The National Museum Of Scotland

If you are going to Edinburgh, then you simply can’t afford to miss this. Not only is it one of the UK’s Top 10 visitor attractions; it’s also in the Top 20 of the most visited museums in the world. So it goes without saying that this is definitely one of our top places to visit in Scotland.

Set in its landmark building on Chambers Street, the Museum is literally two museums in one – the natural history focussed, Royal Museum, and the more modern Museum of Scotland. The two were recently combined under one roof and following a £47m refurbishment, the galleries are now more interactive, with displays covering the incredible history of Scotland, science and technology, transport and the different cultures of the world. With an amazing collection of over 20,000 artefacts, there is so much to do, you could spend days here and still not see it all.

So where do you start? At the Grand Gallery of course! This is an incredible entrance, with tall pillars and huge windows. Take a photo of the huge Moby the Whale skull; tell the time at the Millennium Clock; and find out about the history and life of Mary, Queen of Scots. Remember Dolly the Sheep? Well, here she is! Want to dig into the grimmer depths of Scottish history? Here you can learn more about the famous body snatchers, Burke and Hare and Deacon Brodie, a.k.a. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

And if that wasn’t enough, if you want an amazing view of Edinburgh Castle, you can just head up to the Museum’s roof terrace for a fabulous photograph.