Welcome to Recommends

I'VE always had a passion for the National Museums of Scotland. My eldest daughter is nearly 12, but she started toddling round the stuffed animals of the Royal Museum as soon as she could stay on her feet.

I was always intrigued by the bit with the extinct creatures like the dodo, moa and quagga (the half-zebra, half-horse). I was amazed by the size of the elephant seal, the brown bear and the Komodo Dragon. And my daughter quite liked it too.

My son, Seth, now ten, won an art competition at the museum when he was five for drawing a picture of the leaping stuffed tiger – and I was disappointed when the stuffed animal galleries started closing off for the refurb. However, this pushed us and our growing brood to explore further afield – and the Discovery section, high in the new National Museum, became our new first port of call. The kids (and me) enjoyed playing with the old- fashioned toys and it was a hoot to tell the Mary, Queen of Scots story with the lead characters on wooden sticks.

That closed down too, but then came Connect, the hands-on science gallery that reflected both the changing face of museums in general and the love of science of NMS top man, Gordon Rintoul. Here were loads of great activities for kids of all ages – including me (I especially love seeing how many coloured buttons I can bash in just 30 seconds!)

We still go to the museum quite often and we all still love it. There are always new things to find in hidden corners and this special issue today – to mark the opening of the new gallery Scotland: A Changing Nation – has certainly opened my eyes. I must go to the other museums more. I hope this edition offers you some new ideas too.