Maths at National Museums Scotland

Have fun with maths across the National Museums Scotland sites with trails, videos and activities for home or the classroom.

Activities Preview NMS Maths Trail

National Museums Scotland has collections spanning art, science and history. Discover maths in the collections, the buildings and even the work of the staff!

Maths Trail at National Museums of Scotland

Explore the National Museum of Scotland through maths themed activities and challenges. Download and print the trail to do on the day, whilst our teachers notes have some helpful hints and classroom activities to complement.

Castle Quest at Edinburgh Castle

Head up to Edinburgh Castle and explore the history through a maths lens. Why do we measure horses in hands? Why are battlements round? Download and print the trail to do on the day, whilst our teachers notes have some helpful hints and classroom activities to complement.

#ShowYourWorking at National Museums Scotland

Staff across National Museums Scotland are sharing how important maths is in their work as part of Maths Week Scotlands #ShowYourWorking campaign. Why not have a go at some of the activities!

Let us know how you get on @NMSEngage and @MathsWeekScot on Twitter.

Dan shares with us how he uses calculations to figure out the cost of objects
It's not just curators using maths! Our learning staff also rely on maths to keep our sessions running, here Helyn shares how.

Latest News and Events

News

Maths Week 2024 - Tales Highlights

We have enjoyed seeing what everyone got up to for Maths Week Scotland this year, in particular the different ways everyone was inspired by this year's theme of 'Maths Tales'. We've picked out a few highlights to share.

News

Scottish Museums Day 2024

For Scottish Museums Day (3 October) we’ve rounded up some of our favourite activities from museums from across the country, from this year's Maths Week Scotland.

7th Nov
Event

Escape Room Live Lesson: Find the Secret Lair!

Online (MS Teams) | | Free

Join us for this interactive online live lesson event aimed at upper primary and lower secondary students, hosted by Data Education in Schools at the University of Edinburgh.