National Museum of Scotland
About
Scotland's national museum on Chambers Street, free to enter and open daily 10:00-17:00, and the city's single best wet-weather move. The Victorian Grand Gallery, a cast-iron and glass atrium, is one of the finest interiors in Britain; off it run galleries covering natural history, science and technology, world cultures and the story of Scotland itself. Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell, has been on display in the science galleries since 2003, and the rooftop terrace (signposted, easy to miss) gives a free skyline view across to the Castle.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓The cast-iron Grand Gallery atrium
- ✓Dolly the sheep in the science and technology galleries
- ✓The Kingdom of the Scots galleries on Scotland's history
- ✓The free rooftop terrace view toward the Castle
Tips
- →Free entry, no booking needed for the main galleries; some special exhibitions are ticketed
- →Closed 25 December, with modified hours 26 December and 1 January
- →The rooftop terrace is reached by lift from level 5; go on a clear day
- →On a rainy August afternoon this is where half the festival audience shelters; mornings are quieter
Best Season
More Attraction Activities
Edinburgh Castle
Scotland's great fortress on its volcanic rock: the crown jewels, the Stone of Destiny, the One O'Clock Gun, and the city's defining view.
Palace of Holyroodhouse
The King's official Scottish residence at the foot of the Royal Mile: Mary, Queen of Scots' chambers and the ruined Holyrood Abbey.
The Royal Yacht Britannia
The Royal Family's decommissioned yacht at its Leith berth: a million nautical miles of service, toured from tea room to engine room.