Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland (5/7)

After the Christians found their way to Scotland, everything changes, and soon everything was about churches and such. Scotland do have some very beautiful and unique churches, and we'll see how many I can manage to visit in my next trip. For this 2025 trip, I think I only managed St Giles', not counting Kirkyard that is. But for 2026, I think I will at least see Rossyln Chapel, and the Italian Church of Orkney, and maybe a few cathedral like Glasgow Cathedral and Inverness Cathedral. We'll see how it goes! 

Here are some of the earlier example of Christian artefacts. I kinda like this simple Jesus figurine hanging at the cross here. It kinda looked very simplistic  and minimalistic. I think I don't mind having this in my home.  

Here are some angels holding a shield? Carved into some stones. These could be part of a building or memorial or even tombstones. I like angels too! 

A priest/monk carrying a cross? I'm pretty sure that is not a cross, right? Now I bet you wish I read the description of the figurine or took a photo of it. Sorry! Sometimes, I just like to take photo of the item as they just seems to be such a nice piece of art, even if they might be religious in nature. I think one can always be able to appreciate an object of beauty regardless of what it is associated with, right?

More Christian related items. 

Here is another of Jesus that looks like a carving on a stone slab. This one looked so primitive, perhaps even before medieval times, is that even possible? Yup, checked on Google and Jesus pre-dated before medieval times!

I guess with Christianity came the printing press machine? Isn't why the religion spread so fast and wide, because of the printing of the bible? But at this section of the exhibition, I was more interested in the books on displayed. I love old books. Fun fact, I once volunteered as a distributed proof reader of old text. I did that for a month while working (can't remember which company), because I was so bored at work with nothing much to do I might as well contribute to society is some small ways!. So I would translate old text to readable everyday English of today. Ha! I've contributed to the literature field after all!

Beautiful old books. 

See, I told you they were mostly religious in nature!

Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland (4/7)

Coming along now to some of my favourite topics I found at the museum. To be frank, I did not do much researched on what to see in the National Museum of Scotland. I just new I wanted to see the Lewis Chessmen, and probably anything on witches if they have such things in the museum, lol. I am happy to report, that I got more than what I expected! I got pagan religion, and even viking burials in the museum! I am slowly learning about vikings and Celtic religion and their connections with Scotland. Above photo shows one of those ancient burial site example. 

I like the ending of this info sign, "We are silent, all taking done.". 

Above more info signs for you to read. I will be headed to Orkney in my next trip to Scotland 2026. Why Orkney? Well, actually it was the only local tour I could select for the start of summer as other places are still considered too cold to have tours. I've already been to the Isle of Skye (more of that coming up real soon), and for some reason, I thought about the backpack brand Osprey and mistook it for Orkney, lol. It was just a wild decision to go. I mean, I didn't know why I wanted to visit Skye either, it was just something inside that says I need to go. And so I will! And I hope to see a lot of standing stones and viking remains there!

Next, old religion. Yeah, at first I thought this was also a grave, but after reading the info sign below, it is actually of a Goddess! So go ahead, take another look. And now you can see the resemblance? Scotland is such a mysterious countries and I just can't get enough of it!

 

Next to follow? One of my favourite topic, witches and witchcraft. Unfortunately, it's more on the reality of what took placed during the witch hunt more than anything else. 

Info page for your reading pleasure. Do zoom in if it's too small to read.

Seen here above are tortured devices used on witches, probably to get a confession from them? Or perhaps to detain them. It's amazing how much evil power women used to posses in the past!

More reading for you on the witch hunt. 

And more torture devices....  All the above are but a glimpse of witch history in Scotland. More witches were killed in Scotland than in Salem in America, yet we don't really hear much of the witches of Scotland. So one of the souvenir I got myself for my trip, was a huge book on the Occult, Witches and Magic  :)  Not just on Scotland, but on the topic as a whole :)  

Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland (3/7)

 

A few more exhibit that was unique here were those related to ancient people in Scotland, whether Celtic people, or Vikings. I found those fascinating too. I didn't quite understand it, but here are some of the old items found around Scotland that looked cool to me. Above, stone drawings!

Or a war trumpet. I thought the head of the trumpet was kinda cool. There are some info in the photo. If interested, just zoom in to read more about them. 

Primitive silver pieces? The drawings on them looked so comical. But then again these could be charms. Remember that in ancient times Scotland was surrounded with stories and magics and fairies!

I don't even know what these are! Old coins? I just think they looked cool, perhaps reminding me of something of the Roman era?

Or these bells? Or perhaps armour? Can't be sure. They had so much piece of item made of iron. Their iron skills must be quite advance at that time to make such beautiful elaborated pieces. 

More coins? Or brouches/Pins? Yes, this is my personal gallery of sort. 

And lastly, a stone carving of the three wise mens. Don't worry, I'll have a post on old religion coming up soon. How could I not! Mainly cause their old religion consist of paganism and witchcraft :P

Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland (2/7)

 

So the very first exhibition that I headed to was The Kingdom of the Scots. I mean, we were in Scotland, so I am guessing this would be more special and unique in terms of museum exhibit as compared to the other general history of humans kinda exhibit. 

Walking in, I was instantly charmed by these wordings, and those fonts! Fairy fonts! So beautifully written. In case you can't read it clearly, on it is written: "For we fight not for glory or riches or honours, but for Freedom alone which no good man give up except with his life." Such beautiful words! With so much weight to it. I was instantly in love with this land even with not a single drop of Scottish blood.

There was more! The second wordings were written: " As long as only one hundred of us remain alive, we will never on any conditions be brought under English rule". It shows how proud Scottish people were. I think that's so wonderful that they held on so strongly to their identity. Except for what happened to the Highland culture that was lost, I think that was such a shame.....

In that same exhibition, there were also more info on their rulers and religion etc etc.

More reading of information for you.

There were also some cool stone carving of a lady there. I am not sure who she was, but it just looked so beautiful there. Was she Mary, Queen of Scots?

Old flags of Scotland .

And pins! An unexpected fascinating piece I find myself drawn to. I think it's because it resembled a bit of celtic design in them. Celtic jewelries are so beautiful. And in the series Outlander, I often see them using pins to hold up their Tartans, their scarf etc. I don't think I'll get one for myself as I wouldn't know how to wear one.  But I think the design is absolutely lovely. 

Here is a long info on the pin/brooch itself.

I also managed to see the Lewis Chesspieces. I think I've seen them before, or something like them before in the British Museum last time. As a chess player myself, this was so cool to me!

I mentioned that I did missed out on some of the things I wanted to see in the museum, but due to tiredness, I totally forgot about them. One of those thing I missed were the miniature coffin found on Arthur's Seat. You can read more about them here.  Should I pop back in on my next trip to see them? I wonder if the staff would be able to direct me to where it's house..... 

Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland (1/7)

 

We managed to complete our visit to Dean Village and Stockbridge by noon and walked back to Edinburgh new town. With no plans for the 2nd half of the day, I decided that we should go visit the National Museum of Scotland because it's FREEEE! Above is one of the sculpture found inside. It reminded of the time I visited the London National History Museum where I took a nice photo with Charles Darwin :)

The museum kinda looked like the Manchester Museum at some part, but it was actually a lot bigger. Above was just one wing of the building. And we actually suffered from information overload and fatigue at the museum, so we didn't really see everything inside. We, or actually just me, since my husband seems dead tired by this time, mainly focus on some key items I wanted to see. I did missed a few key items too, but oh well....

A different part of the museum focusing more on science and mechanical items etc. I think we skipped most of this part since it was more geared towards kids. 

There were also some weird art pieces made of metal at the basement somewhere which we stumbled into. I think this was where I left my husband and went to explore on my own while he took a cat nap :P  I can understand that not everyone love museums as I do. 

I don't really get this exhibition. It was near those ancient Scots display hall, so perhaps these were meant to represent ancient Scots?

We did managed to go all the way up to the rooftop, which was one of the hidden gem of Edinburgh based on my research. It offers a different view point of the city below. I think it was on the 4th or 5th floor of the museum. It wasn't as crowded up there, so I guess most visitors don't do their research!  There is even a sort of garden up there!

This view shows a more concrete view of the museum rooftop and the buildings of Edinburgh below. The circle things on the right kinda reminded me of chimneys, and so this whole photo reminded me of Oliver Twist and his chimney sweeping days. And yes, I am aware that Oliver Twist is based in England and not Scotland!. 

More views from the roof top.

And how can we not have one of the Edinburgh Castle as well? Lol. Are you sick of the castle view yet? I know I will never be :)