got Talent winners. Performers include Scottish treasures Fred MacAulay, Lynn Ferguson and Jack Docherty, alongside Paul Zerdin and assorted puppet pals, Lost Voice Guy, the one and only Chesney Hawkes and even Boris Johnson?!
Plus, our own favourite – Comedy Night at the Museum where top comedians improvise a humorous look at our amazing collection.
E.Coli by Luke Jerram National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Until 31 Aug 2022 Grand Gallery Free entry
Part of the Edinburgh Art Festival programme, this 90ft long inflatable sculpture by Bristol-based Luke Jerram will be suspended from the ceiling of the National Museum of Scotland’s Grand Gallery.
The E.coli is 5 million times bigger than the real bacteria. When standing next to it, does the bacteria alter our personal sense of scale? Does it look scary, beautiful, comical or alien? Will people be attracted or repelled by it?
Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Until 30 Oct 2022 Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3 Ticketed, £0-£10
Explore the history of anatomical study, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci to the Burke and Hare murders. This exhibition looks at the social and medical history surrounding the practice of dissection.
It will trace the relationship between anatomy, its teaching and cultural context and the bodies that were dissected. Looking at Edinburgh’s role as an international centre for medical study, the exhibition will offer insight into the links between science and crime in the early 19th century.
Japanese Contemporary Design National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Until 5 Mar 2023 Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1 Free entry
From striking statement jewellery to prints and porcelain vases, this new free display considers how Japanese contemporary makers have combined innovative and traditional art, craft and design elements over the past five decades.
The star object is Hitomi Hosono’s A Large Pine Tree Pool, a sculptural porcelain bowl with complex hand-carving made and acquired in 2019. Further highlights include Junko Mori’s intricate New Pinecone Silver Organism, and colourful body adornments by jeweller Suō Emiko’s adapted from metalworking and engraving techniques traditionally used in the making of Japanese sword fittings.
Bird Bingo National Museum of Rural Life, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR Until 31 Aug 2022 10:00-17:00 A trail around the museum Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Come and play Bird Bingo at the National Museum of Rural Life! Can you find all the birds hiding around the museum? Using the clues on our family trail sheet, see if you can spot different birds in our museum galleries and learn fun facts about them on your journey.
This family event is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery
Nature Track Packs National Museum of Rural Life, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR Until 19 Aug 2022 10:00 – 17:00 Borrow from the ticket desk Free with museum admission and Annual Pass
Explore more at the National Museum of Rural Life this summer with our new Nature Track Packs. Each pack contains fun ideas and activities to encourage children to engage all their senses to explore the countryside on a walk up to the farm. Nature Track Packs are available to borrow on a first come, first served basis over the summer – just ask on arrival at our ticket desk, then return the pack to the desk once your Track Pack adventure is complete.
Summer Satchels National Museum of Flight, East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF Until 4 Sep 2022 10:00 – 17:00 Free with museum admission Just ask at the desk in the Concorde Hangar
See the National Museum of Flight in a different way this summer with our new family activity satchels. Each satchel contains all the equipment and simple instructions for five playful activities to help children explore the museum from a different perspective. The activities are designed to use outside on our spacious site.
Tractor Tots National Museum of Rural Life, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR 30 Sep – 11 Nov 2022 10:15 – 10:55 Ticketed
Running in blocks of three Friday morning sessions, Tractor Tots offers a fun, focused experience for our younger visitors, introducing them to the museum and farm, and bringing it to life through interactive creative play. Each session will take place in a different location at the museum and working farm, and will feature handling objects from our learning boxes, singing, storytelling, rhymes, actions and sensory play to learn all about life in the countryside.
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
The Typewriter Revolution Until 11 Sep 2022 Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 Free entry
The typewriter’s social and technological influence is revealed in this exhibition and looks at its role in society, arts, and popular culture. It traces the effect and evolution of typewriters across more than 100 years, from weighty early machines to modern style icons.
The impact of the typewriter has been much wider than simply speeding up the way we write. It helped revolutionise the world of work and change the lives of working women in particular. Typewriters helped them launch their own businesses at a time when female employers were rare and became a vital weapon in the fight for the vote.
Until 8 Jan 2023 Exhibition Gallery 4, Level 1 Free entry Following the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott’s birth, experience his novels through objects that inspired him. In this small exhibition we show how Scott drew upon real historical objects for inspiration, placing objects alongside Scott’s words, and the stories in which they feature.
While you view these fascinating objects, you can listen to an actor reading extracts from these tales. In association with Walter Scott 250: Celebrating 250 Years of Scotland’s Greatest Storyteller and supporting Year of Stories 2022.
Bernat Klein: Design in Colour 5 Nov 2022 – 23 Apr 2023 Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 Free entry
Marking the centenary of his birth, Bernat Klein: Design in Colour will celebrate the work of the influential émigré textile designer. Visitors will be able to explore Klein’s creative process and varied career, from providing couture fabrics for fashion designers to his influence on modernist architecture and interior design in the UK and Scandinavia.
National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF Open 10:00–17:00 daily
BSL Access Evening: Anatomy Special Exhibition Gallery 1 16 Aug 2022 17:30 – 19:00 Ticketed £7.50 (free accompanying carer ticket available if needed)
Explore our fascinating Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life exhibition supported by a Deaf-led BSL tour of key objects. As part of the Edinburgh Deaf Festival, join us for a D/deaf friendly after-hours event featuring a Deaf-led BSL tour of some of the key objects in Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life.
Explore the history of anatomical study, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci to the Burke and Hare murders. The tour will last around 30 minutes with time to view the exhibition independently afterwards. This event is particularly for BSL users but we also welcome other members of the D/deaf community and family and friends.
Museum Socials 19 Aug 2022 Third Friday of the month, 10:30–12:00 Free
Our Museum Socials events are created for anyone affected by Dementia and their relatives, friends and supporters. Museum Socials create a friendly environment where everyone is welcome and all contributions are valued. They are suitable for first-time visitors and for those who might not regularly come to the museum, as well as people who have always loved visiting.
Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Audio-Described Access Evening: Anatomy Special Exhibition Gallery 1 30 Aug 2022 17:30-19:00 £7.50 (free accompanying carer ticket available if needed)
Explore our fascinating Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life exhibition supported by an audio-described tour of key objects for those who are blind or visually impaired. Join us after-hours for an audio-described tour of Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life led by artist Juliana Capes.
Explore the history of anatomical study, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci to the Burke and Hare murders. The tour will last around 45 minutes with time to explore the exhibition independently afterwards. This event is particularly aimed at those who are blind or visually impaired.
Join our expert panel as they discuss the process of hoarding across time and cultures. From assembling and burying, to curating and displaying, our panel will give diverse perspectives on this fascinating practice. The keynote address will be delivered by Professor Richard Bradley, Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at the University of Reading.
Relaxed Access Evening: Anatomy 13 Sept 2022 Special Exhibition Gallery 1 17:30 – 19:00 £7.50 (free accompanying carer ticket available if needed)
Join us for a relaxed after-hours visit to Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life for anyone who would prefer a calmer visit to the exhibition. During this opening of Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life, sounds will be lowered and light levels adjusted wherever possible to provide a more relaxed experience. A quiet break-out space will also be available.
A visual welcome guide will be provided in advance to help you prepare for your visit. This session is primarily for, but not limited to, autistic young people and adults, adults living with dementia, adults with learning difficulties or mental health challenges or any other visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.
Silent Teachers: The Story of Modern Body Donation 13 Sep 2022 19:30 – 20:30 Free, with optional donation Online event
Inspired by our current exhibition, Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life, our expert panel will discuss the modern approach to anatomical study and body donation in this online event.
In the 18th century, Edinburgh was Britain’s leading centre for medical teaching. As anatomists sought to understand the human body, the demand for bodies to dissect and study vastly outstripped legitimate supply.
As a result, grave robbing became common practice. Since then, legislation has ensured bodies used today are acquired, with proper consent, through donation.
From their perspectives as exhibition curator, professor, medical student and living donor, our expert panel will discuss the modern approach to body donation and contrast the ethics, practices and beliefs of today with those from two centuries ago.
National Museum of Flight East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF Open daily 10:00 – 16:00
Operation Sabotage Until 14 Aug (except 9 Aug) Age 14+ event Ticketed
The year is 1942 and you are stationed at the RAF base at East Fortune. There has been an act of sabotage and one of the aircraft is unknowingly carrying live ordnance with instructions to bomb the town. Solve a series of fiendish puzzles to call off the flight and save North Berwick!
Operation Sabotage is an escape room experience for 4-8 people that lasts up to an hour. Working together as a team, you must race against the clock in two Second World War-themed rooms to decipher the identity of the saboteur before it’s too late.
Behind the Scenes Tours Until 26 Oct 2022 11:00–12:00 & 14:00–15:00 Object Store Free with museum admission Booking required
Find out about our collection of aero-engines and propellers on a curator-led tour of our Object Store. Join Aviation Curator Ian Brown for one of our regular guided tours of the museum’s Object Store. Explore some of the collections not normally on public view and discover the fascinating stories behind them.
A collection of over 700 bird fossils has been bequeathed to National Museums Scotland.The fossils date from 54-56 million years ago, the beginning of the Eocene period, and represent the early stages in the evolution of modern birds.
The collection is believed to contain many species which are new to science.
Work is now underway to fully document and describe the collection. Already two papers have been published describing new species, one being a falcon-like bird, the other being a diver or loon.
Experts believe the collection could yield at least 50 new species once research is completed. The specimens are unusual in terms of bird fossils in that they are preserved in 3D. Bird bones are light and fragile and so their remains are more commonly flattened prior to fossilisation.
A notable characteristic of the period in which these birds lived is that the global climate was several degrees warmer than it is today, meaning that the specimens may give scientists useful information about global climate change today.
The specimens were collected over decades by amateur palaeontology enthusiast Michael Daniels. Mr Daniels, who died last year aged 90, assembled the remarkable collection of several hundred skeletons and part skeletons that he had discovered in nodules of the London Clay, which had eroded out of the cliffs at Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex.
Daniels’ daughter lived in Edinburgh, and it was on a family visit to the National Museum of Scotland over 25 years ago that he shared news of his remarkable collection with the museum’s Principal Curator of Vertebrates, Dr Andrew Kitchener.
Dr Kitchener said: “I first met Michael Daniels more than 25 years ago. Visiting the museum with his wife Pam and his daughter Caroline, who lived in Edinburgh, this meeting would be the beginning of a long friendship.
“In later years I visited Michael and Pam at their home and got to see the collection in its countless drawers and boxes in his study. I was astonished at the amazing variety of specimens of all shapes and sizes. Many of the bones were minuscule, requiring great patience and skill to extract.
“The fact that the collection is now with us here at National Museums Scotland will be of interest to palaeontologists across the world.”
Avian palaeontologist Dr Gerald Mayr of the Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt am Main, visited Daniels many times to view his collection, and has more recently visited Edinburgh to undertake further research and study. Dr Mayr has published the two papers to date describing new species.
He said: ““The importance of Michael Daniels’ collection cannot be overstated. There is nothing like it in the UK, certainly, and it is comparable to other bird-rich sites in the US, China and Germany.
“The fact that so many specimens are preserved in three dimensions makes this one of the most important collections of its type in the world.”
The collection is now undergoing conservation and preservation work at the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh, where it will be kept and made accessible to researchers.
Scotland’s only escape room on an historic airfield launches this week at the National Museum of Flight in East Fortune. Operation Sabotage has been developed in collaboration with young people aged 16-25 as part of the Scotland 365 project and will take place from 5 -14 August.
Inspired by its location on the UK’s best-preserved Second World War airfield, Operation Sabotage will transport visitors back in time to 1942.
A series of fiendish puzzles have been created inside one of the original wartime outbuildings on the former RAF base. In a race against the clock, teams of 4-8 people will need to decipher the identity of a mysterious saboteur and prevent a devastating attack on the local town of North Berwick.
Claire Allan, Engagement Manager at National Museums Scotland, said: “I’m delighted to offer such an innovative way to connect with the remarkable history of East Fortune airfield.
“Thanks to the creativity of the young participants in the Scotland 365 project and the generosity of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, this experience will be brought to life for new audiences.”
The National Lottery Heritage Fund supported Scotland 365 as part of the £10million Kick The Dust programme. Which, thanks to money raised by National Lottery Players, has invested in projects throughout the UK aimed at involving young people in exploring and delivering new ideas on how to engage future generations with our shared heritage.
Operation Sabotage
Friday 5 – Sunday 14 August 2022 (except Tuesday 9 August) Start times: 10:30, 12:00, 14:00, 15:30 From £15 per person, including general admission to the museum Ages 14+
