Shops in museums & galleries
Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh)
Enjoy the shop’s spectacular range of unusual items, many of them commissioned and exclusive to the museum (www.nms.ac.uk). Choose, for example, a black Devore scarf adorned with the museum’s own emblem or a chess set based on the famous Lewis Chessmen.
National Gallery (London)
Do you have a favourite artist? Look in the National Gallery (www.nationalgallery.org.uk) shop for a range of gifts inspired by artists from Bosch to Van Gogh. Or set yourself a challenge with a 1,000-piece jigsaw of a famous painting.
National History Museum of Wales (Cardiff)
National History Museum of Wales (www.nmgw.ac.uk ) features a 100-acre parkland with over 40 original buildings that were moved from various parts of
Wales and re-erected to show how the people of Wales lived at various times in history. Then look in the shop for a memento to take home.
National Railway Museum (York)
Whether you’re a railway enthusiast or not, you’ll enjoy strolling past huge engines which once hissed their steamy way around the country, or looking into carriages once used by royalty. When you’ve had your fill of the real thing, find replicas and much other railway paraphernalia in the National Railway Museum (www.nrm.org.uk) gift shop.
Natural History Museum (London)
Inside London’s famous Natural History Museum (www.nhm.ac.uk/), you’ll find a treasure trove of gifts and artefacts inspired by the power and variety of the natural world. Discover great educational toys, puzzles, models, soft toys, posters and jewellery, and browse the wide selection of books on plants, animals and earth sciences.
Tate St. Ives (Cornwall)
You’ll love the setting of this gallery with glorious views over the Atlantic Ocean, perfect for setting off the works of contemporary British art displayed here. In the shop you’ll find an impressive range of books, postcards and posters, with an emphasis on local art and artists.
www.tate.org.uk (www.tate.org.uk)
Victoria & Albert Museum (London)
An emporium of over 2,000 products of every colour, size and price, the shop responds to different sources of inspiration from across the collections of the V&A (www.vam.ac.uk). You’re spoilt for choice as you browse among the jewellery, furniture, books, craft, toys, ceramics, fashion, design, glass, accessories and textiles, selected and commissioned from all over the world.