Collections | National Museums Scotland
Explore our collections, find out about our current research projects and opportunities, contact our curatorial staff, and discover how to access the collections for research.
Search our collections
Our online database contains a selection of the 12 million objects and specimens in our collections.
Research
Research is crucial to our stewardship of the national collections and to the intellectual development of subject knowledge.
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Departments
Our staff hold a wealth of knowledge and expertise across the diversity of our collections.
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Facilities
We provide advice, assistance, and support to those wishing to research the national collections.
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How we collect
Contemporary collecting has been core to the development of the National Collections over the last two centuries.
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National Museums Collection Centre
We offer a range of research facilities at our Collection Centre in Granton.
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Colonial histories and legacies in our museums
We are committed to revealing and sharing the full range of stories about imperial and colonial activities associated with our collections.
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Training and guidance for museums
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Collections policies
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Research repository
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