National Museum of Scotland

The National Museum of Scotland arose from the merger of the collections of the Museum of Antiquities of Scotland and the Royal Museum. Most of the exhibits of the first are related to Scottish antiquity, culture and history, and the second - to science, technology, natural science and world culture.

Two connected buildings stand next to each other on Chambers Street, at the intersection of George IV Bridge Street, in the centre of Edinburgh. Despite the unification, both buildings retain distinctive features and identity. The Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, opened in 1998, is housed in a modern building, while construction of the former Royal Museum was begun in 1861, when the minds of architects were occupied by the Victorian style.

The amazing symbiosis of the collections of the two museums is complemented by archaeological finds, and exhibits from around the world cover the fields of geology, archaeology, natural history, science, technology and art.

The museum's 16 new galleries include 8,000 objects, 80 percent of which have not been previously exhibited. Some of the most notable exhibits are the stuffed body of Dolly the sheep, the first successful clone of a mammal and one of Elton John's extravagant costumes.