Museum's a roaring success

The first hour saw 5905 people cram inside the museum, with more than 10,000 visitors by lunchtime.

The "highly ambitious" transformation of the listed Victorian building took around three years to complete.

The day kicked off with a street party on Chambers Street where thousands turned out to see live entertainment including a very life-like Tyrannosaurus rex parade through the crowds.

More than 8000 artefacts from the museum's vast collection were on show in the new galleries, with 80 per cent of them not having been displayed for decades.

Visitors can tour 36 galleries, 16 of which are new, exploring nature, science and global cultures.

Dr Gordon Rintoul, director of National Museums Scotland, said: "This is a proud moment in the history of a great museum, the climax of a once-in-a-lifetime transformation through which we have rediscovered our exceptional collections.

"The result is a new National Museum of Scotland: a place where the cultures of Scotland and the world meet and the arts and sciences connect. We look forward to sharing the results with our visitors now and those of many generations to come."

The original building, designed by Francis Fowke, opened in 1866 and was inspired by London's Crystal Palace. Bosses say the makeover has restored it to its original glory and created "one of the world's great museums".

The new space also has a gallery for international exhibitions, interactive displays, a learning centre and a new street-level, entrance hall.

Scotland's tradition of producing some of the world's leading inventors, entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists is reflected in the various exhibitions. Key objects include Sir Alexander Fleming's Nobel Prize medal and a marble statue of James Watt.

The tallest display object is a 37ft (11m) totem pole carved in 1855, while the oldest object is a meteorite dating to the creation of the solar system around 4.5 billion years ago.

Speaking at the museum, Dr Rintoul said: "I think it's fair to say that what was then the Royal Museum, this wonderful Victorian building, was looking a little bit sad and a little bit tired. There was a clear need to do something to modernise, to revitalise the museum and that was what we set out to do.

"We've achieved a wonderfully restored building with lots of the original features and the intentions of the original architect put back in place."