For more than 200 years the Royal Museum has collected contemporary crafts and their collection covers a wide range of crafts, themes and styles.  It features work by leading British and international artists, including makers who have had a significant influence on other artists.  

Their aim is to focus on work which reflects innovation, technical and aesthetic excellence and creativity. They are also interested in collecting work which highlights cultural trends and fashions, or which demonstrates the creative use of new materials. Their main methods of acquisition are by donation (including bequests), purchase and collection during fieldwork.

Scottish craft is well represented in the collection.  On the ground floor in Art & Industry there is work by Sarah-Jane Selwood and Jacki Parry.  In Western Decorative Art (on the first floor) there are pieces by Malcolm Appleby, Dave Cohen, Mick Brettle, Tony Franks, Adrian Hope , John Creed and Graham Crimmins, and many Scottish jewellers are represented in the Jewellery Gallery, also on the first floor of the Royal Museum .

Of course, one of the highlights of their crafts collection is the Millennium Clock in the main hall which was given to them in 1991 by the Scottish Development Agency.

Although they are unable to display everything in their collection, their reserve collection can be viewed by appointment.

The Royal Museum, Chambers Street, Edinburgh (tel: 0131 247 4219) is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, Thursday from 10am to 8pm and Sunday 12 to 5pm.  Admission is free.  For further information visit www.nms.ac.uk