Tag: National Museums Scotland

National Museums Scotland: What’s On

National Museums Scotland listings to 31 December 

Festive Fun at the National Museum of Rural Life 

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

Willow Star Workshop with Anna Cross  
26 Nov 2021  
10:15–12:45, 14:00–16:30  
£35, suitable for adults (age 16+)  
 

Kick off the festive season by weaving a spectacular willow star with artist Anna Cross. In these half-day workshops for adults, both beginners and seasoned crafters alike will learn how to create their own beautiful decoration. A stylish alternative to traditional Christmas wreaths, you’ll want to display your large willow star year after year.  
 
Book now: nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events  
 
Children’s Workshop: Make a Willow Decoration  
Sat 27 Nov  
14:30–16:00   
£10 per child, suitable for ages 10+  
Advanced booking is essential  

Keen to learn more about the art of willow weaving? Then book a place on this 1.5 hour-long workshop with willow artist Anna Cross, suitable for children age 10+ with an accompanying adult. Anna will show you how to weave and decorate your very own willow star decoration to take home, perfect for hanging in your room or on the Christmas tree.  
 
Visit: nms.as.uk/exhibitions-events   

Festive Family Crafts  
27 Nov – 28 Nov 2021  
Sat: 10:30 – 16:00  
Sun: 10:30 – 15:30  
Free with pre-booked museum admission  
 
Festive family activities across the weekend, from drop-in craft sessions to a children’s willow weaving workshop with Anna Cross, the artist who created our Willow Sculpture Trail.  

Our family programming is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery 
 
Visit: nms.as.uk/exhibitions-events  
 

Clyde’s Winter Trail 
27 Nov 2021 – 9 Jan 2022  
10:00 – 17:00  
Free with pre-booked museum admission  

Spot the festive scenes that Clyde, the Clydesdale horse, and his friends have been creating around the museum as they get ready for the festive season.  
 
Our family programming is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery 
 
Visit: nms.as.uk/exhibitions-events 

 
Exhibitions & Displays 

National Museum of Scotland 

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 
Open 10:00–17:00 daily 

Audubon’s Birds of America 
12 Feb – 8 May 2022 
Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3 
Ticketed 
 
This new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland will examine the artistry and legacy of one of the world’s rarest, most coveted and biggest books.  

Published as a series between 1827 and 1838, Birds of America by John James Audubon (1785-1851) was a landmark work which achieved international renown due to the epic scale of the project and the book’s spectacular, life-sized ornithological illustrations.

Audubon’s Birds of America (12 February – 8 May 2022) will showcase 46 unbound prints from National Museums Scotland’s collection, most of which have never been on display before, as well as a rare bound volume of the book, on loan from the Mitchell Library. This exhibition is a unique opportunity to see so much of Audubon’s work in one place.   
Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery 

Visit: nms.ac.uk/Audubon 

The Typewriter Revolution 

24 Jul 2021–17 Apr 2022 
10:00–16:30 
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 
Free entry 

The typewriter’s social and technological influence is revealed in this new 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 

Scotland’s Climate Challenge 

24 Sep 2021 – 27 Mar 2022 
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1 
Free display 

This small exhibition highlights the exciting work being carried out in Scotland to fight against climate change. It brings together just some of the technological responses that have been developed in Scotland or that are being used here in the effort to cut carbon dioxide emissions. On show are a range of leading-edge equipment, much of it newly collected, alongside samples of natural material.
Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/ClimateChallenge 

Extinction Bell 

24 Sep 2021 – 9 Jan 2022 
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 
The Grand Gallery, Level 1 
Free display

The Extinction Bell is a work by Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram that aims to raise awareness of biodiversity loss. A fire engine bell from National Museums Scotland’s collection has been adapted to toll at random intervals 150-200 times per day. Each ring of the bell symbolises the extinction of a species, representing the number being lost every 24 hours (according to a 2007 report from the UN). 
 
Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/ExtinctionBell 

 
Inspiring Walter Scott 

6 Aug 2021 – 9 Jan 2022 
Exhibition Gallery 4, Level 1 
Free entry 
 
On 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. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/walterscottexhibition 

Events 

Online  

NEW Costume Conversations 
22 Nov 2021, 17:00 
Free Instagram live, follow @nationalmuseumsscotland  

Join the final instalment of our Instagram Live series exploring how one object can tell multiple stories.   
In Costume Conversations our expert panel will explore how clothes tell stories on stage and screen. We’re asking the big questions about costume interpretation to find out just what’s involved in fashioning the past in the present. 

View nms.ac.uk/CostumeConversations  

Celebrating Black Fashion 

26 Nov 2021 
19:30—20:15 
Watch online 
Free, with option to add a donation 

Join model and broadcaster Eunice Olumide as she shares her experience of a transforming industry with museum curator Georgina Ripley. Eunice and Georgina will also discuss Eunice’s recent book How To Get Into Fashion, focussing on creativity, diversity, and wellbeing.  
 
This event will be followed by a live Q&A chaired by Mal Burkinshaw, Head of the School of Design at Edinburgh College of Art.  

Part of Black History Month 2021. 

Book now nms.ac.uk/CelebratingBlackFashion 

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: What’s On listings

Climate Emergency 
 
Scotland’s Climate Challenge 

24 Sep 2021 – 27 Mar 2022 
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1 
Free display 

This small exhibition highlights the exciting work being carried out in Scotland to fight against climate change. It brings together just some of the technological responses that have been developed in Scotland or that are being used here in the effort to cut carbon dioxide emissions. On show are a range of leading-edge equipment, much of it newly collected, alongside samples of natural material. 

Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/ClimateChallenge 

Extinction Bell 

24 Sep 2021 – 9 Jan 2022 
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 
The Grand Gallery, Level 1 
Free display 


The Extinction Bell is a work by Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram that aims to raise awareness of biodiversity loss. A fire engine bell from National Museums Scotland’s collection has been adapted to toll at random intervals 150-200 times per day. Each ring of the bell symbolises the extinction of a species, representing the number being lost every 24 hours (according to a 2007 report from the UN). 
 
Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/ExtinctionBell 

And If Not Now, When? 
1 Nov – 14 Nov 2021 
10:30 – 16:30 
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 
Event Space, Level 2 
Free immersive installation, sign up on the day in the Grand Gallery

And If Not Now, When? is an immersive, reactive, sound and film installation by Edinburgh artists Philip Pinsky and Karen Lamond which invites you to experience a transformed urban reality to inspire hope and possibility.  
 
Confronted with a heightened version of a busy urban junction; heavy traffic, pollution and noise, you will walk through a sound and film installation, guided by a lighted path. As you do so, notice how your position in the room directly impacts the environment around you.

Watch and listen as your actions transform one environment into another and end the experience with a vivid and tranquil re-imagining of how we could all live peacefully in our cities. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events 

Art and Science – Communicating the Climate Emergency 

4 Nov 2021 
19:30 – 20:30 
Online event 
Free, with optional donation 

As the eyes of the world turn to Scotland for the UN Climate Conference in November, join artists Luke Jerram and Philip Pinsky, along with National Museums Scotland curators, for a discussion about the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis. Explore how the research and technology being used to tackle these issues can be shared with the wider public, and consider how art can help communicate these critical messages and inspire change. 

Supported by players of the Postcode Lottery. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events 

Further Exhibitions & Displays 

National Museum of Scotland 

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 
Open 10:00–17:00 daily 

NEW – Audubon’s Birds of America 
12 Feb – 8 May 2022 
Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3 
Ticketed 
 
This new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland will examine the artistry and legacy of one of the world’s rarest, most coveted and biggest books.   

Published as a series between 1827 and 1838, Birds of America by John James Audubon (1785-1851) was a landmark work that achieved international renown due to the epic scale of the project and the book’s spectacular, life-sized ornithological illustrations.  

Audubon’s Birds of America (12 February – 8 May 2022) will showcase 46 unbound prints from National Museums Scotland’s collection, most of which have never been on display before, as well as a rare bound volume of the book, on loan from the Mitchell Library. This exhibition is a unique opportunity to see so much of Audubon’s work in one place.   

Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery 

Visit: nms.ac.uk/Audubon 

The Typewriter Revolution 

24 Jul 2021–17 Apr 2022 
10:00–16:30 
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 
Free entry 

The typewriter’s social and technological influence is revealed in this new 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 

Inspiring Walter Scott 

6 Aug 2021 – 9 Jan 2022 
Exhibition Gallery 4, Level 1 
Free entry 
 
On 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. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/walterscottexhibition 

Events 

Online 

Celebrating Black Fashion 

26 Nov 2021 
19:30—20:15 
Watch online 
Free, with option to add a donation 

Join model and broadcaster Eunice Olumide as she shares her experience of a transforming industry with museum curator Georgina Ripley. Eunice and Georgina will also discuss Eunice’s recent book How To Get Into Fashion, focussing on creativity, diversity, and wellbeing.  
 
This event will be followed by a live Q&A chaired by Mal Burkinshaw, Head of the School of Design at Edinburgh College of Art.  

Part of Black History Month 2021. 

Book now nms.ac.uk/CelebratingBlackFashion 


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


For Adults 

NEW Willow Star Workshop with Anna Cross 

26 Nov 2021 
10:15–12:45, 14:00–16:30 
£35, suitable for adults (age 16+) 
 
Kick off the festive season by weaving your own large willow star with artist Anna Cross. In these half-day workshops for adults, you will learn how to create your own beautiful decoration. Suitable for beginners and seasoned crafters alike, Anna will guide you through the weaving process. 
Book now: nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events 

For Families 

NEW Children’s Workshop: Make a Willow Decoration 

Sat 27 Nov 
14:30–16:00  
£10 per child, suitable for ages 10+ 
Advanced booking is essential 

Keen to learn more about the art of willow weaving? Then book a place on this 1.5 hour-long workshop with willow artist Anna Cross, suitable for children age 10+ with an accompanying adult. 
 
Anna will show you how to weave and decorate your very own willow star decoration to take home, perfect for hanging in your room or on the Christmas tree. 
 
Visit: nms.as.uk/exhibitions-events 

NEW Festive Family Crafts 
27 Nov – 28 Nov 2021 
Sat: 10:30 – 16:00 
Sun: 10:30 – 15:30 

Free with pre-booked museum admission 

Join us for festive family activities across the weekend, from drop-in craft sessions to a children’s willow weaving workshop with Anna Cross, the artist who created our Willow Sculpture Trail.  

Our family programming is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery 

Visit: nms.as.uk/exhibitions-events 

NEW Clyde’s Winter Trail 
27 Nov 2021 – 9 Jan 2022 
10:00 – 17:00 
Free with pre-booked museum admission 

 
Spot the festive scenes that Clyde, the Clydesdale horse, and his friends have been creating around the museum as they get ready for the festive season. 
 
Our family programming is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery 

Visit: nms.as.uk/exhibitions-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 

National Museums Scotland: What’s On?

Exhibitions & Displays 

National Museum of Scotland 

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 
Open 10:00–16:30 daily 


The Typewriter Revolution 

24 Jul 2021–17 Apr 2022 
10:00–16:30 
Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3 
Free entry 

The typewriter’s social and technological influence is revealed in this new 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 

Inspiring Walter Scott 

6 Aug 2021–9 Jan 2022 
Exhibition Gallery 4, Level 1 
Free entry 


 On 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. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/walterscottexhibition 

Scotland’s Climate Challenge 

24 Sep 2021 – 27 Mar 2022 
Exhibition Gallery 3, Level 1 
Free entry 

This small exhibition highlights the exciting work being carried out in Scotland to fight against climate change. It brings together just some of the technological responses that have been developed in Scotland or that are being used here in the effort to cut carbon dioxide emissions. On show are a range of leading-edge equipment, much of it newly collected, alongside samples of natural material. 

Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/ClimateChallenge 

Extinction Bell 

24 Sep 2021 – 9 Jan 2022 
The Grand Gallery 
Free entry 

The Extinction Bell is a work by Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram that aims to raise awareness of biodiversity loss. A fire engine bell from National Museums Scotland’s collection has been adapted to toll at random intervals 150-200 times per day. Each ring of the bell symbolises the extinction of a species, representing the number being lost every 24 hours (according to a 2007 report from the UN). 
 
Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.  

Visit nms.ac.uk/ExtinctionBell 

National Museum of Flight 
 
East Fortune Airfield, B1347, North Berwick EH39 5LF 
Open 10:00-17:00 daily 

LEGO® Concorde Model 
28 Jun – 31 Oct 2021 
10:00 – 17:00 
Free with entry to the museum 
 
Master builder Warren Elsmore and his team have created a LEGO® Big Build of Concorde. Six metres long and made of over 60,000 bricks, the model took five days to build and is now on display under the wings of the real Concorde at the National Museum of Flight. 

Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.  

Visit nms.as.uk/concordemodel  

 
Events 

On-line  
 
The Glenmorangie Annual Lecture: Rediscovering Viking-age Scotland with Michael Wood 

26 Oct 2021 
18:00—19:00 
Watch online 
Free, with option to add a donation 

Join historian and broadcaster Michael Wood and Dr Adrián Maldonado, Glenmorangie Research Fellow, as they take a fresh look at some of the iconic objects on display in the National Museum of Scotland and discuss new research on objects in the museum’s stores. The event celebrates the launch of Adrián’s new book, Crucible of Nations: Viking Age to Medieval Scotland, which reassesses the museum’s 9—12th century collections, uncovering an exciting new vision of Scotland’s diverse and creative past. 

The event includes a live Q&A chaired by writer and broadcaster, Sally Magnusson.  

Book now nms.ac.uk/vikingagescotland 

Art and Science – Communicating the Climate Emergency 

4 Nov 2021 
19:30 – 20:30 
Watch online 
Free, with optional donation 

As the eyes of the world turn to Scotland for the UN Climate Conference in November, join artists Luke Jerram and Philip Pinsky, along with National Museums Scotland curators, for a discussion about the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis. Explore how the research and technology being used to tackle these issues can be shared with the wider public, and consider how art can help communicate these critical messages and inspire change. 

Supported by players of the Postcode Lottery. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events 
 

National Museum of Scotland 

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF 
Open 10:00–16:30 daily 

For families 

October Half Term 

18 Oct – 25 Oct 2021 
10:00 – 12:00 & 14:00 – 16:00 
Free, drop-in and online 

Reduce, Reuse, and Rewild this October Half Term with activities to do at home or visit us in the museum to learn more. Take a walk on the wild side with our Rewilding Trail, make musical instruments from things you can find on a walk outside, or “go green” this Halloween and raid your recycling bin to craft a bat rocket and make some monster feet to wear! 

 
Visit nms.ac.uk/OctoberHalfTerm 

For everyone 

And If Not Now, When? 
1 Nov – 14 Nov 2021 
10:30 – 16:30 
Event Space, Level 2 
Free entry, sign up on the day in the Grand Gallery  

And If Not Now, When? is an immersive, reactive, sound and film installation by Edinburgh artists Philip Pinsky and Karen Lamond which invites you to experience a transformed urban reality to inspire hope and possibility.  
 
Confronted with a heightened version of a busy urban junction; heavy traffic, pollution and noise, you will walk through a sound and film installation, guided by a lighted path. As you do so, notice how your position in the room directly impacts the environment around you. Watch and listen as your actions transform one environment into another and end the experience with a vivid and tranquil re-imagining of how we could all live peacefully in our cities. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events 

 
National Museum of Flight  
East Fortune Airfield, B1347, North Berwick EH39 5LF 
Open daily 10:00 – 17:00 

For families 

Survival Skills 

19 Oct – 22 Oct 2021 
11:30 – 16:00 
Free with pre-booked museum entry 

Take part in survival skills training for all the family at the National Museum of Flight this October half term. Learn how to set up a ‘leave no trace’ camp in the Concorde Hangar and sign up for our family bushcraft workshop.  

Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/SurvivalSkills 

Flying into the Future Trail 

26 Jun – 31 Oct 2021 
10:00 – 17:00 
Self-guided activity recommended for families with children aged 7-11 
Free with pre-booked museum entry 

Discover how engineers are working to make air travel less damaging to the environment. Download or pick up your trail to explore the museum while you learn about the challenges faced by the aviation industry and discover some of the innovative solutions that could be used. 

Visit nms.ac.uk/flyingintothefuture 

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