Edinburgh - National Museum of Scotland

Edinburgh has been the capital of Scotland since the 15th century. With a population of around 525,000, it is the second largest city in Scotland after Glasgow.

The city is a cultural centre, and is the home of institutions including the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The National Museum of Scotland was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the adjacent Royal Scottish Museum.

Both parts of the museum are located right next to each other on Chambers Street. The Royal Museum is a museum of natural sciences, technology and art. It is housed in a building dating from 1888. The Museum of Scotland deals with Scottish history and culture. It is located in a new building completed in 1998 right next to the 1888 building.

Hunterston Brooch

The Hunterston Brooch is a Celtic brooch that was found in the 1820s near Hunterston in North Ayrshire.

The Hunterston brooch was made of silver in the first decades of the 8th century, set with pieces of amber (most of which are missing) and decorated with intertwined animal bodies made of gold filigree. The diameter of the ring is 12.2 cm. In the centre is a cross and a golden aureole depicting the risen Christ, surrounded by small bird heads.

The brooch may have been made at a royal site, such as Dunadd in Argyll. The Museum of Scotland say "The style of the brooch has Irish parallels, while the filigree resembles metalwork from England. The brooch was probably made in western Scotland where the two traditions were joined, or perhaps in Ireland by a craftsman trained in foreign techniques."