The best general museums Edinburgh

This colourful house in the Royal Mile is unmistakable with its red and ochre facade. A visit to Scotland's capital city only takes on more meaning once you open the doors. Edinburgh's past is revealed here from prehistoric times to the present day, through models, descriptions, mannequins and objects of yesteryear. We discover the capital in all its facets: a city of art, culture and ideas, power, trade, contrasts, pomp, history and stories. We can understand the dark hours of the city, between politics, religion, war and alcohol issues; but also its pride: its prosperity, its architecture and its great figures. Lovers of history and rare objects will also appreciate the medieval relics, the numerous porcelains, the beautifully chiselled silverware - including specifically Scottish pieces such as a quaich or thistle-cups -, the pottery with their reconstructed workshop, or the original manifesto of the Covenantaires. Each district is detailed, from Old Town, where Canongate formed a separate village, to New Town, where the original plans of architect James Craig can be seen. An important section is devoted to the port of Leith, a veritable highway of the colonies and the Orient. Petit Futé 's "coup de coeur" goes to the curiosity cabinet, a reminder that fan devotions are not just for pop stars. Amongst other things, we discover a piece of oatcake cooked by Robert Burns' wife, a golf ball that once belonged to Robert Louis Stevenson...

Opened in its current form in 2006 by merging older collections, the National Museum of Scotland houses 16 galleries, 8,000 objects and a complex whose architecture is both Victorian and ultra-modern. Here, as in any general museum, you will find the traditional sections devoted to anthropology, world cultures through time and natural history: Egyptian priest's sarcophagus and mummy, Assyrian mural fresco, dinosaur skeleton and stuffed animals, a few sculptures, paintings and many others... Science and technology also have a voice with the oldest colour television on the planet and the body of Dolly the Sheep.

The most fascinating part of the tour is undoubtedly the one that presents in an exciting way the whole history of Scotland, from its origins to the present day. The visitor's aesthetic pleasure and imaginary escapades into the past are encouraged by the scenography of the plays and their didactic approach. With many treasures of national heritage, one travels alongside the country's first inhabitants, the Picts, the Vikings, the Scots, many anonymous people, but also Scottish heroes, such as Mary Stuart, whose superb harp and a replica of the tomb can be discovered; Robert Burns, a renowned poet, whose handwritten letters can be read; and Bonnie Prince Charlie, the accursed prince of the Stuart cause, whose travel silver can be admired.