With limited time at the National Museum of Scotland, the Beginnings and Early People sections are the best bet for first time visitors wanting something unique.
How big is the National Museum of Scotland
The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh is a vast attraction, spread over nine levels. It is impossible to ‘do’ in a day, and even attempting to will probably leave you exhausted, with a semi-fried brain.
Instead, the National Museum of Scotland is somewhere designed to be tackled over repeat visits.
National Museum of Scotland entry price
Luckily, entry to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh is free. This makes it exceptionally handy if Edinburgh Castle tickets have sold out – it’s one of the best things to do near Edinburgh Castle.
But nipping in for an hour or two means making choices – specifically which sections of the museum to prioritise.
Five great things to do while you’re in Edinburgh
Discover the Old Town’s underground vaults on a walking tour.
- Follow the Da Vinci Code on a Rosslyn Chapel day tour.
- Learn dozens of stories on a guided walk of the Royal Mile and Old Town.
- Explore the best places to eat in Edinburgh on a food tour.
- Let an expert guide take you around Edinburgh’s Harry Potter locations.
What not to see at the National Museum of Scotland
This is not an issue if you live in Edinburgh or nearby – you can simply come back again and again. But for tourists unlikely to revisit any time soon, it helps to know which sections are particularly worthwhile.
My advice is to skip the sections that can easily be found in other museums elsewhere – the likes of Ancient Egypt, Traditions in Sculpture and Animal World – and concentrate on the exhibitions about Scotland.
Best sections of the National Museum of Scotland
The Scotland sections of the National Museum of Scotland are largely divided up into time periods – the higher in the building you get, the more recent it is.
If you’re on a tight timeframe, I’d recommend focusing on the basement level, which houses the Beginnings and Early People sections. This is partly because they’re really interesting, and partly because some of the later history will be covered on other Edinburgh attractions and tours.
Geology of Scotland
The Beginnings section is largely about Scotland’s geology and landscapes. It covers the 3,400 million-year-old Lewisian Gneiss – thought to be the oldest rocks in Europe – and the late Precambrian era. At this point, Scotland was near the south pole, covered by a shallow, frozen sea.
The displays then run through Scotland’s spell near the Equator, the formation of the Caledonian Mountains, central Scotland’s volcanoes and the faultline that created the Great Glen. It’s a thorough examination of why Scotland looks like it does.
Books set in Edinburgh
If you want to get a good feel for Edinburgh before visiting, it’s worth reading a book or two set there. Options include…
- Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – an inspirational teacher changes lives with equal parts comedy and tragedy.
- The Heart of Midlothian – arguably Sir Walter Scott’s finest work.
- Ian Rankin’s Rebus books – gripping, grouchy detective novels.
- Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting series – for the city’s gritty side.
- David Nicholls’ One Day – an innovative and emotive romance, tracked by the same date each year.
The links above are to Amazon. You can probably get them all cheaper at World of Books, which is where I buy most of my books.
The early people of Scotland
The Early People section of the museum looks at human life in Scotland before 1100AD. This includes the Romans bringing writing to Scotland and St Columba’s conversion of Scotland to Christianity.
The section also looks at monumental communal burial sites, such as those at Newstead and Skara Brae, plus the Northumbrian and Viking invasions.
But it’s at its most interesting when looking at the various groups of people who collectively forged an identity as Scots. Picts, Gaels, Britons, Scandinavians and Anglo-Normans were all brought under the umbrella. Maps of place names and surnames correlate to the different languages spoken.
National Museum of Scotland review conclusion
If you’ve only got an hour or so to look around the National Museum of Scotland, the Beginnings and Early People sections will tell you plenty you didn’t know, while given a good understanding of how Scotland initially came to be like it is. So start there, and move to the upper floors if you have time.
Disclosure: There are affiliate links within this article. If you buy a product after clicking through on these links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
More Edinburgh travel
Other Edinburgh travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- The Dean Village: Edinburgh’s secret, scenic escape.
- How to spend a perfect day in Edinburgh.
- Is Edinburgh Castle open on Mondays?
- Review of the Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour.
- Are there any direct flights from Edinburgh to Oslo?
