Edinburgh War Museums

Here are 5 war museums that any interested in WWII and older wars must visit during their trip to Edinburgh: The National War Museum, National Museum of Flight, The National War Memorial, Scottish National War Memorial & Nelson Monument. We give details about what you will see at each one below.

Edinburgh has many museums to visit, we have picked out the 5 we believe offer the most enjoyable learning experience: The National War Museum, National Museum of Flight, The National War Memorial, Scottish National War Memorial & Nelson Monument. Keep reading to find out what each museum has in store for you.

The National War Museum

The National War Museum in Scotland care deeply about museum collections with national and international significance, and interpret and present them to a world wide audience. Their research doesn’t only enhance the knowledge of their own collections, but also increases the public’s knowledge of human history and their natural surroundings. They aim to share every collection with a broad audience through publications, exhibitions and learning and exchange programmes. Moreover, they assist museums in Scotland to expand and further enhance their own individual collections via the National Fund for Acquisitions grant. Visit the National War Museum in Edinburgh.

National Museum of Flight

The National Museum of Flight, Scotland’s national aviation museum, allows you to explore the history of aviation since the First World War to this date. It is a very important place because it covers civil, recreational and military air travel and is the only museum in the UK that still collects commercial flight history. Consequently, the museum displayed their Boeing 707 fuselage, and BOAC crew and passenger artefacts collection in the year 2010. A 1960s stewardess uniform was part of that display.

Visitors get to see astonishing aircrafts and read about memorable stories in their two fully renovated hangars. There is the option to go and explore by foot or hop on board the Airfield Explorer and tour around all the collections. Continue Reading about The National Museum of Flight.

The National War Memorial

Scotland’s National War Memorial was first set up by the Royal Charter to honour the sacrifice the Scottish made in the Great War, WWII and succeeding conflicts. The Memorial inside the Edinburgh Castle displays and holds the Rolls of Honour of all Scottish people from the Merchant Navy, the Dominions, Women’s Services, Nursing Services, Armed Services, and each civilian war fatality from 1914 to this current day.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visited the The National War Memorial in 2014, and Professor Duncan published his book, “Scotland’s Shrine – The Scottish National War Memorial”, which records the Memorial’s full history from its concept, to when it was completed in 1927. Visit the National War Memorial in Edinburgh.

The Royal Scots Museum

The refurbished Royal Scots Museum, based inside Edinburgh Castle is an independent museum and financially relies on voluntary contributions only.

It was first opened by HRH The Princess Royal, on 27th June, 1991 and tells the complete story of the Military unit in chronological order. This is done on pictographic wall panels that are also supported by display cases, maps, dioramas and tableaux . Only a small selection of medals are on display because the full collection is too big; the rest is framed inside drawers that can be opened on request. Other collections include silver, drum sets and older colours. The descriptions of modern Army life and the above panels showing important national and world events of relevant periods are extra interesting museum features.

On arrival, visitors are introduced to the Squadron by a contemporary piper and taken back more than three hundred years to how the Sir John Hepburn Regiment was formed in 1633. Guests are given an interpretation of all the activities conducted by the Regiment to this current day.

The oldest Scottish Regiment museum and the Museum of The Royal Regiment of Scotland share the same building. The latter was the youngest Scottish Regiment ever to be formed in 2006. The Royal Scots Museum takes forward the Scottish infantry narrative through all its operations in Afghanistan until current army life.

Nelson Monument

Pictured above, a view of Calton Hill with Nelson Monument in the backdrop.

The Monument, built in remembrance of Admiral Lord Nelson, the brave soul who died in 1925 during the Trafalgar Battle. Depending on the weather, the flag signalling – “England expects that every man will do his duty” still gets flown on 21st October, which is Trafalgar Day.

The Nelson Monument has a ‘time ball’ that continues to get dropped at 1pm every day. Museum visitors see a magical view of the entire city and the calm sea from the top floor.

Pictures of the Nelson Monument, some have been taken from inside, are in the Capital Collections and a new exhibition has been organised to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Monument.

Visit the museum’s website to learn more about what exhibitions and outreach projects.