01 Identity
Scottish charity record
- OSCR charity number
- SC011130
- Status
- Active
- Regulatory type
- Standard
- Designated religious body
- No
- Geographical spread
- UK and overseas
- Volunteers
- 101-250 volunteers
- Staff
- 493
- Postcode
- EH1 1JF
02 Purpose and work
What the charity exists to do
National Museums Scotland is one of the leading museum groups in Europe. National Museums Scotland is a unique combination of world-class collections, programmes, places and people. Our multi-disciplinary collection is an important resource, historically, culturally and scientifically, which we seek to share as widely as possible through our mission to preserve, interpret and make accessible for all, the past and present of Scotland, other nations and cultures, and the natural world. We care for internationally significant collections of natural sciences, decorative arts, design and fashion, world cultures, science and technology, and Scottish history and archaeology. These collections span thousands of years and we use them to engage the public in exploring and celebrating the world through our displays and exhibitions, our online presence, national and international engagement programmes, schools’ programmes and resources.
Charitable purposes
- the advancement of education
- the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science
Beneficiaries
- No specific group, or for the benefit of the community
Activities
- It carries out activities or services itself
Constitutional objectives
Section2 (1) of the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985 states: So far as practicable and subject to the provisions of this Act, the Board shall (a) care for, preserve and add to the objects in their collections, (b) secure that the objects are exhibited to and interpreted for the public, (c) secure that the objects are available to persons seeking to inspect them in connection with study or research, (d) generally promote the public's awareness, appreciation and understanding of matters agricultural, archaeological, architectural, artistic, cultural, environmental, historical, industrial, military, scientific and social both by means of the Board's collections and by such other means. including collaboration with other institutions, as they consider appropriate, and (e) provide education, instruction and advice and carry out research.
03 Annual returns
Income and expenditure history
| Year end | Income | Expenditure | Staff | Return received |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | £39,537,000 | £42,895,000 | 493 | 14 November 2025 |
| 31 March 2024 | £39,554,000 | £41,975,000 | 493 | 15 November 2024 |
| 31 March 2023 | £37,026,000 | £38,220,000 | 493 | 8 December 2023 |
| 31 March 2022 | £35,592,000 | £33,812,000 | 493 | 15 December 2022 |
| 31 March 2021 | £27,446,000 | £31,277,000 | 493 | 26 October 2021 |
Figures are those reported by the charity and supplied in the OSCR bulk download. Blank facts remain distinct from zero.
04 Contact record
Principal office or trustees address
- Address supplied to OSCR
- National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh
- Website supplied to OSCR
- www.nms.ac.uk
- Parent charity
- Not supplied
No direct external links on this profile. The official OSCR record and source documentation are available through BritDB’s dedicated source page.
05 Provenance
Source for this profile
© Crown Copyright and database right 2026. Contains information from the Scottish Charity Register supplied by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. BritDB is an independent service and does not claim to be the Scottish Charity Register.