Scottish National Portrait Gallery

About Scottish National Portrait Gallery

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is one of Edinburgh’s most remarkable buildings – a great red sandstone neo-gothic palace which sits proudly on the city’s skyline. Following a dramatic three-year refurbishment, completed in December 2011, the Gallery now offers 17 new displays. Each of these explores different aspects of the story of Scotland and her people, told through a wealth of imagery including portraits of famous historical figures such as Mary, Queen of Scots, Prince Charles Edward Stuart and Robert Burns, through to more recent pioneers in science, sport and the arts.

See these fantastic new exhibitions in beautifully refurbished spaces, from the suite of grand top-lit galleries to smaller intimate rooms, and discover the new Photography Gallery, the interactive Touchscreen Gallery and the atmospheric Victorian Library. The displays change on a regular basis, so there is always something new to see.

The Building
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery was designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson as a shrine for Scotland’s heroes and heroines. It opened to the public in 1889 as the world’s first purpose-built portrait gallery. An elaborate Arts and Crafts decorative scheme, both inside and out, with its glittering friezes, evocative murals and extensive sculptural embellishment, makes it a very special visitor experience.

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