ABSTRACT
National Museums Scotland holds material relating to Scottish explorers and exploration in curatorial departments across the institution. However, and in contrast, the Department of Science and Technology has relatively few major items with proven links to the history of exploration. The chapter outlines elements of the institutional history of National Museums Scotland, and explains where instruments of exploration used by Scottish explorers can be found. 'Instruments of exploration' is problematic for National Museums Scotland, as much of the historic instrumental material is without an easily identifiable provenance. The astronomical regulator is the most fully-researched instrument connected with exploration in the National Museums Scotland collections. Of all the instruments held in National Museums Scotland which illustrate the Challenger voyage, the ones with the strongest connection to the voyage's pioneering work in oceanography are the six Miller-Casella deep-sea thermometers with protective housing.
