Edinburgh900: Objects from nine centuries of city life

In 2024 and 2025, Edinburgh is celebrating 900 years of being a city. In 1124 King David I created the Royal Burgh of Edinburgh, one of the oldest in Scotland. This digital exhibition forms part of our celebrations of this historic moment. In it you will find founding documents, beautiful art, curious objects and tales of Edinburgh icons. Some of these can be seen in our venues around the city, while others have never been shared before.

The exhibition has been brought together by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Museums & Galleries, Libraries and Archives. Extra ideas and information have been provided by our community partners – see the ‘Community Captions’ section of each exhibition item to find out more.

We hope you enjoy exploring Edinburgh through its objects online and look forward to welcoming you at one of our venues soon.

Find out more about Edinburgh 900 and how we're celebrating 900 years of being a city.