National Museum of Scotland Releases Full Schedule of Events for February 2016

National Museum of Scotland

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

New to the National Collections

23 Oct 2015 - 31 Jan 2016

Grand Gallery, Level 1

Free

New to the National Collections provides a fascinating insight into National Museums Scotland's varied collections and a number of items are on public view for the first time. The display is diverse, from a tiny fragment of the 2013 Chelyabinsk Meteor to the quirky Omnibot 2000 robot butler.

BUILD IT! Adventures with LEGO® Bricks

29 Jan - 17 Apr 2016

Grand Gallery, Level 1

Free

Renowned artist in LEGO® bricks, Warren Elsmore and his team display some of their most beautiful and intricate mini-buildings and models in our Grand Gallery. To add to the set, they will also be on-site, building a special three metre model of our very own museum. But don't let them have all the fun. Join us for some hands-on LEGO® brick activities from February till April. Get creative in the Builders' Yard, help us make a special sculpture of one of our most-loved museum objects, or build your own masterpiece.

BUILD IT! is part of the Festival of Architecture 2016, which will celebrate Scotland's fantastic built environment, as a key part of the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Designcelebrations. #IAD2016

Fossil Hunters: Unearthing the Mystery of Life on Land

19 Feb - 14 Aug 2016

Free

Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3

Free

Discover how life on earth moved from water onto land 360-345 million years ago through ground-breaking discoveries made in Scotland. See fossils unearthed as recently as summer 2015, meet the people who uncovered these remarkable finds, discover the scientific techniques used to extract and identify them, and glimpse what life was like before the dinosaurs.

This exhibition is informed by the findings of the TW:eed research project.

Kindly supported by the National Environment Research Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

National War Museum

Edinburgh Castle, EH1 2NG

Open 09:45-17:45 daily

Helmand Return

27 Feb 2015 - 27 Mar 2016

Free with admission to Edinburgh Castle

Five years after his poignant exhibition Helmand: Faces of Conflict, renowned photographer Robert Wilson revisited Afghanistan as an official war artist to record the British troops' final tour of duty. The photographs allow a rare insight into the process of withdrawing from a war zone; capturing the essence of the human and logistical challenges faced during the transfer of responsibility and withdrawal.

Helmand Return is created by Robert Wilson, curated by Catherine Collins and Rhiannon Adam, and loaned by Gallery One and a Half.

Events/Activities

National Museum of Scotland

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Open 10:00-17:00 daily

For everyone

Museum Socials

22 Jan - 18 Mar 2016

Monthly, 10:30-12:00

Free, call 0300 123 6789 to book your place

This new series of relaxed and informal sessions offers anyone living with Dementia, along with their relatives, friends and supporters, an opportunity to explore a different part of the museum each month with our learning staff. Sessions are free and include a cup of tea.

Museum Socials: Rabbie Burns

22 Jan 2016

10:30-12:00

Free, call 0300 123 6789 to book your place.

Celebrate the birthday of Scotland's National Bard, the poet Robert Burns, with some lively fiddle music in the 18th century Riddles Court room. Museum Socials offer a relaxed and informal session for anyone living with Dementia, along with their relatives, friends and supporters, to explore the museum with our learning staff. Sessions are free and include a cup of tea.

Burns Unbound

Sunday 24 January 2016

11:00-16:00

Free

Release your inner bard with a day of Burns-themed fun for all ages at National Museum of Scotland. Celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns with our packed programme of family activities and enjoy foot stomping live music in the Grand Gallery. Learn to ceilidh dance, get crafty and meet some mice in tribute to the poet's famous work To a Mouse. The Hopscotch Theatre Company will also perform their family focussed production Burns' Last Supper, a fast paced journey through the poet's life with music, poetry and song.

Join us for an afternoon of live music with performances from Scotland's finest folk ensembles Cherry Grove, Randolph's Leap, Granny Green, Robyn Stapleton and Claire Hastings.

Burns Unbound is supported through Scotland's Winter Festivals, a programme of events managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland, on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Live Build

3 Feb - 15 April 2016

Every Wed & Fri from 11:00-16:00

Grand Gallery, Level 1

Free

Watch Warren Elsmore's team create a large LEGO® brick model of our very own museum.

BUILD IT! is part of the Festival of Architecture 2016, which will celebrate Scotland's fantastic built environment, as a key part of the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Designcelebrations. #IAD2016

For families

Magic Carpet

6 Jan - 10 Feb 2016

Every Wednesday 10:30-10:55, 11:30-11:55

Free. Limited spaces available, sign up on the day at the Information Desk in the Entrance Hall. Suitable for ages 2-4 (and accompanying adult).

Take a trip on the Magic Carpet to explore the fantastic things in the National Museum of Scotland through stories, songs and activities.

Magic Carpet Minis

7 Jan - 11 Feb 2015

Every Thursday 10:30-10:50, 11:30-11:55

Free. Limited spaces available, book online at www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-scotland. Suitable for ages 0-2 (and accompanying adult).

Take a trip on the Magic Carpet, especially for very little ones, to explore the fantastic things in the National Museum of Scotland through stories, songs and activities.

Magic Carpet Weekenders

23 Jan - 22 May 2016

11:00-11:25

Free. Limited spaces available, sign up and meet at the green fountain, Grand Gallery.

Join us for our monthly special weekend story activity sessions as we explore different objects on the Magic Carpet through stories, songs and activities.

Play and Display

29 Jan - 24 Mar 2016

Daily where possibly from 10:00-17:00

Free, drop-in.

Play and create your own LEGO® brick piece to display for a day in our mini maker station.

BUILD IT! is part of the Festival of Architecture 2016, which will celebrate Scotland's fantastic built environment, as a key part of the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Designcelebrations. #IAD2016

BUILD IT! at Half-Term

13 Feb - 21 Feb 2016

11:00-16:00

Free

Come and join our BUILD IT! party this half-term.

The Builder's Yard is open for builders of all ages to get creative with LEGO® bricks and discover our Brick Bingo Challenge - we've hidden some special museum-inspired models and figures in our galleries. Can you find them all?

Then join us in the Grand Gallery and help our Master Builders create a special Big Build of one our iconic museum objects...what will it be?

BUILD IT! is part of the Festival of Architecture 2016, which will celebrate Scotland's fantastic built environment, as a key part of the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Designcelebrations. #IAD2016

For adults

In the Court of the Kings

8 Feb 2016

19:00-20:15 followed by a drinks reception (doors open at 18:30)

Auditorium, entry via Lothian Street

£6, £5 Members & Concessions. Call 0300 123 6789 to book or book online. Suitable for ages 14+.

Join us for an evening of dynastic discovery to celebrate the return of the National Theatre of Scotland's acclaimed trilogy The James Plays to the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (3 - 13 Feb 2016).

Journalist and Broadcaster, Janice Forsyth will host a lively and enlightening conversation with George Dalgleish, Keeper of Scottish History and Archaeology, and David Forsyth, Principal Curator of Scottish History and Archaeology, unveiling the secrets of 'James' objects within our collections. They are joined by Laurie Sansom, Director of The James Plays and Artistic Director at the National Theatre of Scotland, and Rona Munro, the plays' Writer.

Daily tours

Join one of our free daily tours and spend an hour exploring some of the highlights of the National Museum of Scotland.

Themed Tours

Daily at 15:00 (1 hr), free.

Venue: Tours leave from the Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0

Free

Our free guided themed tours at National Museum of Scotland explore everything from Scotland's history to the supernatural.

Discover the National Museum

Daily at 11:00 (1 hr)

Venue: Tours leave from the Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0

Free

From stunning Victorian architecture to the Lewis Chessmen, this tour will give you a flavour of all the National Museum of Scotland has to offer.

Scottish Galleries Highlights Tour

Daily at 13:00 (1 hr)

Free

Tours leave from the Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0

Follow the story of Scotland through fascinating objects on this highlights tour.

National Museum of Rural Life

Wester Kittochside, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride G76 9HR

Go Wild in February

6 Feb - 9 Feb 2016

10:00-17:00

Free with museum admission

Call 0300 123 6789 or enquire at Information Desk on arrival to book. Suitable for ages 5+.

Capture images of the farm in winter in our photography workshop and get creative in our make and take sessions and printmaking masterclass.

Willow Harvest

7 Feb 2016

10:30-12:30

Free with museum admission

Help artist Lise Bech bring in this year's harvest and find out more about how this versatile material is used in basket making.

Outdoor clothing and footwear required, all harvesting tools will be provided on the day.