National Museums Scotland

We look forward to working with researchers to learn more about the lives of endangered species, informing conservation efforts around the world 💚

We are hiring!🏛️ HR Business Partner Full-time, based at the National Museum of Scotland/hybrid Closes: 25 January 2026 In this role, you’ll act as a strategic HR partner to leadership and operations, tackling everything from day-to-day employee relations, training and development, performance management and supporting organisational transformation projects. You’ll be our go-to expert for complex ER cases, ensuring fairness and compliance at every turn, strengthening knowledge through coaching and design. More information can be found here: https://lnkd.in/epJxgBMj

New year, new role? Come and work with us ✨ Digital Content Manager Full-time, based at the National Museum of Scotland/hybrid Closes: 12 January 2026 We’re looking for an ambitious team leader to manage the delivery of impactful content across our digital channels, including our website and social media accounts. The Digital Content Manager is responsible for a team that produces informative, user-focused and engaging content – sourcing stories from across the organisation to increase audience engagement. For more information and to apply, visit: https://lnkd.in/eA_AAFsD 📝

For the last ~20 Decembers, one curator has been quietly rotating a Roman vessel 🏺 And this year we’re - finally - asking him why. This flask from the Traprain Treasure features four scenes from the Old and New Testament. Usually, visitors can see a scene featuring Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Except during December. Because every year (when he remembers) Dr Fraser Hunter turns the vessel so that we can admire the scene of the Three Wise Men meeting the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child 👑 The Traprain Law hoard was buried around the early fifth century AD and was discovered during excavations in East Lothian in 1919. The vessel started its life as part of a high-status dinner set, ended it as bullion, cut to bits and used to buy peace on the edge of the empire. Thanks to Fraser for explaining more about this treasure ✨ …which you can see in the Early People gallery of the National Museum of Scotland.

“What a great day!”  “informative, insightful presentations and discussions”  “such a relevant, engaging programme”   “an informative and uplifting event”  “This was a fantastic day, content rich, brilliant panels”  Just some of the comments so far about Scotland’s Culture Comms Conference, which we were delighted to host yesterday 💫 We heard from lots of fantastic speakers from the media and peers in the sector - watched by an engaged audience taking a *lot* of notes and asking some really great questions. We were thrilled to be able to support the Conference under the remit of our National and International Partnerships work, and so it was especially great to see strong representation from museums and galleries, big and small, from across the country.   Huge thanks to everyone who attended, our Communications team for organising the day, and to all who participated in the programme.  

We have uncovered a 3000-year-old secret. A year ago National Museums Scotland acquired the Peebles Hoard - a remarkable Bronze Age discovery. It comprises over 500 unusual bronze and organic objects and components. Many of these have no archaeological parallel in Scotland - or anywhere in the world. Our conservation team have been painstakingly removing thousands of years of dirt from the surface of some of these objects. And in the process, have uncovered something quite remarkable. Several objects are silver in colour. Analysis tells us that this is due to high levels of tin on the surface. This probably represents a technique where tin was drawn to the surface of the bronze. This could only have been produced by highly skilled craftspeople and was designed to change the colour of the objects. It is estimated that it will take three years to complete the full conservation of the hoard. This initial finding wouldn’t have been possible without the generous donations from our supporters, including The Leche Trust and The Pilgrim Trust. Read more about the Peebles Hoard and this new discovery on our website: https://lnkd.in/emt9yYdJ

There are two exciting opportunities to join National Museums Scotland’s Development (fundraising) team: 1️⃣ Philanthropy and Partnerships Officer: a great role for a relationship builder, with strong attention to detail and a creative outlook. More details: https://lnkd.in/edF6nFTU Deadline: 8th October 2️⃣ Development Operations and Stewardship Manager: ideal for someone who understands the power of data, research and insight, and who enjoys designing and implementing new processes. More details: https://lnkd.in/ev4FjEfu Deadline: 26th October

Our Natural Sciences collections are an invaluable resource for studying biodiversity 🔍 We actively study biodiversity across Scotland and beyond – but what about on our own doorstep? Our team at the National Museums Collection Centre (NMCC) have come together to improve the way that green space is maintained and used on site. This includes: 💚 redesigning the grass cutting regime for a mixture of vegetation heights 🌸 sowing additional Scottish wildflowers 📝 boosting our recording efforts and more – which have increased the biodiversity at NMCC, and the value it has for wildlife. We’ve recorded more than 400 species at NMCC so far, including Orange-tip butterflies, Leafcutter bees and Northern Marsh Orchids. Our cameras show multiple foxes paying a visit, and audio recorders have detected bats too 🦇 There’s a big chance you know all about this already. Our Entomology Curator Ashleigh Whiffin was on Gardeners World this evening, telling millions of people all about it 📺 Catch it on iplayer here: https://lnkd.in/eany4g9C And! Ashleigh’s just been nominated for the Nature of Scotland Outstanding contribution award, for her work championing Scotland’s biodiversity🏆 And! Ashleigh’s just been nominated for the Nature of Scotland Awards Outstanding Contribution Award, for her work championing Scotland’s biodiversity with our entomology collection 🏆 Find out more about the species we’ve recorded at NMCC, alongside some of the specimens in our collection: https://lnkd.in/eekcEBm5 🍃 And discover how documenting moths in East Lothian is helping to tell the story of climate change, near the National Museum of Flight: https://lnkd.in/e5jaxMZR 🦋

A new fossil discovery has revealed a NEW species of fanged reptile that once roamed Scotland 🦎 It’s an entirely new species and family of Jurassic reptiles that lived around 167 million years ago, and is linked to the origins of snakes and lizards. It was discovered on the Isle of Skye by our very own Senior Curator of Vertebrate Paleobiology, Stig Walsh. The species has been given the Gaelic name Breugnathair elgolensis - which means ‘false snake of Elgol’ 🐍 🦎 Breugnathair elgolensis had snake like jaws and recurved teeth, a bit like a modern python. But, unlike any living species we know today, it also had the proportions – and limbs – of a lizard. This incredible discovery is now part of the National Collection. It's been published today in Nature, in a paper led by Roger Benson of the American Museum of Natural History 📖 Read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/eqegqCnB Image credit: Duncan McGlynn Illustration credit: Brennan Stokkermans

These objects reveal all kinds of clues about the ordinary people who lived and worked at Eilean Donan Castle in the 1400-1600s. Crucible fragments contain hidden traces of gold. Buzz bones and game pieces reveal how people used to play. These objects give us a rare glimpse into life at this iconic medieval powerhouse 🏰 Read all about the stories told by this assemblage, over on our website: https://lnkd.in/e3XM3mtb ✨ With thanks to the Conchra Charitable Trust who own Eilean Donan, and to FAS Heritage who undertook archaeological excavations at the site, for kind permission to reproduce images. Tha na nithean seo ag innse iomadh rud inntinneach mu na daoine àbhaisteach a bha a’ fuireach agus ag obair aig Caisteal Eilean Donnain anns na 1400-1600an. Bloighean bìodach de dh’òir falaichte ann am pìosan briste soitheach-leaghaidh. Tha cnàmhan srannain agus pìosan-geama a’ sealltainn mar a chleachd daoine a bhith a’ cluich. Tha na nithean seo a’ toirt boillsgeadh tearc dhuinn air beatha aig an ionad-cumhachd mheadhan-aoiseil shuaicheanta seo🏰 Leugh na sgeulachdan uile bhon chruinneachadh seo air an làrach-lìn againn: https://lnkd.in/e3XM3mtb ✨ Taing do dh'Urras Carthannais Chonchra aig a bheil Eilean Donnain agus do FAS Heritage, a rinn cladhach arc-eòlais aig an làraich, airson cead coibhneil ìomhaighean ath-riochdachadh.