Scottish National Gallery
About
The national art collection, free and open daily 10:00-17:00 in William Playfair's neoclassical building on The Mound, between the Old Town and Princes Street Gardens. The collection runs from Titian, Rembrandt, Vermeer and Velazquez through the Impressionists, and the newer Scottish galleries downstairs cover Scottish art from 1800 to 1945, including the Glasgow Boys and the Colourists, with a garden-level entrance straight off Princes Street Gardens. With the National Museum, it makes Edinburgh one of the few UK cities where a full rainy day costs nothing.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓Old Masters including Titian, Rembrandt and Vermeer
- ✓The Scottish galleries: 1800-1945, entered from Princes Street Gardens
- ✓Playfair's neoclassical building on The Mound
Tips
- →Free admission; some special exhibitions are ticketed
- →The gardens-level entrance is step-free
- →Pairs with the National Museum for a zero-cost rainy day
Best Season
More Attraction Activities
Edinburgh Castle
Scotland's great fortress on its volcanic rock: the crown jewels, the Stone of Destiny, the One O'Clock Gun, and the city's defining view.
National Museum of Scotland
Scotland's free national museum: the great Victorian Grand Gallery, Dolly the sheep, and a rooftop terrace with a Castle view.
Palace of Holyroodhouse
The King's official Scottish residence at the foot of the Royal Mile: Mary, Queen of Scots' chambers and the ruined Holyrood Abbey.