Museums · Edinburgh · United Kingdom
6 best museums in Edinburgh
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Royal Yacht Britannia, National Museum of Scotland and Scottish National Gallery. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 11–13 hours across 5 areas; 3 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 11–13 hours
- Areas
- Leith, Old Town and New Town
Museums in Edinburgh
Museum · Leith
1.Royal Yacht Britannia
The royal family's floating residence for 44 years is moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Old Town
2.National Museum of Scotland
Scotland's national museum on Chambers Street mixes Scottish history from prehistoric times with natural history, world cultures, science and technology.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · New Town
3.Scottish National Gallery
On the Mound between the Old and New Towns, this free gallery holds Scottish and European art from Raphael, Titian and Velázquez to Raeburn's skating minister and works by Ramsay and Wilkie.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Old Town
4.Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Beside the castle at the top of the Royal Mile, the Camera Obscura has projected live images of the city onto a viewing table since 1853, and five floors of optical illusions, mirror mazes and a spinning vortex tunnel sit below its rooftop terrace.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Views
Museum · Holyrood
5.Dynamic Earth
Beneath a white tented roof beside the Scottish Parliament, Dynamic Earth takes visitors through the planet's story from the Big Bang to the polar ice caps, with a simulated earthquake, a tropical rainforest room and a 360-degree dome cinema.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Gallery · Dean Village
6.Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Two neoclassical buildings facing each other across Belford Road hold Scotland's national collection of modern and contemporary art, from Dalí and Magritte to the Scottish Colourists, with Charles Jencks's grassy landform sculpture on the front lawn.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Leith | Royal Yacht Britannia | 2 hours |
| Old Town | National Museum of Scotland and Camera Obscura and World of Illusions | 2–3 hours + 1.5–2 hours |
| New Town | Scottish National Gallery | 1.5–2 hours |
| Holyrood | Dynamic Earth | 2 hours |
| Dean Village | Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art | 1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 3 free, 3 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is National Museum of Scotland; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Leith and Old Town): Royal Yacht Britannia → National Museum of Scotland, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Old Town and New Town): Camera Obscura and World of Illusions → Scottish National Gallery, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Holyrood and Dean Village): Dynamic Earth → Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 8°C (46°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Chilly and quiet, with crisp days for hill walks; Six Nations rugby weekends at Murrayfield bring crowds.
- March: highs of 10°C (50°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Lengthening days and the first daffodils in Princes Street Gardens; the weather swings between sunshine and sleet.
- January: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 12 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold and dark by 4pm, but hotel prices fall after New Year and Burns Night suppers brighten the end of the month.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Old Town — Medieval closes and wynds along the Royal Mile from the Castle to Holyrood
- New Town — Georgian crescents, Princes Street shopping and elegant squares
- Leith — Edinburgh's old port of waterfront restaurants, bars and the Royal Yacht Britannia
- Southside and Newington — University quarter, the Meadows and guesthouses near Arthur's Seat
More of Edinburgh
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Edinburgh?
Royal Yacht Britannia. The royal family's floating residence for 44 years is moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith.
+Which of these are free in Edinburgh?
National Museum of Scotland, Scottish National Gallery and Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.