The National Museum of Scotland can now be viewed by anyone in the world without leaving the house after being made available on Google Maps.

It is the first museum or gallery in the country to be made available for exploration on the search engine. The museum’s galleries have been captured digitally in partnership with Google Arts and Culture.

Users can move through the permanent galleries at the click of a button, viewing around 20,000 objects on display. It joins the Taj Mahal, the Uffizi in Florence and the Palace of Versailles in offering people the chance to explore its interior virtually.

More than 1,000 objects from National Museums Scotland’s collections have also been added to the Google Arts and Culture online collection. The organisation works with institutions around the world to make cultural and historical material accessible.

The technology will help people plan their visit, act as a resource for teachers and allow virtual visits to the museum.

Rob Cawston, head of digital media at National Museums Scotland, said: “Digital technology is offering us unparalleled opportunities to do just that, and our partnership with Google Arts and Culture gives people from around the world a novel new way to explore the museum.”