National Museums Scotland – Page 4 – The NEN

National Museums Scotland Listings

Exhibitions & Displays 
  
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.  

Supported by Baillie Gifford Investment Managers.  

Book now nms.ac.uk/anatomy   

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      
    

Visit nms.ac.uk/BernatKlein     

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!

Visit nms.ac.uk/doctor-who

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.  

Visit nms.ac.uk/walterscottexhibition  
  

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.     
    

Visit nms.ac.uk/JapaneseContemporaryDesign       

  
Events  

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.  

Book now nms.ac.uk/burke-hare 

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.

National Museums Scotland listings

Exhibitions & Displays  

 
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?     

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Ecoli     

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.     

Visit nms.ac.uk/Typewriters    

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.

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. 

Supported by Baillie Gifford Investment Managers. 

Book now nms.ac.uk/anatomy  

Bernat Klein: Design in Colour    
5 Nov 2022 – 23 Apr 2023      
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3     
Free entry

Visit nms.ac.uk/BernatKlein    

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. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/walterscottexhibition
 

Japanese Contemporary Design  

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF   
Until 5 Mar 2023     
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1    
Free entry

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.

Visit nms.ac.uk/JapaneseContemporaryDesign      

 
Events 

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.    
   
Find out more on the Gilded Balloon website.   

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. 

Book now nms.ac.uk/audio-described  

Hoarding Histories: Beyond the Galloway Hoard    
10 Sep 2022    
14:00 -16:30    
Aged 14+ event    
Ticketed  

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.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/hoarding-histories    

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.  

Book now nms.ac.uk/relaxed-access-evening  

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.  

Book now nms.ac.uk/burke-hare

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.

Book now nms.ac.uk/victorian-edinburgh

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    

Find out more nms.ac.uk/birdbingo    

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.   

Visit nms.ac.uk/trackpacks   

NEW Tractor Tots 
30 Sep – 11 Nov 2022  
10:15 – 10:55  
Ticketed

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. 

Book now nms.ac.uk/tractor-tots 

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.   

Visit nms.ac.uk/summersatchels   

NEW Operation Sabotage 
29 & 30 Oct 2022
Age 14+ event   
Ticketed

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.  

Book now nms.ac.uk/operation-sabotage   

Online 

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.   

Book now nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events   

Members’ Spotlight: From Table to Melting Pot – Roman Silver from Traprain Law
4 Oct 2022
18:30 -19:30
Free, booking required

Book now nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events

NEW Ancient African Queens: New Perspectives on Black History
27 Oct 2022
19:30 – 20:30
Free, with optional donation

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.

Book now nms.ac.uk/exhibition-events

 
Follow us on Twitter…twitter.com/NtlMuseumsScot 

Follow us on Facebook…facebook.com/NationalMuseumsScotland 

Follow us on Instagram…instagram.com/nationalmuseumsscotland/ 

For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789 

Edinburgh Festivals have arrived at the National Museum of Scotland

NMS LISTINGS

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.

Find out more on the Gilded Balloon website.

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.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Ecoli

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

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.

Supported by Baillie Gifford Investment Managers.

Book now nms.ac.uk/anatomy

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.

Visit nms.ac.uk/JapaneseContemporaryDesign

Family events

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

Find out more nms.ac.uk/birdbingo

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.

Visit nms.ac.uk/trackpacks

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.

Visit nms.ac.uk/summersatchels

Tractor Tots
National Museum of Rural Life, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR
30 Sep – 11 Nov 2022
10:15 – 10:55
Ticketed

Book now nms.ac.uk/tractor-tots

Exhibitions & Displays

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 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.

Visit nms.ac.uk/Typewriters

Inspiring Walter Scott

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.

Visit nms.ac.uk/WalterScottExhibition

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.

Visit nms.ac.uk/BernatKlein

Events

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.

Book now nms.ac.uk/bsl-access-evening

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.

Visit nms.ac.uk/museumsocials

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.

Book now nms.ac.uk/audio-described

Hoarding Histories: Beyond the Galloway Hoard
10 Sep 2022
14:00 -16:30
Aged 14+ event
Ticketed

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.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/hoarding-histories

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.

Book now nms.ac.uk/relaxed-access-evening

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.

Book now nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events

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

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.

Book now nms.ac.uk/operation-sabotage

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.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/behind-the-scenes-tours

For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789

Fossil bird collection of international importance bequeathed to National Museums Scotland

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.

National Museum of Flight launches new escape room experience

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+

Tickets can be booked online at nms.ac.uk/operationsabotage

National Museums Scotland listings

Family events  

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  

Find out more nms.ac.uk/birdbingo  

Nature Track Packs 
National Museum of Rural Life, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR  
27 Jun – 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. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/trackpacks 

Summer Satchels 
National Museum of Flight, East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF  
2 Jul – 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. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/summersatchels 

Magic Carpet Free Pilot Sessions
National Museum of Scotland
26 Jul – 5 Aug 2022
Booking required

We are redeveloping our Magic Carpet sessions for children aged 0-18 months and their adults. In July and August, we are asking families to take part in one of 16 free pilot sessions to help us test new content and provide feedback. 
Visit nms.ac.uk/magic-carpet

Exhibitions & Displays   

National Museum of Scotland  
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF   
Open 10:00–17:00 daily    

The Silver Casket
Until 1 Aug 2022 
Hawthornden Court
Free entry

See an iconic piece of Scotland’s national heritage, the silver casket believed to have been owned by Mary, Queen of Scots. Made in Paris, probably between 1493 and 1510, the casket is a superb and extremely rare work of early French silver.  It is likely that its long-standing association with Mary and her downfall has kept it preserved for over 450 years.  

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Silver-Casket   

Book of Hours
Until 3 Aug 2022 
Kingdom of the Scots gallery (Level 1) 
Free entry

Explore the pages of an illustrated prayer book featuring a handwritten poem by a young Mary, Queen of Scots in this display.  

Written in Latin on vellum, the Book of Hours contains 40 exquisite illuminations by a 16th century Master artist. Used for private worship, it belonged to Mary’s great aunt Louise de Bourbon, Abbess of Fontevraud, who is believed to have gifted this precious volume to the young queen.  

The Book of Hours is on loan to National Museums Scotland from The Pininski Foundation, Liechtenstein.  

Visit nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events  

E.Coli by Luke Jerram
3 Aug – 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?   

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Ecoli   

Japanese Contemporary Design
Until 5 Mar 2023
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1
Free entry

NMS Japanese Contemporary Design 1 SA : NMS Japanese Contemporary Design Picture by Stewart Attwood All images © Stewart Attwood Photography 2022. All other rights are reserved. Use in any other context is expressly prohibited without prior permission. No Syndication Permitted.

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.  

Visit nms.ac.uk/JapaneseContemporaryDesign    

  
The Typewriter Revolution  
Until 11 Sep 2022  
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3  
Free entry  

Visit nms.ac.uk/Typewriters  

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.  

Visit nms.ac.uk/WalterScottExhibition  
   

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   

Visit nms.ac.uk/BernatKlein  

  
Events  

National Museum of Scotland   
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF  
Open 10:00–17:00 daily  

Gilded Balloon at the National Museum of Scotland
3 Aug – 28 Aug 2022 
Ticketed

Gilded Balloon are back: bringing Festival fun to the National Museum of Scotland throughout August! 

Brining 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.  
 
Find out more on the Gilded Balloon website. 

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. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/museumsocials 

Death and the City: Edinburgh, Anatomy and the Case of Burke and Hare
30 Aug 2022 
Doors open 18:30, 19:00 – 21:30
£20 Adult, £18 Over 60, £16 concession and Members, £12.50 student
Age 14+ 

Experience an exclusive evening in The University of Edinburgh’s historic Anatomy Lecture Theatre and the National Museum of Scotland’s latest exhibition, as you discover the city’s unique role in the story of anatomy. 

Take a journey through time to discover Edinburgh’s relationship with the search for understanding of the human body. Soak up the atmosphere of The University of Edinburgh’s Anatomy Lecture Theatre before enjoying a welcome drink in the Discoveries gallery at the National Museum of Scotland, just five minutes’ walk away. Complete your evening with a visit to the Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life exhibition. 

Book now nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events 

Hoarding Histories: Beyond the Galloway Hoard
10 Sep 2022 
14:00 -16:30
Aged 14+ event
Ticketed

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. 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/hoarding-histories  

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. 

Book now nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events 

National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00
  

Behind the Scenes Tours 
25 May – 26 Oct 2022 
11:00–12:00 & 14:00–15:00
Object Store
Free with museum admission
Booking required

Find out more nms.ac.uk/behind-the-scenes-tours

Operation Sabotage
5 Aug – 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.

Book now nms.ac.uk/operation-sabotage

For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789 

National Museums Scotland listings & summer holiday activities

The Scottish school holidays have started. The latest National Museums Scotland listings include ideas for the whole family this summer:

Family events

Summer of Stories
National Museum of Scotland,
Chambers Street, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
9 Jul – 23 Jul 2022
See below for dates and times
Free, drop-in

Gather round and settle in for our Summer of Stories with daily sessions to spark your little one’s imagination.

From trails to storytelling, origami to film screenings, there’s all sorts going on this summer at the National Museum of Scotland as part of the Year of Scotland’s Stories!

Supporting Year of Stories 2022 and supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Find out more about the programme at nms.ac.uk/summerofstories

‘Brave’ film screening
National Museum of Scotland,
Chambers Street, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
9 Jul – 23 Jul 2022
Auditorium, Level 1
Adult: £3.50, Members, Children and Concessions: £3

Enjoy this 2012 Disney Pixar classic on the big screen and then go and explore our Scotland galleries with a specially themed trail.

Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. “Brave” chronicles the story of Scottish princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald), a skilful and courageous archer with a decidedly impetuous nature.

This film has a PG certification. All children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Supporting Year of Stories 2022 and supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Book now nms.ac.uk/Brave

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!  

This family event is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/birdbingo 

Nature Track Packs
National Museum of Rural Life,
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR 
27 Jun – 19 Aug 2022
10:00 – 17:00
Borrow from the ticket desk
Free with museum admission and Annual Pass

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.

This family activity is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery .

Visit nms.ac.uk/trackpacks

Summer Satchels
National Museum of Flight,
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF 
2 Jul – 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.

This family activity is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery .

Visit nms.ac.uk/summersatchels

Exhibitions & Displays  

National Museum of Scotland 
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF  
Open 10:00–17:00 daily 

NOW OPEN Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life 
Until 13 Nov 2022 
Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3 
Ticketed 

“Gripping” The Guardian
“First-rate exhibition” The Telegraph
“Summer’s must-see exhibition” The Times

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. 

Supported by Baillie Gifford Investment Managers. 

Book now nms.ac.uk/Anatomy 

The Silver Casket 
Until 1 Aug 2022 
Hawthornden Court  
Free entry  

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Silver-Casket  

Book of Hours 
Until 3 Aug 2022 
Kingdom of the Scots gallery (Level 1) 
Free entry  

Explore the pages of an illustrated prayer book featuring a handwritten poem by a young Mary, Queen of Scots in this display.   

Written in Latin on vellum, the Book of Hours contains 40 exquisite illuminations by a 16th-century Master artist. Used for private worship, it belonged to Mary’s great aunt Louise de Bourbon, Abbess of Fontevraud, who is believed to have gifted this precious volume to the young queen. 

The Book of Hours is on loan to National Museums Scotland from The Pininski Foundation, Liechtenstein. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events   

E.Coli by Luke Jerram 
3 Aug – 31 Aug 2022  
Grand Gallery  
Free entry  

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Ecoli    

Japanese Contemporary Design 
Until 5 Mar 2023  
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1 
Free entry 

Visit nms.ac.uk/JapaneseContemporaryDesign     

The Typewriter Revolution 
Until 11 Sep 2022 
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 
Free entry 

Visit nms.ac.uk/Typewriters 
 

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. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/WalterScottExhibition 
  

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.   

Visit nms.ac.uk/BernatKlein 

 
Events 

National Museum of Scotland  
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 
Open 10:00–17:00 daily    

Spotlight On: Anatomy  
13 Jul 2022 
14:00 – 15:00  
Auditorium, Level 1  
Free, with optional donation 

Join exhibition curators Tacye Phillipson and Sophie Goggins as they discuss our major exhibition Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life. Dig deeper into the themes explored in our summer exhibition in this free curator talk to kick off our Anatomy events programme. Revisit your favourite stories from the exhibition or find out more before your visit.    

Find out more nms.ac.uk/spotlightanatomy  

Gilded Balloon at the National Museum of Scotland
3 Aug – 28 Aug 2022
Ticketed

Gilded Balloon are back: bringing Festival fun to the National Museum of Scotland throughout August!

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.

Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Visit nms.ac.uk/museumsocials

Death and the City: Edinburgh, Anatomy and the Case of Burke and Hare 
30 Aug 2022
Doors open 18:30, 19:00 – 21:30
£20 Adult, £18 Over 60, £16 concession and Members, £12.50 student
Age 14+

Take a journey through time to discover Edinburgh’s relationship with the search for understanding of the human body.

Soak up the atmosphere of The University of Edinburgh’s Anatomy Lecture Theatre before enjoying a welcome drink in the Discoveries gallery at the National Museum of Scotland, just five minutes’ walk away.

Complete your evening with a visit to the Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life exhibition.

Book now nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events

Hoarding Histories: Beyond the Galloway Hoard
10 Sep 2022
14:00 -16:30
Aged 14+ event
Ticketed

 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.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/hoarding-histories

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.

Book now nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events  

National Museum of Flight   
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF 
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00 
 

Behind the Scenes Tours 
25 May – 26 Oct 2022  
11:00–12:00 & 14:00–15:00 
Object Store 
Free with museum admission 
Booking required 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/behind-the-scenes-tours  

For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789

What’s On at National Museums Scotland

EVENTS, DISPLAYS and EXHIBITIONS

EXHIBITIONS & DISPLAYS  

National Museum of Scotland 
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF  
Open 10:00–17:00 daily 

Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life 
2 Jul – 13 Nov 2022 
Member Preview Day 1 Jul 
Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3 
Ticketed 

Explore the history of anatomical study, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci to the Burke and Hare murders. 

This exhibition will look 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. 

Supported by Baillie Gifford Investment Managers. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/Anatomy 

The Silver Casket 
Until 1 Aug 2022 
Hawthornden Court
Free entry

The silver casket is on display in Hawthornden Court at the National Museum of Scotland. From August 2022, it will be on permanent display in the Kingdom of the Scots gallery alongside other objects associated with Mary. 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Silver-Casket  

E.Coli by Luke Jerram 
3 Aug – 31 Aug 2022 
Grand Gallery
Free entry

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Ecoli  

Japanese Contemporary Design 
Until 5 Mar 2023
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1
Free entry 

Visit nms.ac.uk/JapaneseContemporaryDesign   

 
The Typewriter Revolution 
Until 11 Sep 2022 
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 
Free entry 

Visit nms.ac.uk/Typewriters 
 

Inspiring Walter Scott 
Until 8 Jan 2023
Exhibition Gallery 4, Level 1
Free entry 

Visit nms.ac.uk/WalterScottExhibition 
 

Book of Hours
Until 3 Aug 2022 
Kingdom of the Scots gallery (Level 1) 
Free entry

Explore the pages of an illustrated prayer book featuring a handwritten poem by a young Mary, Queen of Scots in this display. 
 

The book will be exhibited in the Kingdom of the Scots gallery in a display alongside other objects associated with Mary, Queen of Scots. Six different pages within the book will be revealed, with a new page displayed every three weeks. A QR code will allow you to scroll through the vividly illustrated pages in detail. 
 
The Book of Hours is on loan to National Museums Scotland from The Pininski Foundation, Liechtenstein. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events 

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.   

Visit nms.ac.uk/BernatKlein 

 
EVENTS 

National Museum of Scotland  
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 
Open 10:00–17:00 daily 

Concert for a Summer’s Night
21 Jun 2022 
19:15 doors open, 20:00 concert starts
Grand Gallery
Ticketed 

Mark the summer solstice with string collective Scottish Ensemble. Be taken on an atmospheric journey through an eclectic mix of musical styles, including Mozart’s scampering, energetic ‘Magic Flute Overture’, Vask’s shimmering ‘Musica Serena’ and Dvorak’s ‘American Quartet’, evoking expansive, wide-open vistas. 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events  

Spotlight On: Anatomy
13 Jul 2022 
14:00 – 15:00
Auditorium, Level 1
Free, with optional donation 

Join exhibition curators Tacye Phillipson and Sophie Goggins as they discuss our major exhibition Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life. Dig deeper into the themes explored in our summer exhibition in this free curator talk to kick off our Anatomy events programme. Revisit your favourite stories from the exhibition or find out more before your visit.    

Find out more nms.ac.uk/spotlightanatomy  

Gilded Balloon at the National Museum of Scotland
3 Aug – 28 Aug 2022
Ticketed

Gilded Balloon are back: bringing Festival fun to the National Museum of Scotland throughout August!

Hoarding Histories: Beyond the Galloway Hoard
10 Sep 2022
14:00 -16:30
Aged 14+ event
Ticketed
 

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.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/hoarding-histories

National Museum of Rural Life  
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR 
Open 10:00–17:00 daily 

Bird Bingo 
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!  

This family event is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery 
 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/birdbingo 

National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00 

Awesome Bricks
18 Jun –19 Jun 2022 
10:00-17:00
Ticketed

Join us for one of Scotland’s biggest LEGO events. See a host of unique and inspiring LEGO constructions, including a 3D hot air balloon festival, and get hands-on in our blue brick build zone. 

Awesome Bricks is produced in partnership with Warren Elsmore. 

Book now nms.ac.uk/awesomebricks 

Behind the Scenes Tours
25 May – 26 Oct 2022 
11:00–12:00 & 14:00–15:00
Object Store
Free with museum admission
Booking required 

Find out more nms.ac.uk/behind-the-scenes-tours  

For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789

National Museums Scotland: What’s On

EXHIBITIONS AND DISPLAYS

National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

The Silver Casket
Until 1 Aug 2022
Hawthorden Court
Free entry

See an iconic piece of Scotland’s national heritage, the silver casket believed to have been owned by Mary, Queen of Scots. Made in Paris, probably between 1493 and 1510, the casket is a superb and extremely rare work of early French silver. It is likely that its long-standing association with Mary and her downfall has kept it preserved for over 450 years.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Silver-Casket

E.Coli by Luke Jerram
3 Aug – 31 Aug 2022
Grand Gallery
Free entry

Find out more nms.ac.uk/Ecoli

Japanese Contemporary Design
Until 5 Mar 2023
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1
Free entry

Visit nms.ac.uk/JapaneseContemporaryDesign

The Typewriter Revolution
Until 11 Sep 2022
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3
Free entry

Visit nms.ac.uk/Typewriters

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.

Visit nms.ac.uk/WalterScottExhibition

Book of Hours
Until 3 Aug 2022
Kingdom of the Scots gallery (Level 1)
Free entry

Explore the pages of an illustrated prayer book featuring a handwritten poem by a young Mary, Queen of Scots in this display.

The book will be exhibited in the Kingdom of the Scots gallery in a display alongside other objects associated with Mary, Queen of Scots. Six different pages within the book will be revealed, with a new page displayed every three weeks. A QR code will allow you to scroll through the vividly illustrated pages in detail.

The Book of Hours is on loan to National Museums Scotland from The Pininski Foundation, Liechtenstein.

Visit nms.ac.uk/book-of-hours

Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life
2 Jul – 13 Nov 2022
Member Preview Day 1 Jul
Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3
Ticketed

Explore the history of anatomical study, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci to the Burke and Hare murders.
This exhibition will look 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.

Supported by Baillie Gifford Investment Managers.

Visit nms.ac.uk/Anatomy

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.

Visit nms.ac.uk/BernatKlein

EVENTS

National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

How The Nose Got Its Sneeze
11 – 12 Jun 2022
10:00-16:45
Event Space, Level 2
Free sign up on the day

In this fun and immersive play adventure, children will explore what happens inside the nose when things like smoke, dust and pollen get inside and how the nose defends our precious lungs against these invaders.

Play will start with a story to set the scene, followed by a journey through a giant nose and then continue with lots of loose-part-play within two large lung-shaped domes. A gentle soundscape of music and breathing will surround the hands-on activity. OKIDO play rangers and lung researchers will be on hand to help with questions and fun!

This event is for under-fives but parents, carers, grandparents and older siblings are encouraged to join in too!

In partnership with OKIDO Studio.

Find out more nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events

Concert for a Summer’s Night
21 Jun 2022
19:15 doors open, 20:00 concert starts
Grand Gallery
Ticketed

Find out more nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events

Spotlight On: Anatomy
13 Jul 2022
14:00 – 15:00
Auditorium, Level 1
Free, with optional donation

Find out more nms.ac.uk/spotlightanatomy

National Museum of Rural Life
Philipshill Road, East Kilbride, G76 9HR
Open 10:00–17:00 daily

Bird Bingo
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!

This family event is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery

Find out more nms.ac.uk/birdbingo

National Museum of Flight
East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian, EH39 5LF
Open daily 10:00 – 16:00

Awesome Bricks
18 Jun –19 Jun 2022
10:00-17:00
Ticketed

Join us for one of Scotland’s biggest LEGO events. See a host of unique and inspiring LEGO constructions, including a 3D hot air balloon festival, and get hands-on in our blue brick build zone.

Awesome Bricks is produced in partnership with Warren Elsmore.

Book now nms.ac.uk/awesomebricks

Behind the Scenes Tours
25 May – 26 Oct 2022
11:00–12:00 & 14:00–15:00
Object Store
Free with museum admission
Booking required

Find out more nms.ac.uk/behind-the-scenes-tours

Follow us on Twitter…twitter.com/NtlMuseumsScot

Follow us on Facebook…facebook.com/NationalMuseumsScotland

Follow us on Instagram…instagram.com/nationalmuseumsscotland/

For booking, opening times and location details, contact National Museums Scotland on 0300 123 6789

National Museums Scotland acquires rare embroidery and launches new conservation internships

A rare embroidery dating from the early seventeenth century has been acquired by National Museums Scotland. The exquisite textile has been acquired with the support of textile collector and philanthropist Leslie B. Durst and coincides with the announcement of three Leslie B. Durst Textile Conservation Internships.

The embroidered Crucifixion is a unique surviving example of textiles associated with Catholic devotion. Few such objects survive in Britain as most were destroyed due to fears of idolatrous worship.

At the time, the practice of Catholicism was punishable by imprisonment or worse. Created by skilled artisans, the Crucifixion is illustrated in coloured silks and surrounded by a Latin prayer embroidered with gold and silver thread.

The textile was originally owned by Elizabeth Stuart, a member of the Scottish nobility, who married into one of the most prominent Catholic families in Britain.

It has remained in the collection of the Howards, Earls of Arundel and Dukes of Norfolk, since the 17th century. An inscription on the reverse of the piece suggests that the family once believed it belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots, but this connection has since been disproven.

Helen Wyld, Senior Curator of Historic Textiles at National Museums Scotland said: “It is very unusual for textiles of this kind and quality to survive in the UK, and even more so with such a compelling provenance. 

“The Crucifixion can help us better understand the role of textiles in Catholic devotion in England and Scotland. Its history in the collections of Elizabeth Stuart and the Howard family sheds light on a forgotten aspect of Scotland’s past and provides insight into the lives of those who treasured it for centuries.

“Thanks to the generosity and support of Leslie B. Durst, this remarkable object will be secured for the nation for years to come.”

The exceptional condition of the piece suggests that it was treasured by successive generations. National Museums Scotland is now undertaking minor conservation work to ensure that it is ready for display, as well as technical analysis to learn more about its construction.

Starting this autumn, the Leslie B. Durst Textile Conservation Internships in partnership with the Clothworkers Company, have been created for early career textile conservators.

Based within the National Museums Scotland’s state of the art Collection Centre, three paid interns will be supported by a dedicated team of highly skilled experts working on a varied programme of high-profile conservation projects.

These new roles represent a critical investment in the future of the sector, ensuring specialist skills and knowledge are passed on to future generations.

Lynn McClean, Principal Conservator at National Museums Scotland, said: “These internships will help safeguard Scotland’s irreplaceable textile heritage and the highly skilled profession of textile conservation.

“The support of Leslie B. Durst and the Clothworkers Company have allowed us to offer these career-defining opportunities and we are delighted to welcome three new conservators to our team.”

Recruitment for the first paid, one-year internship will start this summer with an anticipated start date in October 2022. Further one-year positions will begin in 2023 and 2024.