We arrived in Edinburgh from London via the overnight Caledonian Sleeper and had a few hours to kill before our airBNB cottage was available, so we decided to stop by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. And what an excellent decision that was! Uncrowded, full of history, and with an excellent cafeteria to boot! Some of our favorites were: -- the main rotunda room: with busts and statues of Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, and several others. Make sure you look up at the magnificent ceiling. -- extensive rooms devoted to the history of the Scottish Royal Family. -- busts of Invictus poet Henley and the Duke of Wellington. -- portraits of Churchill and Carnegie. Will happily return next time we are in Edinburgh. read more

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This is one of the 4 national galleries. I think it is small but cozy and full of fantastic portraits. It is free and not too crowded. We enjoy walking around and saw portraits of many people from the past to present. The gallery is free and the cafe is really nice serving delicious food. read more

Free entrance. Nice building. The grand hall alone is worth the visit if you're not into portraits. Depending on interest, you will spend between 20 min to 90 min viewing plus cafe chilling. Parking in city is challenging, but there is a mall parking next door that will cost anywhere from $15 - $40 if you use it for other visits around the area. Walking distance from the Scots Monument. Gallery entrance is free so don't feel bad about paying for parking. read more

Scottish National Portrait Gallery - Art Galleries Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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An architectural and historic gem. The mosaics alone are worth the visit. Great selection of paintings and sculptures. I also loved their collection of life and death masks. read more

I'm biased because I love portrait galleries in general, but this one is quite lovely! It's not too large, something you can fit in a couple of hours, unless you linger. The cafe and shop are also worth a visit! A local even recommended the Afternoon Tea service at this museum's cafe, though prebooking is highly recommended. See Yelp page for "Portrait Cafe". The galleries have modern art, including a few sculptures, and the older portraits are arranged in a narrative form that helps you understand better Scottish history. Overall, a lovely place to get to know notable people from Scottish history. Bathrooms: Clean, functional, modern, and spacious. read more

Scottish National Portrait Gallery - The Modern portrait - Art Galleries Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I love portrait galleries in general, and this one did not disappoint. The building is beautiful, it's free, and the exhibits are well done. Takes about 1-2 hours depending on how fast you go through. Next time, I would love definitely stop by the cafe for a snack or coffee. read more

Speechless. *tears* but they require me to say more here... We had an unforgettable day in the gallery visiting my royal ancestors on display... the modern gallery is fascinating also. A yummy tea room to pause in. Lockers for your extra tow. Just walk inside. It's free... but I am telling you to donate $. Help preserve history. #highlyrecommended read more

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The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is a free public museum featuring Scottish paintings and photos. It's split across multiple floors and rooms and is fun to visit for an hour or so for the paintings and the architecture. Conveniently located in the new town. read more

I absolutely loved this Gallery, so beautifully laid out. Each room has been curated to perfection. The paintings are complimented by carefully placed antique furnishings and sculptures, creating a beautiful space. They house local Scottish artists from centuries gone by as well as icons such as Monet, Van Gogh, Raphael and Botticelli. I would go as far as to say it's one of the best galleries I've visited in the UK. I actually felt rather emotional looking on to Van Gogh's Olive Trees, he painted it whilst in an asylum and his frustration and anger is so apparent. It's amazing how something as terrifyingly painful as losing your mind can translate in to something so stunning. The gallery is adjacent to Princess St Gardens so it's conveniently located and easy to get to. read more

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Another excellent branch of the Scottish National Galleries. The Portrait Gallery is north of Princes Street on Queen Street. It's another beautiful building, and the portraits within are stunning. I've visited on two occasions, once with friends and once with the cub scouts, amazingly. The staff are really excellent, and gave the cubs an excellent tour and a fun evening. They deserve a lot of praise. When I visited with friends, it was a more relaxed affair, walking around taking in the beautiful art. And there are some really exquisite works here. Oh, and another huge advantage? Once again, it's FREE. The UK and Ireland are the two best countries when it comes to free access to national museums, galleries, and libraries. Amazing! There's a café and excellent shop on site, so do buy something to support the important work being done here. I recently read the Alex Salmond has unveiled a portrait of himself there, so I must visit again to catch a glimpse of that! read more

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Sure, I'd heard of the National Portrait Gallery many times upon my big move to Edinburgh. And I'm sure I'm not alone when I thought "yeah, fusty old pictures of bigwigs and prima donnas is just not my thing." So let me tell you how delightfully surprised I was by the actual contents of the SNPG. We ventured on over when we just happened to be in the neighborhood, and between the spurts of mystifying snow-showers(?!) happening on a chilly, otherwise sunny day in April, we were happy to step inside just to get out of the cold firstly. When I managed to take my first look around, I immediately realized my idea of the SNPG was way, way off. This place is stunning! The entry hall of the Gallery is absolutely gorgeous, no doubt about it. There's huge murals painted right on the walls to greet you, each one depicting famous scenes in U.K. history. I marveled at that artwork along with the busts displayed prominently in the well-lit windows. Not only is this room filled with art, but the architecture is gorgeous, framing said artwork with wooden arches and gleaming wood. It's really a site to behold--the perfect entryway to a portrait gallery, although that said, I haven't been to many to say otherwise! If lovely murals and architecture aren't quite your thing, no worries. There's loads of interesting busts of famous figures to spend some time contemplating (or just appreciating their magnificently detailed hair and beards). Not only that, but if you venture into the austere library, you can find some phrenological castings of real people's faces, some made in life, some made in death. Two of interest were the men who provided some of the cadavers (some dug up from the grave, some sent to the grave themselves) to those studying anatomy when it was prohibited to study on the dead. I found it incredibly interesting to see such a thing. I was even more impressed when during my visit, I stumbled upon the "Ponte City" exhibit on the lives of those living in a towering, brutalist apartment structure in Johannesburg. Once designed for the wealthy, seeing the fragments (photographs, notes, poetry, even drawings) of those having lived there as Ponte spiraled into crime and abandonment was nothing short of fascinating. This was one of the most interesting exhibits I can recall having seen. I really even struggle to describe it now. The top floors are dedicated to the more classical, historical portraits from famous artists in history. These are lovely, expansive things of kings in all their glory, queens with all their bling prominently displayed, and creepy baby-adults. Okay, yeah, I'll admit it. I had a little too much fun picking out the baby-monsters in the more classical portraits found on the upper floors. Seriously, though--some of those painters really had a hard time figuring out how to do babies and childrens' faces, what gives? In a nutshell: if it's a rainy/snowy day in Edinburgh--if you've an interest in art or classical, historical figures--or if you just have an appreciation for good architecture and the humanities, the Portrait Gallery is absolutely worth a visit! read more

This gallery was amazing. It was very easy to find, the staff were nice, and it was fascinating. It is a free gallery and definitely worth going to. If I'm in Scotland again in the future, I'd love to visit this place again. Esta galería fue increíble. Fue muy fácil de encontrar, el personal era amable, y las cosas fascinante. Es una galería gratis y definitivamente vale la pena ir. Si vuelvo a Las Escocias en el futuro, me encantaría volver a visitar este lugar. read more

I'm a little bit disappointed this gallery (one of the many forming the National Galleries of Scotland) is closed. It's supposed to have a whole range of portraits of famous Scots. I must admit I was especially interested to visit when I read there was a portrait of Billy Connolly! They're planning to reopen in the fall of 2011, so until then review pending! read more

Scottish National Portrait Gallery - from the National Galleries of Scotland website - Art Galleries Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The building was stunning. Many beautiful pieces of art and one time there was a small quartet performance. Love it.

A MUST for art lovers who are staying in (or passing through) Edinburgh. Excellent permanent collection of sculptures and paintings, superior presentation. The building itself is a beauty, too. Frequent, exciting temporary exhibitions (like the present "Head to Head"). And it's free. Now you can take photos of most of the artworks, too (not so during my last visit in 2012). The gallery is an 8 minute walk from Waverley Station/Princes Street and located in an attractive part of "New Edinburgh" (not really new though). There are plenty of pubs and restaurants nearby if you need to relax and unwind after visiting the SNPG. There are three floors, the objects are grouped thematically/historically. There is always a selection of contemporary works on display. Photography is non-flash, of course. See my photos for further reference. read more

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This gallery is so impressive from the outside in, walking into the gallery is breathtaking with the murals on the walls and the arches and a statue of Robert Burns right smack bang in the centre of it all. This gallery is also impressive because of how much there is to see and is so informative, from statues and busts of legends like walter scott, robert louis stevenson, to paintings of Rabbie Burns and Mary Queen of Scots, refrences to sporting legends such as Chri Hoy and Andy Murray, its a must see and do read more

The building is amazing. Never mind the portraits! This gallery was specially built in the 19th Century to house the portrait collection of the 11th (?) Earl of Buchanan after he passed. When you enter, you can go right to the gift shop/cafe, go left for the contemporary exhibition and activity rooms or go forwards to the main gallery and a fantastic hallway (is it a hallway?) with such a fantastic painted ceiling your neck will ache once you've left! Most of the portraits are Scottish. Up the stairs and you have some modern works, there's usually an exhibition or two on and the main exhibition room contains some fantastic portraits. 'Three Oncologists' is a particularly good one, and hard to miss. The library is worth a look, there's some cool looking books an a sealed off area for proper arty people with special arty degrees. Up the stairs again and the top floor is more old school. Everything seems chronologically arranged, so Scottish history is presented through portraits of those who made it. The blurbs are exceptionally helpful as my history is not great (ahem...understatement!) Tourists, Edinburgers, Natives, Locals, Blow ins. Everyone should head along to this fantastic building! read more

Portraits are important. When this Gothic sandstone masterpiece was build in 1889 it was the first purpose built Portrait Gallery in the world. A triumph of architecture and a glittering badge of Edinburgh's style. The building, I'm sure, was as inspiring as the purpose for it being there, which was to celebrate and conserve works of art (mostly) concerned with national identity and heritage. An excellent building and an excellent purpose, but zap forward 120 years and it was all a bit, well, tired really. Cue multimillion pound restoration and conservation. A restoration which, ticks all the boxes as far as I'm concerned. More works on show, more light, more spacious and a 21st century infrastructure. You enter into the foyer which is worth a 5 minute stop of its own with celestial ceiling painting and historical grandeur. My tip, as I believe is intend but not clearly stated anywhere, would be take the staircase (or lift of course) straight to the top floor and work from top to bottom. Each gallery is anchored by a political or social theme and this way you will start with the earliest paintings, etchings and objects and as you wind through the galleries the history will begin to stack nicely on top of itself. They're all here, from Mary Queen of Scots and John Knox through to THAT painting of Robert Burns and (several depictions of) THAT profile of Adam Smith through to a pub full of poets and Dolly the sheep. Several hours viewing for the impromptu visitor getting out of the rain, several trips for an art-lover. For the refurb job, for the paintings, for the history lesson, 5 stars. World class. Award winning scones apparently too! However, I cannot give it 5 stars. My first love is photography and I feel that it is slightly sidelined. Yes, there is a great selection of Thomas Annan prints on display and yes, there is now a permanent photography gallery, which is great. HOWEVER, said gallery is modest in size, especially the way it is currently partitioned and the exhibition chosen to open it is "Romantic Camera", a very safe choice, methinks. Furthermore, the Hot Scots photographs to be found on the ground floor, the first thing a lot of people will see, is, frankly, gash. A horrible glittery wall displaying a couple decent images but mostly snaps taken for publication alongside an article, fulfilling that job well but not able to hold their own on a gallery wall. Their only claim to being interesting is that they depict someone in the public eye. I want to see some considered, meaningful and well crafted lens based images, something which many Scottish photographers have been doing for years. A shame for me, but if you are not passionate about photography specifically, then my complaints might not even register when you visit for yourself. I will try to look at it as a bitter last sip to a beautiful coffee. Portraits are important. Scotland is a nation being asked to decide on its future, and the SNPG offers a vital space to contemplate its past. read more

Scottish National Portrait Gallery - Inside the gallery - Art Galleries Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Free admission to a beautiful gallery with art work primarily from Italy, Scotland, and the Netherlands. The Scottish gallery is particularly wonderful! There are plenty of paintings to keep you occupied for an hour or two, and absolutely a must see if you are in Edinburgh. read more

A big, beautiful museum in a gorgeously renovated historic building: what's not to love? The permanent collection and most of the rotating exhibitions are totally free, and there's usually one paid exhibit on at any given time, as well. Currently one of the free exhibitions is the BP Portrait Prize, which is always one of the highlights of the year for those of us who love contemporary portrait painting (and if you don't, come on, why are you bothering to read a review of a portrait museum at all?). read more

A fab place to expand your appreciation of art. Not only are the pieces of art beautiful so is the building. If u are in Edinburgh do not leave without popping into this free gallery. Three floors of contemporary and historical pieces. A special exhibition showing Picasso, so worth the admission fee of £9. The last pieces of work I saw from Picasso was in Malaga at his museum and it cost a lot more than this. Do drop into the cafe which is very good. Not the usual bland, grey, tasteless fayre on offer. The polenta, raspberry, lemon and vanilla loaf was seriously delicious. Lots of hot dishes available too. Al in all a great place. Xoxo read more

I used to live with a girl who worked at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and, despite her numerous offers of a visit, I never took her up on it, portraits never seemed to float my boat! Then it closed for ages while an extensive refurbishment was undertaken...and my lovely flatmate got another job! A couple of years down the line the gallery has re-opened, and I found myself with a free Sunday afternoon and a desire to see what this portrait malarky was all about. Now, I obviously can't comment on the changes that have occurred given I'm a portrait gallery newbie, but blimey did I have a great time! When you walk into the building you arrive into the 'Great Hall'...a beautiful open area with 2 floors of balcony running around it. There are comfy benches on which to sit while you gaze upon painted wooden panels depicting Scottish figures through the ages and Coats of Arms of the major towns and cities of Scotland. On the dark blue ceiling were scatterings of golden stars...very pretty and it took quite a wee while to drag myself away to see the rest of the gallery. It's best to start from the top in here, and the gallery is laid out in time-line starting with the 'Reformation' and concluding with 'New Scots'. There are many interesting sections which included 'Science and Art', 'Landscapes' and 'Migration'. As you wind your way through, there is a mix of traditional portrait paintings (with prints, sketches and literature) along with newer mediums (in context!) of photography and digital media. There are loads of interactive features and I had great fun with these. There was also an event for children running today 'Portrait Detectives', which seemed to involve them dressing up like Sherlock Holmes and searching the gallery for clues (which unlocked boxes hidden about!). The kids seemed to be loving it and it was great to see them enjoying the art as well! In addition to the family events, the gallery have also produced a series of 'Trails' which involve searching out art of a particular theme...my favourite 'Trail' Title was 'Fur Coat an' Nae Knickers'. Will have to work through the trails the next time I visit! : ) Other gems included the old library with it's collection of death-masks (including those of the infamous Burke and Hare), and a photographic exhibition of the streets and closes of Glasgow in the late 1800's. At the bottom, there is a lovely cafe with lots of tasty looking produce and many gorgeous and interesting things in the gift shop. I loved this gallery and will hopefully pay many more visits in the future...even if it is simply to sit in the Great Hall for a moment and gaze at the stars! read more

I like art, but usually prefer local galleries and more modern pieces, to the classics. However, the National Portrait Gallery is just small and intimate enough to enjoy and not get bored or overwhelmed. I enjoy the themed temporary exhibitions in particular, but their permanent collection is certainly worth a visit to take in some Scottish history. The gallery is in a lovely, well-preserved building and as it is a little off the main tourist drag, it's a bit quieter than it's big brother, the National Gallery on Princes Street. read more

Wow! Just been to the re-opening of the National Portrait Gallery and, I have to say, I was impressed beyond expectation. It's a great space, that has been refurbished sympathetically - which means the building is as wonderful to look at as the artworks in the many new galleries. The galleries themselves have a variety of themes - we didn't get a chance to look at them all tonight but it's such a great environment, even He Who Hates Art Galleries wants to go back! Apparently, the refurbishment came in on time and on budget - I had to swallow the desire to yell out "put that project manager in charge of the trams!" - but the second speaker got to that joke before anyone yelled anything impolite. For an art gallery opening, the speeches were wonderfully short, entertaining and well-researched. Having been to a very large number of such things, I was truly impressed by this as much as the gallery itself! I will definitely be going back to visit - even He Who May Not Hate Art Galleries got in quickly with "I'll go with you".....which is high praise indeed...! read more

I am not a big fan of art galleries, but I love buildings, old ones, especially. We had a couple of hours to kill after a rather disgusting experience at the Spanish Consulate General (more on that later). Given the time we had, we decided to take a look at the gallery. It is essentially what it says on the tin, for the most part. It's the Scottish national portrait gallery and it has portraits of famous Scottish people. It also has exhibits showing some of Scotland's history, life and the evolution of sport in Scotland. The building itself is a beautiful piece of architecture, imposing, intricate and captivating. Next time you're in Edinburgh, give this place a visit for it's worth spending a few hours in. read more

The National Portrait Gallery is one of the best galleries in Edinburgh. Unfortunately at the time of writing it's currently closed for refurbishment, but this will make up appreciate it all the more when it reopens (unless they somehow completely ruin it by doing something like, I dunno, removing all the paintings). Located on the quieter and pleasant Queen St in a beautiful red sandstone Gothic revival building, this gallery houses the country's portrait collection. Stepping inside you are greeted by a wonderful hall, the ceiling of which is decorated with a Zodiac pattern. If you go to there website you can currently pay a donation (£250) and have one of the stars in the Zodiac named after you. The rest of the gallery continues to impress. I'm not actually a fan of traditional portraiture. I appreciate more of the modern collection (like Robbie Coltrane by John Byrne). However I'm still impressed by some of the famous paintings on offer such as Allan Ramsay's David Hume or the several well known Mary Queen of Scots paintings. Also note that the Portrait Gallery has a great tea room and gift shop, staffed by some very friendly people. I know of several regulars who go in just to use the tea room. read more

This is a free museum and a must see when visiting Edinburgh! It features several different galleries of photographic portraits, painted portraits and busts. There was a lovely young female docent during our visit who gave us terrific useful information about the various exhibitions such as paint used in the paintings - crushed mummy bones, historical facts of some of the portraits and also what other museums to visit while we were in Edinburgh. Find her if you can! She will make your family's day and you will look at some of the portraits with fresh eyes and understanding about their lives. Make sure to go into the library to see some famous and infamous plaster heads. If you are feeling peckish after viewing the portraits, eat at their cafe. It has yummy soups, an assortment of farm fresh salads and daily specials, which will make your mouth water. The cafe during our visit was packed - by the locals. That says enough. Lockers are available for 1 pound, bathrooms are plentiful and clean, and there is an information desk at the front entrance. read more

Great venue & always has great displays & exhibitions. Easy to while away a few hours & the cafe is nice & airy too. read more

Scottish National Portrait Gallery - Art Galleries Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Surely one does not go out of one's way to have a scone at a portrait gallery's cafe? Yes one does if it is the Scottish National Portrait gallery. Surely one does not review the cafe instead of the gallery. Well, yes, one does. The cafe is mentioned in several guidebooks and I thought it odd. But despite changing names since the guidebooks were written, it's worth the stop. The teas are loose and delightful. I had a ginger tea that was sublime. My companion had a berry tea that was divine. The cheese scones rank up with any I have had. They had a Black Forest bakewell slice that was outstanding. So, say what you will about the quality of the art. Argue the decline of mankind over extraordinary tea and scones. You might not be right about the art, but you'll be glad you had the tea. read more

Beautiful art. In a beautiful old building. Free. Open later than the paid gallery. Win. Win. Win. Win. I love an art gallery anyway, but we were short on time and missed the window to get into another nearby museum. We were able to spend a quick 45 minutes at the National Portrait Gallery. I could have easily spent 3x as long. read more

If you do one thing whilst in Edinburgh you really should visit the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. It holds a breathtaking array of portrait art in mediums including painting, drawing, photography and sculpture. A three floor gallery in a beautiful building, it exhibits art from historical to contemporary. There is also a fantastic cafe and gift shop. It's free entry and has free no password required wifi to boot! I promise, you will love it. read more

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Sparkling after its recent refurb, this gallery is imposing from the outside and breath-taking within. I also recommend working your way from the top to bottom, taking the stairs for all the different views of the mosaics. You'll find something different every time you visit, and it's worth popping in for a bite-size chunk of Scottish history and culture every now and again. A recent exhibition on the romantic vision of Scotland was a particular highlight for me, with its photography and film representations. When your legs give out from all that slow 'museum walking', head to the cafe for a drink or snack, and enjoy the people-watching. read more

On entering this revamped place and proceeding into the great hall...OMG the detail in the pictures and paintings are visually stunning and esoterically beautiful. A very contemporary place, quieter than museum's usually are, yes it's smaller than I'd expected from the outside but makes up for it in wow factor, well worth the £80K spent on renovation fees. Go if you like places with a medieval feel to them, history of scotland, medicine the war and the people who recorded some of the most significant historic events. With a very busy gift shop and full to the brim bums on seats in their eatery, this was just the place to spend a few bob and actually learn something as well. Go if you like Glasgow Gorbals, art of science and medicine Royal Navy, death masks of William Burke and associated criminals, migrated families to Scotland and art history. I last visited a few months ago now, but feel like going again? But above all...just go for the cultural effect, or the cafe buzz either way you will be rewarded. read more

Great place for a lazy wander on a Sunday afternoon. The newly refurbished gallery delivers the perfect canvas on which to present some of the best works of art in the UK. There really is something for everyone here and I love the way the gallery space unfolds from images of the schemes of Glasgow to portraits of the long dead landed gentry of Scotland. Top marks all round. read more

This is my favourite art gallery anywhere in the world. You can lose hours of your day just wandering round, marvelling at the Titian, Da Vinci, Botticelli, Degas, Cezanne, El Greco - you name it, they probably have it. The exhibits they get are great as well - my favourite so far was the William Wordsworth Exhibition a few years ago. Always worth a visit. The cafe staff are also helpful and friendly, and the cafe is a great place to get a coffee. read more

A good gallery. I usually felt overwhelmed by the massive museums but this one is very doable. The contemporary section is really great but cramped by comparison to some of the other sections. The Library is worth popping into just to see. read more

Some really fantastic exhibits, like exploring the "modern Scot" and the changing cultural identity of Scottish heritage over time. Plus, free! read more

My favorite museum in Edinburgh by far. The museum is not big and not a lot of crowd, either. I came for the beauty by design exhibition and found another amazing exhibition "Ponte City" very worth viewing. I also very enjoy the historical portrait gallery on the second floor to have vivid images of historical Scotland figures. read more

The Scottish National Portrait gallery is a place that pays homage to both Scottish nationalism and painters. It is a jam-packed filled place that has numerous portraits of the Royal families, present and past, as well as Scottish heroes- like Robert Louis Stephenson. There is a nice blaconey level with lovely busts- some of the best I've seen- of Scottish forefathers- and interestingly some foremothers too. The hallways also have some interesting busts also. The feel of the place is baroque and ancestral- if you're into modern art- as I am- this is a bit cloying, and if you're claustrophobic steer clear. It has no clean lines, whatsoever, no space of which to stand back and get persepective. Weirdly, there are also 1970's era couches in the center of the rooms. They seem like inadvertant avant-garde art pieces in and of themselves. This will appeal to those who have a deep interest in Scottish history and traditional portraiture. It would be a good place to take a tradional elderly relative- this is an art gallery in the fashion that seems to have gone out of date. This is not the place for those not interested in those things- and who in fact, are glad that this particular style of art gallery died out in the eighties. read more

Scottish National Portrait Gallery - Scottish National Portrait Gallery - Art Galleries Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

There is often a good exhibition on here and it is a pleasant gallery to view works within. It is a bit on the old side but if you like a bit of old fashioned interior then this might just be your cup of tea! It is also central, just behind Princes Street so it's no big effort to go and have a look. read more