National Museum of Rural Life

Museum Overview

The National Museum of Rural Life is located in East Kilbride near Glasgow, Scotland. The museum was previously known as the Museum of Scottish Country Life and it is based at Wester Kittochside farm and run by the National Museums of Scotland.

There is a play park at the museum with a basket swing, a new musical arbour and magnifying posts. They also have tractor-trailer rides that will take you around the farm. Tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis with limited availability each day so make sure you enquire when you arrive.

Around the farm, there are some lovely willow sculptures to spot and you can download a trail to help you find them from their website. You can also see many of their farm animals including cows, pigs, sheep, horses and hens. The farm is a ten-minute walk on paths from the museum. They do not permit the feeding or petting of their animals, including their farm cats.

Also on-site there is a Georgian farmhouse which you can visit. Here you can see where the Reid family lived for ten generations. The rooms look as they would have done in the 1950s and you can explore the bothy, outbuildings and kitchen garden. In the museum, you can learn more about the land, people and the ways of working that have shaped Scotland’s rural history. It is Scotland’s largest collection of tractors, combine harvesters and other farming machinery.

Further Information National Museum of Rural Life

Is there food and drink available?

There is a cafe serving food and drinks.

What are the main things to do?

museum with farming machinery, a farm with animals, a play area, a willow trail and a farmhouse. There are toilets and a cafe.

What are the ticket prices?

Once you have purchased your tickets you can return as much as you like for free for the next 12 months. Adults £9.00, children 5-15 £6.00 and under 5 are free. Family tickets are available.
Prices are subject to change and/or discounts online.