Edinburgh's new-look National Museum of Scotland has officially reopened to the public today (29 July), following the completion of a major £47.4m refurbishment programme.

National Museums Scotland (NMS) has launched 16 new galleries at the attraction, which explore sciences, humanities and world cultures and comprise more than 8,000 objects. The majority (80 per cent) of the artefacts on display for the first time in generations across 13,000sq m (139,931sq ft) of gallery space. A new entrance hall has also been created.

Gareth Hoskins Architects were the lead architects and masterplanners on the project, with Ralph Appelbaum Associates and Beck Interiors also involved with delivering the work. Balfour Beatty was the lead contractor on the scheme, which is at the centre of NMS' £70m masterplan for the Edinburgh museum. A further 11 more galleries will be added by 2020.

NMS director Gordon Rintoul said: "[The opening is] the climax of a once-in-a-lifetime transformation, through which we have rediscovered our exceptional collections, and breathed new life into a beautiful building. "The result is a new National Museum of Scotland - a place where the cultures of Scotland and the world meet, and the arts and sciences connect."