Scottish National Gallery
Address: The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL
The Scottish National Gallery is Scotland’s national art gallery, located on the corner of The Mound and Princes Street, in Edinburgh city centre. The famous architect William Henry Playfair designed the stunning neoclassic building, which first opened to the public in 1859. The gallery houses the Scottish National Collection of fine art, which includes both Scottish and international art. Some of the greatest art works in the world are on display here, including masterpieces by international artists Raphael, El Greco, Velázquez, Rubens, Van Gogh, Monet, Cézanne, Degas and Gauguin. Plus, Scottish artists such as Ramsay, Raeburn, Wilkie and McTaggart.
Today, the gallery is made up of three interconnecting buildings. The main gallery on The Mound, the academy building in the middle of Princes Street and the gardens entrance, which connects the two together. Within them, you’ll find the permanent collections, a programme of temporary exhibitions, research facilities, a shop, café and restaurant.
5 things to do at the Scottish National Gallery
- Visit the main building, where you’ll find a comprehensive collection of fine art dating from the early Renaissance until the end of the nineteenth century.
- View the extensive selection charting the history of Scottish painting. This permanent collection contains over 96,000 works.
- Visit the academy building, which stands in front of the main gallery and faces onto Princes Street. This building has been home to the Royal Scottish Academy since 1911. The National Galleries of Scotland restored and reopened it as a world-class exhibition venue in 2003. A special programme of temporary exhibitions is on here all year round.
- You can access the gallery and academy buildings through the Princes Street Gardens entrance. This modern space has a restaurant, café, cloakroom, shop, IT gallery, lecture theatre and information desk.
- Enjoy some refreshments in the award-winning Scottish Café & Restaurant, with incredible views across Princes Street Gardens towards Waverley Bridge. Food on offer is seasonal, traditional and tasty!
