National Museum of Rural Life

Take in the sights, smells and sounds of a 1950s working farm, complete with dairy cows and sheep, at the National Museum of Rural Life in East Kilbride.

About National Museum of Rural Life

	Wester Kittochside Philipshill Road, East Kilbride G76 9HR
///	lion.pokers.bump
	03001236789
	National Museum of Rural Life Website
	Follow NtlMuseumsScot on Twitter
	Facebook information can be found here
	Follow nationalmuseumsscotland on Instagram

Listed Under Attractions - Museums / Attractions - Days Out / Attractions - Visitor Centres

There's so much to see and do at the National Museum of Rural Life. Spend a day in the countryside, uncover Scotland's unique rural history and meet the animals on the farm!

The nine million pound project comprises a museum and visitor centre, the Georgian farm buildings of Wester Kittochside, the species-rich fields around it and a large events area.

In The Museum
Learn about the land, people and ways of working that have shaped Scotland’s rural history, and discover Scotland’s largest collection of tractors, combine harvesters and other farming machinery.

Explore The Countryside
Just a short walk or ride from the museum is our working farm. The walk takes about ten minutes, with paths overlooking fields and hedgerows. Our Farm Explorer tractor-trailer runs regularly from the museum.

Meet The Animals
Our working farm is home to Ayrshire, Aberdeen Angus and Highland cattle, Tamworth pigs, sheep, hens and Clydesdale horses. With each season there is something new to see, from new born lambs to fresh harvesting.

Visit The Farmhouse
Visit the Georgian farmhouse where Lanarkshire’s Reid family lived for ten generations. See rooms as they would have been in the 1950s and explore the bothy, outbuildings and kitchen garden.

We take every opportunity to ensure the details for National Museum of Rural Life are accurate, if any of the above information is incorrect we would appreciate if you could take a minute to suggest an edit.

All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.

Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Lanarkshire? Just hit 'Like' on our What's On Lanarkshire Facebook page, join the What's On Scotland Facebook Group and 'Follow' on our @WhatsOnLShire Twitter or Instagram accounts and you're all set!

Upcoming Events at National Museum of Rural Life

Nature

Nature Track Packs

28th June 2025 - 31st August 2025

National Museum of Rural Life, East Kilbride

Explore the countryside at the National Museum of Rural Life this summer with our Nature Track Packs.

Days Out

Archaeology Day

19th July 2025

National Museum of Rural Life, East Kilbride

Take part in a family-friendly Archaeology Day at the National Museum of Rural Life on Saturday 19th July!

Culzean Castle and Country Park

Culzean Castle and Country Park , Maybole KA19 8LE

With a dramatic clifftop setting, Robert Adam architecture, fascinating history & beautiful surrounds, Culzean Castle and Country Park is one of Scotland's best days out!

Geilston Garden

Geilston Garden Main Road Cardross, Dumbarton G82 5HD

Geilston Garden is a magical 200-year-old walled garden by the River Clyde with adventure playground and floral mini-maze!

Greenbank House and Garden

Greenbank Garden Flenders Road, Clarkston G768RB

Less than a mile from the suburban bustle of Clarkston on the south side of Glasgow, Greenbank Garden is a tranquil celebration of the gardener’s art.

Holmwood House

61-63 Netherlee Road, Glasgow South Side G44 3YU

Lying just a few miles from the centre of Glasgow, Holmwood House has been described as Alexander 'Greek' Thomson's finest domestic design!

National Museum of Flight Scotland

National Museum of Flight Scotland East Fortune Airfield, EH39 5LF

Head off on a journey of discovery at this former airfield as you explore the history of aviation from the First World War to the present day

National Museum of Scotland

National Museum of Scotland Chambers Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1JF

Connecting Scotland to the world and the world to Scotland.

National War Museum

Edinburgh Castle Castlehill, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 2NG

Discover the story of Scotland at war within the walls of Edinburgh Castle with a visit to the National War Musuem.

Pollok House

2060 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow South Side G43 1AT

A grand country house near Glasgow city centre, Pollok House is Scotland’s answer to Downton Abbey and gives a real taste of upstairs/downstairs life in the 1930s!

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

Murdochs Loan Alloway, Ayr KA7 4PQ

Set in 10 acres of Burns' beloved Alloway countryside, the museum provides a unique encounter with Scotland's favourite son!

Tenement House

145 Buccleuch Street, Glasgow West End G3 6QN

The National Trust for Scotland's Tenement House provides a rare glimpse into life in Glasgow in the early 20th century, in this faithfully restored four-room house!

The Hill House

The Hill House Upper Colquhoun Street, Helensburgh G84 9AJ

High on a hill in Helensburgh, overlooking the River Clyde, sits what is universally regarded as Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s finest domestic creation!

Weavers Cottage

Weaver's Cottage The Cross, Kilbarchan PA10 2JG

Step into Weaver's Cottage and be transported back to the days when Kilbarchan was at the heart of the thriving Scottish textile industry!

Museums

Chatelherault Country Park

Chatelherault Country Park Fernegair, Hamilton ML3 7UE

Chatelherault Country Park, a five star visitor attraction under the Visit Scotland grading scheme, has been described as a jewel in the local landscape.

Museums

New Lanark World Heritage Site

New Lanark World Heritage Site New Lanark Mills, Lanark M11 9DB

New Lanark World Heritage Site is a beautifully restored 18th century cotton mill village in Southern Scotland, close to the Falls of Clyde and only around an hour's drive from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Museums

Leadhills Miners Library

15 Main Street, Leadhills ML12 6XP

Founded 23rd November 1741, Leadhills Miners Library is the oldest subscription library in the British Isles, perched high in the Southern Uplands of Scotland!

Museums

David Livingstone Birthplace

165 Station Road, Blantyre G72 9BY

The David Livingstone Birthplace celebrates the birthplace and legacy of Dr David Livingstone in Blantyre and across Africa!

Museums

The Museum of Lead Mining

The Museum of Lead Mining , Wanlockhead ML12 6UT

The Museum of Lead Mining, is a Visit Scotland 4 Star Visitor Attraction set in the picturesque village of Wanlockhead, the highest village in Scotland.

Museums

Low Parks Museum

Low Parks Museum 129 Muir Street, Hamilton ML3 6BJ

The family-friendly Low Parks Museum traces South Lanarkshire's history: early settlements: Hamilton Palace and the Royal Burghs; design, industry and technology, agriculture and working the land.

Museums

Airdrie Observatory

Within Airdrie Library Wellwynd, Airdrie ML6 0AG

One of only four observatories operating in the UK, Airdrie Observatory is of historical and scientific interest for both adults and children alike!

Museums

Shotts Heritage Centre

Located within Shotts Library Benhar Road, Shotts ML7 5EN

Shotts Heritage Centre is within the town library. Displays focus on the area’s strong 17th century covenanting heritage and the rise and fall of local...

Museums

Biggar & Upper Clydesdale Museum

156 Biggar High Street, Biggar ML12 6DH

Biggar Museum Trust aims to collect, store, preserve and record Biggar and Upper Clydesdale’s rich archaeological, social and historic heritage.

Museums

Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life

Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life Heritage Way, Coatbridge ML5 1QD

Summerlee, the museum of Scottish industrial life - in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire - is a VisitScotland '4 Star' visitor attraction and 'Best Working Attraction' award-winner!

Museums

Biggar Albion Museum

Biggar Albion Museum North Back Road, Biggar

The Albion Museum sits back from North Back Road, Biggar and houses vehicles of Albion Motors, a commercial vehicle manufacturing firm started in 1899...

Museums