Giants 
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh  
31 January – 14 September 2026 
 

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 7pm GMT, Wednesday 21st January 

A 410 million year-old fossil from Aberdeenshire in Scotland which scientists have identified as being a ‘new’ form of life, distinct from plants or fungi, has been added to the collections of National Museums Scotland. 

A personal archive of rare material from Concorde’s first commercial flight has been donated to the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian. The acquisition of dozens of items including tickets, menus and photographs, comes on the 50th anniversary of this inaugural journey. 

The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has donated more than 550 specimens and samples to National Museums Scotland’s internationally significant natural sciences collection.  

A year on from its acquisition by National Museums Scotland, initial conservation work has revealed exceptionally rare silver-coloured objects in one of the most significant hoards ever discovered in Scotland.