Edinburgh landmark museum to re-open after £46m refit

The museum's entrance hall and grand gallery

The newly-refurbished Victorian part of the National Museum of Scotland is to re-open in July after a £46.4m refit.

The three-year programme has seen the original interior restored and storage areas turned into public space, making it one of the UK's largest museums.

With 20,000 objects across 36 galleries, museum bosses said there would be something for everyone.

Exhibits range from a T. rex skeleton to specimens collected by Charles Darwin and 3,000-year-old mummies.

Staff have been installing 8,000 objects into 16 new galleries in the original part of the landmark building.

NMS chairman Sir Angus Grossart said the redevelopment would make the museum a must-see destination.

"We have aspired to achieve the highest international standards, which our great collections and Scotland deserve," he said

"We are confident that this great transformation will underline that the museum will be a key destination, which will inspire, as well as inform, visitors and generations to come."

Gordon Rintoul, director of NMS, said there was a growing sense of expectation about the transformation and real anticipation from visitors about what was to come.

The project has been jointly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Scottish government and private donations.