Harry B.

The place was free!! Go look around it was Interesting. Some of the pieces were nice. The restaurant downstairs was nice. Good food and relaxed. With view of the park. Take 30-60 min to walk through and take a break from most of the tourists. It was clean and chill with some interesting pieces. I like museums and this one was good.

Mary Ann F.

We were so happy that this gallery was open! Since I'm a major art aficionado I was so excited to see the treasures held inside. It did not disappoint I was thrilled to see many old buddies like Rembrandt and to meet new Dutch artists that I'd never had heard of before. Each room was dedicated to a certain artist or artists of a certain region, I loved how organized and beautiful it was. There are two buildings facing each other. The first was the one I was interested in because it holds the old masters and Dutch painters. The one across the way had a Impressionist Exhibit which definitely doesn't interest me at all, after teaching it for years and just seeing everywhere I'm just over it. It was just so popular for decades I think many of us are just weary of the lily pads... I love love the bright red walls with the green carpet. It was surprising to me how beautifully it showed off the artwork. Such a great contrast, I'm sure the masters would approve of what they did here. After I was finished I made my way down to the cafe where I was told beforehand that the pastries were out of this world. It was hard to choose but I got a flaky layered torte with vanilla cream, I sat there by myself and had a nice tea and pastry. What a wonderful way to close out our two week journey...

Maria P.

The Scottish National Gallery is located near Princes Street and is still currently under renovations to create extended exhibition space and eventually moving the main entrance of the gallery to the Princes Street Gardens side. It looks like completion is estimated to be in late 2022, but in the meantime, visitors may still enter and best of all, it's free! We had some time to spare on our way back to our hotel and decided to pop in for a bit as a few of the other museums had already closed or were out of the way for us. It is a small, intimate gallery, but has a well curated collection of work on display from varying periods. This worked out great for us as we were with our son and we were able to get in and out in less than an hour and were still able to see some beautiful artwork. Some notable works of art include pieces by Bernini, Raphael, Titian, Monet, Gauguin, Van Gogh -- just to name a few. I was also absolutely delighted to see a painting by Jan Davidszoon de Heem, one of the greatest Dutch painters, famous for his Baroque still life paintings of flowers and opulent dinner tables. I fell in love with his work years ago when I saw his pieces in Washington DC! Just something about the colors and use of light and shadows that give depth to his overall composition - I absolutely love it. Definitely stop by the gallery if you're in the area. If you're there earlier in the day, they have a gift shop and a cafe available. The staff are also great and friendly and we had a good, quiet laugh when my son excitedly pointed out cats in a painting, but they were actually cows (or some kind of animal). Haha.

Casey M.

Still one of my favourite gallery's, I especially love the Scottish art, the portrait of Princess street and the skating minister as well as the Dutch artist Jan Steen's 'A school for boys and girls' is amazing and the religious art is stunning, the death of Abel, Jesus in the house of Mary and Martha all beautiful works of art and did I mention, I love this gallery.

Ciara S.

In any city, if I have time, I like to visit a couple of Art Galleries. One of the best is definitely Edinburgh's Scottish National Gallery, located on The Mound which is just off Princes Street. It's incredibly easy to find, admission is free and there's a restaurant, café and gift shop on site. I love the older historical works which can be seen here and there are many on display including Renaissance, Rococo, Baroque, Dutch, Flemish and Impressionist Art. However, I love contemporary art even more, and hit it lucky when I called in during November 2016 as The 119th Annual Open Exhibition Of The Society Of Scottish Artists (SSA) was on. A fantastic show of works by Scottish and International Artists, both established practitioners and students, in a range of media including painting, print, installation, sculpture, computer and video. I spent a full hour walking through this exhibition as it was so interesting. Scottish National Gallery consists of two buildings full of numerous rooms and levels, so make sure you go into both the main Gallery building itself and the Academy building which sits behind it. One of the best galleries I have been to with inspirational masterpieces from around the world.

Alisa R.

Love the Scottish National Gallery. Its fee and a lovely space. Great bold red walls that make the artwork just POP. Love all the unique seating in the rooms so one can enjoy the artwork. Wonderful Scottish artists and works of Scottish history. There is a lovely cafe connected to the 2nd half of the gallery that normally has exhibitions that cost. Cafe has a lovely view and a great resting place after viewing art.

Amy G.

My Granny often takes me here, I guess she is trying to instill some culture in me. But she also loves art and has a great knowledge so she is my own personal tour guide. This Gallery is situated on Princes Street and is in a pretty damn impressive building. Entry is free, so a great way to get out of the rain/wind/snow. The Gallery is made up of different levels and is very well kept and designed. Not to sound like a complete dumb ass, but I was impressed by their lifts. Anyway, back to arty part. I don't know much about art so I'm not going to sit reeling off all these painters and types, but bear with me. The last time we went in for a browse we looked at the selection of Italian art dating back to the 16th Century. I found this pretty amazing due to the fact that everything is in such great quality. There is also a large exhibit of Scottish paintings. It really is wonderful for an afternoon of milling around and seeing which ones you like, and which ones you don't like. The gift shop down stairs is really good and sells postcards of most of the paintings as well as art books and gifts. Also, the Gallery runs exhibits which cost some pennies to get into. We went to Turners Italy last year which had some really beautiful paintings. Its worth checking the website to see what exhibits are coming up.

Emma C.

The National Gallery Complex is the jewel in the crown when it comes to culture in Edinburgh, and I must say, I am rather proud of these two neo classical buildings that sit in the middle of Princes St beneath the castle. For a start, entrance is free (take note Paris and Rome) and it's open daily all year round. There is a great selection of art ranging from pieces by Renaissance painters like Titian through to more modern works by Impressionists like Van Gogh and Monet. If you venture below street level you'll discover that the two buildings are connected underground by the Weston Link, which looks out over Princes St Gardens, there is a great café here and a cloakroom, so you can wander around without fear of knocking over something priceless with your backpack. If you're not into art, the NGC is still a fantastic place to pop into, even if it's just to escape the rain or hustle and bustle of town.

Fiona H.

Even if you're not massively into art and visiting galleries, this one is worth it just to take in the building itself. It's slap bang in the middle of Princes Street and the gardens, and so the imposing building is impossible to miss, with it's huge pillars and sheer size. The main footpath going from the city centre up to George IV Bridge cuts through its grounds, and there's usually a busker playing the bagpipes along here which also adds to the traditional feel of the place. I have to confess, I'm not a huge art junkie. I only went in because I was waiting to meet a friend and had time to kill, but I was really surprised at how impressive it was. I only had a look round the 'Glasgow Boys: Drawing Inspiration' exhibition, which depicts rural life at the end of the 19th Century, and I'd definitely recommend it. There was so much more going on aside from that one exhibition, but at that point I headed down to the café to wait out the rest of the time until my friends arrived sipping a cappucino at one of the outdoor tables overlooking the Gardens!

Gibson A.

The National Gallery is a great place to visit to get a load of some culture. It's in a really central location, being just off Princes Street and the architecture of the building is just about as impressive as the artwork within it. I came here only on Saturday with two of my flatmates and, although we were pretty hungover, we definitely appreciated the grandeur and history of the place. Some of the paintings are absolutely massive, spanning entire walls in both width and height. My favourite one was an intricately detailed painting of Niagra Falls. There are also plenty of aristocratic men and women from every recent century as well as the usual horses and dogs. The National Gallery has a great atmosphere and offers a unique look into an eclectic range of visual art.

Rezzi I.

Having lived in Edinburgh for nearly a year now I finally visited the National Gallery as a friend was in town, which meant I was more inclined to be a proper tourist for once! I was surprised by the Gallery's collection, and I have to say I may have underappreciated the cultural value Edinburgh has. I believe there're several buildings scattered across the city that together, consist of the National Gallery, but at this particular one, it's possible to see a variety of European art from the 16th century onwards, including several impressionist paintings as well as early Italian and Dutch paintings. I'm a little ashamed to say we almost bypassed the Scottish collection, which we thought wouldn't be as impressive as the more internationally known art. We did make it down there though and it turned out to be my favourite part of the whole gallery! In my opinion the art down there is very unique, and the artists' methods can be a little more unusual; there were several pieces by an artist that had been completely embroidered, with wonderful detail. There were many other paintings I took a liking to ,scattered accross the gallery (some Monet, Degas and many wonderful artists I'd never heard of before I got there!) but the Scottish collection is a must-see!

Emma W.

Personally I like this museum as it delivers in terms of exhibitions. There is usually at least a couple on at any one time. Its pretty well laid out, with modern at the front building and a bit more period in the back building. Lots to see and look at. Lower level there is a cafe, which needs a little love in terms of seating arrangements. Its always ergonomically a nightmare to get a table and seats for some coffee and cake provided by contini. There is a restaurant, but not sure what that is like - another day! Toilets are on hand on lower level. Pretty decent place if the weather isn't that great!

Anna P.

Quickly became a favorite place of mine, free admission is a nice perk, too. My favorite was the three Flemish Peter Paul Reuben painting. I love that the shop offers postcards of the paintings so I can share with others