National Museum of Scotland

The National Museum of Scotland is the largest multi-disciplinary museum in Scotland, with four million items in its collections and the largest body of curatorial and conservation expertise. The collections are organized into four areas: Natural Science, Science and Technology, Art and Design and World Cultures. The Industrial Museum of Scotland was founded in 1854 and reflected the impetus of Victorian ideals of education. It started international collecting and research as well as forming close links to the collections and teaching of Edinburgh University, which continue today. Renamed the Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art, it opened in its first buildings, designed by Francis Fowke in 1866. It was later renamed the Royal Scottish Museum. In 1985 it was amalgamated with the National Museum of Antiquities (founded 1858) to create the National Museum of Scotland. The building of the new Museum of Scotland, which opened in 1998, provided a landmark museum in Edinburgh for the nation, relating the country’s history from earliest times to the present day. The redevelopment (2006–2011) of the original Victorian building has created a vibrant museum for the 21st century, providing new facilities and displaying the collections in innovative ways.