National Museum of Rural Life

The National Museum of Rural Life combines indoor galleries with a working farm in East Kilbride, displaying agricultural equipment, tools, and traditional farming methods from Scotland. The site features several historic buildings where visitors can walk through different aspects of rural life and land management.

The museum was founded in 1949 as the Scottish Agricultural Museum and later expanded to Wester Kittochside Farm, where generations of the Reid family conducted their farming operations. Its collections trace how agricultural practices changed in Scotland over several centuries.

The exhibits show how people once worked the land together with animals and machines in Scotland. Visitors can observe the practical skills and daily routines that shaped rural communities for generations.

The museum is easily accessible by bus, with regular services from East Kilbride and Glasgow serving the entrance. Plan to spend several hours exploring both the indoor galleries and the outdoor farm areas.

The Georgian Laird's House preserves its 1950s interior design, showing how the family and farm workers shared the same building. A restored horse engine reveals how animals powered farm machinery before electric motors became standard.

Location: South Lanarkshire

Location: East Kilbride

Inception: 1949

Operator: National Museums Scotland

Part of: National Museums Scotland

Address: Philipshill Road, East Kilbride G76 9HR

Phone: +443001236789

Website: https://nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-rural-life/?item_id=

GPS coordinates: 55.77539,-4.22133

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:41