The museum on Chambers Street opened ten new galleries earlier in the year, and it is clear that this has added to the attraction for many people.

There have been almost 500,000 visitors to the National Museum of Scotland since the refurbished galleries opened on 8 July, which is a third more than last year.

The redevelopment cost just over £14 million and is part of an overall £80 million transformation programme to transform the museum.

As well as changing the look inside the building, the outside was altered too. After a couple of months when the street was closed to traffic, statues were moved closer to the museum entrance, and a new public piazza formed outside with a new statue of William Henry Playfair.

Gordon Rintoul, Director of National Museums Scotland said : “We have had a terrific summer at the National Museum of Scotland, since opening our ten new galleries. They allow visitors to explore our internationally significant collections like never before, and the response to them has been overwhelmingly positive. I am delighted that just two months after unveiling the galleries we have welcomed nearly half a million visitors.”

Ten new galleries open on 8 July 2016 at a cost of £14.1 million
Ten new galleries opened on 8 July 2016 at a cost of £14.1 million

 

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.