Scotland Guide
Edinburgh
National Museum of Scotland
Address: Chambers Street
Opening time: Mon– Sun 10am–5pm
Price: Free
Website: www.nms.ac.uk
The striking honey-coloured sandstone Museum of Scotland is Scotland's premier museum, displaying many of the nation's most important historical artefacts as a means of telling the country's history from earliest man to the present day. The collection is generally, though not strictly, laid out in chronological order over seven different levels. The labyrinthine feel of the rooms and stairways is a little disorienting at first, though the unexpected views of different parts of the museum above and below are a deliberate effect to emphasize the interconnected layers of Scotland's history.
Free guided tours on different themes take place throughout the day, and audio headsets (free) give detailed information on the displays.