List of museums in Scotland

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Museums in Scotland

This list of museums in Scotland contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit art galleries and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included. Many other small historical displays are located in the country's stately homes, including those run by the National Trust for Scotland.

To use the sortable table, click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.

Name	Image	Town/City	Council area	Region	Type	Summary
Aberdeen Maritime Museum		Aberdeen	Aberdeen	Aberdeen City & Shire	Maritime	Shipbuilding, fast sailing ships, fishing, port history, North Sea oil industry
Glover House		Aberdeen	Aberdeen	Aberdeen City & Shire	Historic house	Victorian period childhood home of Thomas Blake Glover, who built the Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi
Aberdeenshire Farming Museum		Mintlaw	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Agriculture	Located in Aden Country Park, 20th century estate life, farming history and innovations, working 1950s period farm
Alford Heritage Centre		Alford	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	History	website, rural trades displays and tools, household artifacts and room displays, farm equipment and tools, local Royal Ordnance Corps, Doric poet Charles Murray
Alford Valley Railway		Alford	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Railway	Heritage 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway and museum
Arbuthnot Museum		Peterhead	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Maritime	website, development of Peterhead fishing boats, local history, Inuit artifacts, Arctic animals, whaling, coin collection
Balmoral Castle		Crathie	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Multiple	Royal residence and summer retreat of Queen Elizabeth II, ballroom displays of art and decorative art, display of carriages, estate life, royal memorabilia, art gallery, gardens and grounds
Carnegie Inverurie Museum		Inverurie	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Local	website, local history, archaeology, transportation
Fraserburgh Heritage Centre		Fraserburgh	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Maritime	website, maritime heritage, local history
Fordyce Joiner's Workshop and Visitor Centre		Fordyce	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Technology	website, rural carpenter's workshop and tools
Garlogie Mill Power House		Garlogie	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Industry	website, former woolen mill with beam engine
Grampian Transport Museum		Alford	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Transportation	cars, motorcycles, a double-decker bus, bicycles, tractors, steam vehicles, an electric tram, toy model vehicles, and transport memorabilia
Insch Connection Museum		Insch	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Railway	Located in a former railway station, railway and local history
Maud Railway Station Museum		Maud	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Railway	Located in a former railway station, steam engines, railway memorabilia
Museum of Scottish Lighthouses		Fraserburgh	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Maritime	Historic lighthouse and exhibits of lighthouse technology and history
Peterhead Maritime Heritage Centre		Peterhead	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Maritime	website, local maritime heritage
Sandhaven Meal Mill		Sandhaven	Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen City & Shire	Mill	website, 19th century mill for oats
Angus Folk Museum		Forfar	Angus	Angus & Dundee	Open air	website, operated by the National Trust for Scotland, six 18th century cottages with exhibits of rural life in Angus, including a schoolroom, Victorian parlour, kitchen, reconstructed farm steading
Barry Mill		Barry	Angus	Angus & Dundee	Mill	Operated by the National Trust for Scotland, restored watermill
Glamis Castle		Glamis	Angus	Angus & Dundee	Historic house	Childhood home of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, best known as the Queen Mother
Montrose Museum		Montrose	Angus	Angus & Dundee	Multiple	Local history, archaeology, natural history, art, ethnography
Auchindrain Township Open Air Museum		Auchindrain	Argyll and Bute	Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs	Open air	website, turn of the 20th century township
Bonawe Iron Furnace		Bonawe	Argyll and Bute	Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs	Industry	website, operated by Historic Scotland, 18th century charcoal-fuelled ironworks
Easdale Island Folk Museum		Easdale	Argyll and Bute	Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs	Local	website, local history, culture, slate industry, geology, maritime
Inverarary Maritime Heritage Museum		Inveraray	Argyll and Bute	Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs	Maritime	website, maritime artefacts and memorabilia displayed in the three-masted schooner Arctic Penguin
Mount Stuart House		Isle of Bute	Argyll and Bute	Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs	Historic house	Victorian Gothic Revival mansion, 300-acre (1.2 km² ) gardens
Oban War and Peace Museum		Oban	Argyll and Bute	Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs	Local	website, local history, fishing and maritime industries, railways and road transport, strategic role played by Oban during World War II
Sandaig Island Life Museum		Isle of Tiree	Argyll and Bute	Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs	Historic house	information, late 19th century cottar's home
Slate Islands Heritage Centre		Easdale	Argyll and Bute	Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs	Industry	website, slate industry of the Slate Islands, social history
Skerryvore Lighthouse Museum		Isle of Tiree	Argyll and Bute	Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs	Maritime	History and construction of the lighthouse
Annan Museum		Annan, Dumfries and Galloway|Annan	Dumfries and Galloway	Dumfries and Galloway	Local	website, website, local history
Devil's Porridge Exhibition		Eastriggs	Dumfries and Galloway	Dumfries and Galloway	Military	website, history of the HM Factory, Gretna for Cordite manufacturing
Drumlanrig Castle		Thornhill	Dumfries and Galloway	Dumfries and Galloway	Historic house	Baroque country house with period furnishings, fine art and antiques, Victorian gardens
Dumfries Museum		Dumfries	Dumfries and Galloway	Dumfries and Galloway	Local	website, local history, archaeology, natural history, camera obscura, housed in an 18th century windmill
Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum		Dumfries	Dumfries and Galloway	Dumfries and Galloway	Transportation	Located in a former RAF station, aircraft, military aviation history
Mull of Galloway Lighthouse		Mull of Galloway	Dumfries and Galloway	Dumfries and Galloway	Maritime	website, tours of the lighthouse and engine room
Museum of Lead Mining		Wanlockhead	Dumfries and Galloway	Dumfries and Galloway	Mining	website, mine tour, miners' cottages, beam engine, minerals
Sanquhar Tolbooth Museum		Sanquhar	Dumfries and Galloway	Dumfries and Galloway	Local	website, information, local history, mining, wool trade and knitting industry
Stranraer Museum		Stranraer	Dumfries and Galloway	Dumfries and Galloway	Local	website, local history, archaeology, farming, dairying
Wigtown County Buildings		Wigtown	Dumfries and Galloway	Dumfries and Galloway	Local	information, local history, collection of early 18th century bronze town weights and measures, 18th century prison cell
Discovery Point		Dundee	Dundee	Angus & Dundee	Maritime	Museum ship for polar explorations
Dick Institute		Kilmarnock	East Ayrshire	Ayrshire and Arran	Multiple	Art, local and natural history, industry
Dumfries House		Cumnock	East Ayrshire	Ayrshire and Arran	Historic house	18th century Palladian country house with Thomas Chippendale furniturre
Scottish Industrial Railway Centre		Patna	East Ayrshire	Ayrshire and Arran	Railway	Open on selected days, steam and diesel locomotives
Auld Kirk Museum		Kirkintilloch	East Dunbartonshire	Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley	Local	website, local history, coal mining, iron industry
Lennoxlove House		Haddington	East Lothian	Edinburgh and Lothians	Historic house	Medieval fortress house, collections of portraits, furniture and porcelain
Myreton Motor Museum		Aberlady	East Lothian	Edinburgh and Lothians	Transportation	Cars, motorcycles, bicycles, motoring memorabilia and toy cars dating back to the turn of the 20th century
National Museum of Flight		East Fortune	East Lothian	Edinburgh and Lothians	Transportation	Includes military planes, passenger travel, a Concorde, Royal Air Force in World War II
Preston Mill		East Linton	East Lothian	Edinburgh and Lothians	Mill	Operated by the National Trust for Scotland, 18th century watermill
Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum		Prestongrange	East Lothian	Edinburgh and Lothians	Industry	Remains from a 16th century harbour, 17th century glass works, 18th & 19th century potteries, 19th & 20th century coal mine and brick works
Edinburgh Castle		Edinburgh	Edinburgh	Edinburgh and Lothians	Multiple	Includes tours of the historic medieval stronghold, the Honours of Scotland crown jewels, 18th century prisoners of war exhibits, rooms of the Royal Palace, Royal Scots Regimental Museum, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum
Holyrood Palace		Edinburgh	Edinburgh	Edinburgh and Lothians	Historic house	Official residence of the monarch in Scotland
Hopetoun House		Edinburgh	Edinburgh	Edinburgh and Lothians	Historic house	18th century estate, 150 acres (0.61 km² ) of gardens and grounds, in South Queensferry
Museum of Edinburgh		Edinburgh	Edinburgh	Edinburgh and Lothians	Local	City history, culture, silver and porcelain
National Museum of Scotland		Edinburgh	Edinburgh	Edinburgh and Lothians	Multiple	Scotland's history, culture, natural history, industry, technology, science, decorative arts, personalities, sports
National War Museum of Scotland		Edinburgh	Edinburgh	Edinburgh and Lothians	Military	Located within Edinburgh Castle, uniforms, insignia and equipment, medals, decorations, weapons, paintings, ceramics and silverware covering over 400 years of Scotland's military history
Queensferry Museum		South Queensferry	Edinburgh	Edinburgh and Lothians	Local	website, local history, culture, natural history, transportation
Royal Yacht Britannia		Leith	Edinburgh	Edinburgh and Lothians	Maritime	Museum ship, former Royal Yacht of the British royal family
Birkhill Fireclay Mine		Bo'ness	Falkirk	Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs	Mining	website, website, seasonal tours of the fireclay mine, access by the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway at the Birkhill railway station
Falkirk Wheel Visitor centre		Falkirk	Falkirk		Canal	Canal history with modern feat of engineering by Butterley Engineering
Grangemouth Museum		Grangemouth	Falkirk	Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs	Local	website, local history, industry
Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum		Dunfermline	Fife	Kingdom of Fife	Multiple	website, life of Andrew Carnegie, local history, art and decorative arts, costumes and textiles
Burntisland Museum		Burntisland	Fife	Kingdom of Fife	Amusement	information, also known as Burntisland Edwardian Fairground Museum, recreated walk through the sights and sounds of the town's fair in 1910 with rides and side shows, information, accessed via the library
Crail Museum & Heritage Centre		Crail	Fife	Kingdom of Fife	Local	website, local history, maritime heritage, medieval church, airfield history
Culross Palace		Culross	Fife	Kingdom of Fife	Historic house	Operated by the National Trust for Scotland, 16th-17th century furnished palace, study and townhouse with gardens
Harbourmaster's House		Dysart	Fife	Kingdom of Fife	Local	website, visitor centre with exhibits about the area's coastal history, natural history, geology, maritime heritage
Hill of Tarvit		Cupar	Fife	Kingdom of Fife	Historic house	Operated by the National Trust for Scotland, 20th century mansion house and gardens designed by Sir Robert Lorimer, features French and Chippendale-style furniture, porcelain and paintings
Laing Museum		Newburgh	Fife	Kingdom of Fife	Local	website, local history, culture
Methil Heritage Centre		Methil	Fife	Kingdom of Fife	Local	website, local history, culture
Scotland's Secret Bunker		Anstruther	Fife	Kingdom of Fife	Military	website, Cold War-era underground bunker for the government in case of a nuclear attack
Scottish Vintage Bus Museum		Lathalmond	Fife	Kingdom of Fife	Transportation	website, buses and memorabilia
St Monans Windmill		St Monans	Fife	Kingdom of Fife	Mill	website, late 18th century windmill and saltpans
602 Squadron Museum		Glasgow	Glasgow	Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley	Military	website, regimental history of the No. 602 Squadron RAF, located in the headquarters of the Royal Highland Fusiliers
Burrell Collection		Glasgow	Glasgow	Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley	Art	Collections include French Impressionists, late medieval art, Chinese and Islamic art, Ancient Civilizations
Glasgow Police Museum		Glasgow	Glasgow	Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley	Law enforcement	website
Riverside Museum		Glasgow	Glasgow	Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley	Transportation	Opening in 2011, collections of the Glasgow Museum of Transport
Colbost Croft Museum		Colbost	Highland	The Highlands - Skye and Lochalsh	Historic house	19th century period crofter's cottage
Commando Museum		Spean Bridge	Highland	The Highlands - Lochaber	Military	website, artefacts and memorabilia of the Commandos who trained nearby and at Achnacarry during World War II
Dunvegan Castle		Dunvegan	Highland	The Highlands - Skye and Lochalsh	Historic house	Seat of the chief of the Clan MacLeod
Ferrycroft Visitor Centre		Lairg	Highland	The Highlands - Sutherland	Local	website, local history, culture, natural history, agriculture, industry
Glenfinnan Station Museum		Glenfinnan	Highland	The Highlands - Lochaber	Railway
Highland Museum of Childhood		Strathpeffer	Highland	The Highlands - Ross and Cromarty	Toys	Dolls, toys, games, children’s costume and childhood furniture
Mallaig Heritage Centre		Mallaig	Highland	The Highlands - Lochaber	Local	website, local history, maritime heritage, fishing, culture, railway
Strathspey Railway			Highland	The Highlands	Railway
Scottish Mining Museum		Newtongrange	Midlothian		Mining	Victorian colliery and underground coal mine
Moray Motor Museum		Elgin	Moray	The Highlands	Automotive	website, veteran, vintage, classic cars, motorcycles, model cars, memorabilia
Tomintoul Museum		Tomintoul	Moray	The Highlands	Local	website, local history, culture, reconstructed crofter’s kitchen and village blacksmith’s shop, natural history
Museum of Ayrshire Country Life and Costume		Kilwinning	North Ayrshire	Ayrshire and Arran	Multiple	Historic Dalgarven watermill, museum with displays of rural life and trades including ploughing, threshing, harvesting and the village smithy, period room displays, costume collection
North Ayrshire Museum		Saltcoats	North Ayrshire	Ayrshire and Arran	Local	information, information, local history, archaeology, costume, transport, popular culture, maritime heritage
Summerlee, Museum of Scottish Industrial Life		Motherwell	North Lanarkshire	Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley	Industry	Industry, technology, social impact of the Industrial Revolution, transportation and electric tramway, recreated mine and miners' cottages
Corrigall Farm Museum		Harray	Orkney	Orkney	Agriculture	information, information, 19th century period farmhouse and outbuildings, with peat fire, livestock, horse-drawn agriculture equipment
Kirbuster Farm Museum		Birsay	Orkney	Orkney	Historic house	information, information, 19th century farmhouse and outbuildings, with peat-fired central hearth, stone beds and collection of farm tools
Atholl Country Life Museum		Blair Atholl	Perth and Kinross	Perthshire	Local	website, local history, agriculture, social history
Castle Menzies		Weem	Perth and Kinross	Perthshire	Historic house	Ancestral seat of the Clan Menzies, restored 16th century castle
Huntingtower Castle		Huntingtower	Perth and Kinross	Perthshire	Historic house	Operated by Historic Scotland, 15th to 18th century tower house
Scottish Maritime Museum		Braehead	Renfrewshire	Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley	Maritime	Steam related exhibits
Hawick Museum		Hawick	Scottish Borders	Scottish Borders	Multiple	website, art, local history and culture, natural history, archaeology, displays on motorcycle champions Jimmie Guthrie and Steve Hislop, period schoolroom
Croft House Museum		Boddam	Shetland	Shetland	Historic house	information, mid-19th century croft cottage, information
George Waterston Memorial Centre and Museum		Fair Isle	Shetland	Shetland	Multiple	Local history, natural history, art, archaeology, costumes and textiles, industry, transportation, maritime heritage
Old Haa Museum		Burravoe	Shetland	Shetland	Local	Local and natural history
Quendale Water Mill		Dunrossness	Shetland	Shetland	Mill	website, restored 19th century water mill with local history and agriculture exhibits
Biggar Gasworks		Biggar	South Lanarkshire	Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley	Industry	website, operated by the Biggar Museum Trust, preserved gasworks
Lanark Museum		Lanark	South Lanarkshire	Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley	Local	website, local history, culture, industry, William Wallace, King Robert the Bruce,
Moat Park Heritage Centre		Biggar	South Lanarkshire	Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley	Multiple	website, operated by the Biggar Museum Trust, local history and culture, geology, archaeology, models portray early dwellings, mottes, castles and bastle houses
National Museum of Rural Life		East Kilbride	South Lanarkshire	Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley	Agriculture	Formerly the Museum of Scottish Country Life, 1950s working farm, exhibits of rural room settings and oil paintings, agriculture models and machinery
New Lanark		New Lanark	South Lanarkshire	Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley	Open air	Restored 19th century textile mill village
Clydebank Museum		Clydebank	West Dunbartonshire	Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs	Local	Local history, culture, shipbuilding industry, collection of sewing machines
Motoring Heritage Centre		Alexandria	West Dunbartonshire		Automotive	website, vintage and classic cars, memorabilia

Defunct museums

• The Big Idea, Irvine, North Ayrshire, closed in 2003
• Dunaskin Heritage Centre, Dalmellington
• Glasgow Museum of Transport, closed in 2010, collections moving to the Riverside Museum
• Heatherbank Museum of Social Work, Glasgow Caledonian University, closed in 2004, collections now online only
• Inverkeithing Museum
• Jane Welsh Carlyle House, Haddinton, East Lothian
• Lochwinnoch Community Museum
• Newhaven Heritage Museum, Edinburgh, closed in 2007
• North Berwick Museum
• Peter Anson Gallery, Buckie, Moray
• Springburn Museum, Springburn, Glasgow
• Weaver's Cottage, Airdrie, North Lanarkshire

See also

• Museums Galleries Scotland [1] for a list of over 350 museums and galleries around Scotland
• National Trust for Scotland
  • List of National Trust for Scotland properties
• Visitor attractions in Scotland

External links

• Visit Scotland
• Dumfries and Galloway - Museums and Galleries
• Escape and Explore UK
• Museums & Galleries of Scotland