Cold War Scotland
Exploring Scotland’s critical position on the frontline of the Cold War, a new exhibition will tell the stories of the Scots at the centre of this global conflict.
About Cold War Scotland
Scotland’s unique geography and topography provided a useful base for Allied military preparations and research during the Cold War: a 40-year nuclear stand-off between the USA and the Soviet Union following the end of the Second World War.
Atomic power brought jobs and investment to some of the country’s most remote areas, as global tensions mounted the threat of attack or nuclear disaster became part of everyday life. Cold War Scotland will explore both the visible and invisible legacies of the war in Scotland.
Protest and activism:
The impact of the war still lingers in Scottish politics, culture and memory. Scots played an active role in the global conflict as soldiers, for example, within intelligence services and as part of voluntary civil defences. The exhibition will draw on Scotland’s rich history of Cold War-era protest and activism.
Firsthand accounts from this time include a young mother who decorated her daughter’s pram with Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) badges. A rattle made from an old laundry detergent bottle, stickered with the CND logo, was given to her baby during the Peace Marches of the early 1980s. The rattle will go on display in the exhibition.
Cold War legacy in Scotland:
The exhibition will also reveal the physical remains of the Cold War; the ruined bases, forgotten bunkers and decommissioned nuclear power stations still evident across the Scottish landscape.
Materialising the Cold War:
Cold War Scotland is an output of Materialising the Cold War, a collaborative research project between National Museums Scotland and the University of Stirling. The project explores how the Cold War heritage is represented and how museums can adapt to tell this story in future. Materialising the Cold War is funded by a major grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.GOT AN EVENT TO SHARE? It's free to post your events on What's On Edinburgh, click here to find out more!
Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Edinburgh? Follow us on Facebook and join the What's On Scotland Group!Sponsored Links
Other Events at National Museum of Scotland
Find Out Fridays
Explore a different theme each week on Friday afternoons, during school term-time, with our Learning team at the National Museum of Scotland.
READ MORE
Museum Late: Big Burns Ceilidh
Enjoy a night like no other in the beautiful setting of the National Museum of Scotland at night as the fantastic Jacobites Ceilidh Band bring the Grand Gallery to life!
READ MORE
Manipulate Festival: Europe, Meine Liebe, Mon Amour (Pop-up Performances)
Experience Bruno Gallagher's vibrant Europe, Meine Liebe, Mon Amour, a playful, surreal visual theatre journey blending dance, masks, and living art into a joyful celebration of imagination!
READ MORE
Curiosity Club
Leave your grown-ups at the door and jump into a Curiosity Club for these exciting, hands-on sessions for curious kids at the National Museum of Scotland!
READ MORE
Scottish Ensemble: Concerts for a Summer’s Night
Join the Scottish Ensemble for their annual event, Concerts for a Summer's Night, at National Museum of Scotland on Friday 19th June!
READ MORE
Scotland’s First Warriors
Discover the thrilling origins of ancient combat through rare treasures, including the stunning Carnoustie Hoard, in this must-see journey through Scotland's prehistoric warrior past!
READ MORESponsored Links
Similar events you might like...
King’s Gallery: Guided Looking
Join Fiona Johnston, audio describer, at The King's Gallery in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, as she describes various images in the exhibition Drawing the Italian Renaissance.
READ MORE
Coburg Kiln II
Featuring both emerging and established makers, the Coburg Kiln II exhibition foregrounds practices that test endurance, precision, and intuition at the limits of form and process.
READ MORE
Guided Looking: An Artwork Audio Described
Join Fiona Johnston, audio describer, as she describes various artwork and objects from the Royal Collection at the Palace of Holyroodhouse!
READ MORE
The Edinburgh Wedding Exhibition
Are you planning your wedding in Scotland and looking for the best Edinburgh wedding suppliers? Then come along to The Edinburgh Wedding Exhibition, one of the largest wedding shows in Scotland!
READ MORE
Drawing the Italian Renaissance: BSL Tour
Join our British Sign Language tour of the Drawing the Italian Renaissance exhibition at The King's Gallery, Edinburgh.
READ MORE
CATALYST: Art as Activism - All Day, Waiting For Another Sun to Rise
Within this show at Summerhall, Molly Wickett reimagines a post-apocalyptic landscape through a queer and disabled lens.
READ MORE
CATALYST: Art as Activism - Any Body Home
Any Body Home features works developed during the Hugo Burge Foundation x Summerhall residency Art as Activism (2024), along with other pieces exploring related themes.
READ MORE
Time & Motion Studies - Exhibition by Nick Devison
Nick Devison uses printmaking as a medium for exploring ideas, solving problems and creating new visual connections. Don't miss his exhibition, Time & Motion Studies, at Upright Gallery.
READ MOREFind other events in Edinburgh
Sponsored Links