Review 2017 © Donald MacLeod Visitors enjoy two of the new galleries at the National Museum of Scotland: (from top) Technology by Design and Explore. Building on success This has been an exceptional year for National Museums Scotland. Across our museums we have welcomed over 2.7 million visitors, 1.84 million of these to the National Museum of Scotland making it the most popular museum outside of London and the most visited attraction in Scotland. A growing connection with our many Sharing the National Collections as All of this valuable work is only possible audiences, partners and stakeholders broadly as possible is also at the heart through the continued and loyal has been key to our success and one of our new exhibition touring strategy. support of our many donors, which we do not take for granted. We 2017 is the first year that we have supporters, partners and volunteers. are determined to sustain our ambition taken a major exhibition created We are enormously grateful for their to refresh and update our museums, in-house on a significant international generosity and encourage them to enhance our collections and enable tour. Monkey Business opened in continue to support our journey into both a broader and larger audience to Brussels in October 2017 and will travel an even more successful future. share in the enjoyment and inspiration to Australia, Spain and Finland. Nearer of the National Collections. to home, Fossil Hunters has been Finally, we would like to thank our staff. warmly received by audiences from It is their hard work, commitment, We were delighted to announce the Biggar to the Isle of Lewis, as the first enthusiasm and expertise that makes successful acquisition of the Galloway in our new programme of regular National Museums Scotland the Hoard, enabling our expert teams to exhibition tours within Scotland. thriving, ambitious and successful begin conservation and research to organisation it is and we could not unlock its secrets. We are enormously We are proud that the ten new have delivered this exceptional year grateful to the National Heritage galleries at the National Museum without them. Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Scottish of Scotland, opened in 2016, have Government, many trusts and achieved international recognition, Bruce Minto OBE, Chairman foundations and over a thousand winning ‘Best Permanent Exhibition’ Dr Gordon Rintoul CBE, Director individual donors for their support in at the UK Museums and Heritage helping us reach the £1.98 million Awards, and the coveted United States fundraising target. based Dibner Award for ‘Excellence in Museum Exhibits’. Buoyed by this The successful launch of our success, we are making good progress National Strategy in Autumn 2016 with the fourth and final phase of our has given renewed emphasis to our £80 million Masterplan. With Heritage collaborations with museums across Lottery Fund support, two new Scotland and the support we offer galleries will open in early 2019 them: sharing our collections, dedicated to our internationally supporting outreach activity important East Asia and Ancient Egypt including touring exhibitions and collections. These will be a fitting finale building skills and expertise. We now to this hugely successful project. work in every one of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas. © Andrew Lee © Andrew Fashion and Style: one of ten new galleries opened in 2016 to win ‘Best Permanent Exhibition’ at the Museums and Heritage Awards. A year in numbers © Andy Catlin © Chris Scott © Ruth Armstrong © Ruth Armstrong 155,643 social © Ruth Armstrong media followers 2,714,379 visits © Ruth Armstrong © Ruth Armstrong 630,000 digitised objects 2,186,554 253,039 website participants visits in learning activities © Ruth Armstrong © Ruth Armstrong 1,419 school groups 4,347 objects loaned © Ruth Armstrong © Ruth Armstrong © Ruth Armstrong © Ruth Armstrong © Neil Hanna © Ruth Armstrong © Ruth Armstrong © Phil Wilkinson © Phil Wilkinson Connecting with audiences Millions of people each year enjoy Scotland’s National Collections 1 “Fantastic collection of “Fascinating and well 1 A young visitor enjoys The Tomb exhibition. Over original exhibits. organised and illustrated 100,000 visits made it the Really brought it to life. exhibition. Good on most popular exhibition to date at the National More like this please!” explaining background Museum of Scotland. and historical changes.” © Anwar Hussein © Anwar © Ruth Armstrong © Ruth Armstrong 2 3 Growing Visitor Numbers Fascinating Exhibitions All four of our museums saw an The Tomb: Ancient Egyptian Burial enabled us to explore an important increase in visitor numbers this year, opened in March, telling the story contemporary context for the displays with the National Museum of Scotland, of one extraordinary ancient at the Museum, highlighting the National War Museum and the Egyptian tomb which was built impact of war on the local population National Museum of Rural Life around 1290 BC and reused for over long after conflicts are over. enjoying their highest ever annual 1,000 years before being sealed Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites attendance. Following on from the intact in the early 1st century AD. opened in June to great critical enormous success of ten major new Objects from the tomb were used to acclaim. This was the largest exhibition galleries opening in 2016, the National explore how burial in ancient Egypt about the Jacobites to be held in over Museum of Scotland welcomed over changed over time. The exhibition 70 years. Although Bonnie Prince 1.8 million visitors making it the top was extremely well received with over Charlie is the romantic historical most visited museum outside London. 100,000 visits, making it our most figurehead of the Jacobite movement, Over 85,000 visitors to the National popular exhibition to date. he was born and died in Rome, Museum of Flight continued to enjoy In the same month, Safer Steps: spending less than fourteen months in the new redeveloped hangars. The The Work of the HALO Trust opened Scotland during his lifetime. Spanning National War Museum reached over at the National War Museum, two centuries, the exhibition explored 687,000 visits and the National highlighting the work undertaken by the full story of the Jacobite Museum of Rural Life achieved over the Trust, which is the world’s largest movement, and its supporters in 100,000 visits for the very first time. humanitarian mine clearance Britain, Ireland and continental Europe. organisation. This new partnership for National Museums Scotland has “Truly comprehensive, 2 Diana, Princess of Wales in 3 Bonnie Prince Charlie and the it is essential viewing for Angola wearing the body Jacobites opened in June to armour included in the great critical acclaim. anyone who cares about exhibition, Safer Steps: The Scotland’s history.” Work of the HALO Trust at the National War Museum. ★★★★★ The Scotsman © The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Tattoo Military Edinburgh Royal © The 4 5 At the Heart of the Festival City “Great job – I wish we did more of this The National Museum of Scotland has elements of the Bonnie Prince Charlie established a year-round presence as a and the Jacobites exhibition woven in the States!” key venue for Edinburgh’s rich and into the narrative of the show. diverse festivals. The year began with The popular Free Fringe Music, in The Year of History, Sprogmanay, three days of family collaboration with Live Music Now Heritage and Archaeology activities and a giant ceilidh as part Scotland, showcased the best of the Hogmanay celebrations. January contemporary talents performing The Bonnie Prince Charlie and the saw Burns Unbound, a day of music, traditional Scottish and Gaelic songs Jacobites exhibition took centre stage poetry and performance supported by and instrumental sets, and our Friday in the activity for this VisitScotland EventScotland. In April we were a Fringe showcase of top Fringe acts, themed year, with a tourism trail across central part of the Edinburgh Museum After Hours, were all sold-out Scotland to target visitors from around International Science Festival, with once again. the world. The National Museum of a range of displays, workshops, Scotland was also a key partner in the demonstrations, debates and talks, Edinburgh-wide project, 101 Objects. working in partnership with the “The Museum is This provided a new way for visitors University of Edinburgh to highlight our and locals alike to enjoy the city new science and technology galleries. fantastic – it’s great through 101 well-known and some not We were delighted to welcome the to be able to just so well-known objects. Familiar items Edinburgh International Children’s from the collections included Mary, Festival in May, with a programme of wander and dip in Queen of Scots’ jewellery alongside the performances throughout the Museum. and out of such a more unusual choice of a Forth Railway In August, the second year of our variety of things.” Bridge paint mixer. partnership with Edinburgh Festival Fringe producer Gilded Balloon presented an eclectic programme of “The Museum is a comedy, theatre, music and children’s 4 The Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites shows in the best tradition of the wonderful space exhibition was featured prominently in the Fringe. A new partnership with the and the quality of performances of the Royal Edinburgh Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo was Military Tattoo to over 220,000 attendees. initiated, with over 220,000 attendees the activities and to the Tattoo able to witness some of performances 5 A hand-operated paint mixer the dramatic, poetic and musical was excellent.” used on the Forth Railway Bridge featured in 101 Objects. © Ruth Armstrong 6 Winners at the Royal Digital Awards Success Highland Show We continue to use digital platforms to 6 A page from the The working farm at the National open up our museums to a global award-winning new Museum of Rural Life is home to over audience.