Museum makes history

THE new-look National Museum of Scotland has announced record-breaking entry figures since its reopening - with 100,000 visitors through its doors in less than a week.

Just six days after its re-launch the museum smashed the 100,000 barrier, a high watermark that venue staff though would take at least a fortnight to hit.

And there is no sign of interest letting up, with thousands flocking to see attractions including a Tyrannosaurus rex and a great white shark.

The National Museum of Scotland reopened last Friday in spectacular fashion following an extensive three-year redevelopment.

Chamber Street was closed-off for the morning and mobbed with eager visitors for a celebratory street party.

Within an hour of opening around 6000 visitors had passed through the new entrance and, in all, 22,000 visitors packed the museum on the opening day - more than double the number expected.

The 100,000th visitor arrived yesterday when the Vass family from Gorebridge passed through the doors in the late afternoon.

Dad Ian, mum Kim and children Riannon and Layla - ten and six - were presented with a goodie bag by Rachel Sim from the museum's visitor services which included badges, postcards, a voucher for the shop and a year's family membership.

A delighted Mrs Vass said: "We came here quite a lot before it shut, and this is our first visit since it reopened. It looks fantastic - I can't believe you don't have to pay to get in."

Her husband added: "It's amazing that there's been 100,000 people here already. Lucky for us that we came in when we did.

"There's so much to see, we'll need to come back a few times to take it all in."

Speaking about the bumper visitor numbers achieved, Gordon Rintoul, director of National Museums Scotland, said: "The number of visitors we have had so far is absolutely fantastic.

"We were always confident that there would be a high level of interest in our transformed museum, but to get over 100,000 people in less than a week really has surpassed all of our expectations."

A museum spokesman said: "Prior to opening, museum staff predicted they might achieve the 100,000 mark within two weeks of opening, but that target has been smashed in less than half the time expected."

"The Natural World galleries, including animals such as the life-sized T Rex, a great white shark and a giraffe, and the Discoveries gallery - featuring the Millennium Clock in addition to the world's oldest surviving colour television and Alexander Fleming's Nobel Prize medal - are proving extremely popular, while the Adventure Planet and Imagine galleries are proving a hit with younger visitors."