This is a small gallery but the Victoria & Albert in watercolour was great. I find Queen Victoria a…read morefascinating character with her controlling and overbearing nature towards her children especially after losing her husband where she practically lived in black mourning clothes and became a recluse, so I was excited to see this exhibition. I wanted to see more about her and her children, more family portraits but it was more about Victoria & Albert's travels and hobbies but enjoyed my visit and with my 1 year pass, hoping to visit again.

Wonderful place to visit and we'll worth the time! Exhibits vary so check ahead. Just remember the…read morebetter the exhibit at the gallery the easier it is to blot out the ugly architecture of the Holyrood parliament building across the street.

Art that feed the soul…read more Located in a grand Georgian building surrounded by greenery, the Dean Gallery is a wonderous art gallery that was opened in the late nineties. Owned and run by the National Gallery of Scotland, it showcases a selection of permenant and touring contemporary art. There's a selection of spacious rooms spread over two floors and I've had the good fortune to see some incredible art for free or nominal admission. Earlier this year, I was blown away by the Diane Arbus exhibition showcasing some of her seminal black and white photos from the 1950s and 1960s alongside provocative personal projects. The thing I'll never forget however, is seeing Tracey Emin's wooden rollercoaster and beach hut on stilts exhibited alongside her legendary quilts, polaroids and sketches. Art that feeds the soul indeed.

Dean Gallery (or as it is now known, Modern 2) is the smaller sister venue to the Modern Art…read moreGallery that is just across the road. The outdoor lawn is dominated by the 'There will Be No Miracles Here' permanent installation but inside the gallery it is usually home to temporary exhibitions - I was there for the MC Escher exhibition which is probably the largest collection of his work that has been seen in the UK - it's a pricey £9 but you don't often get to see so many of his works of art. There is a small cafe in the gallery where you are overlooked by a huge Paolozzi statue which we didn;t use this time. It is quite small but if it is too busy you can always cross the road to the Modern Art Gallery.

I heard about this gallery because a friend of a friend, Katie Cooke, had a pinhole photography…read moreexhibition there. I didn't get to go to the opening, because I was busy, so I wandered down on my way to Stockbridge one day. 1) The exhibition was pretty awesome. 2) The other artwork there was also very good. It's a very good space: wide open windows and loads of different little rooms with different artistic surprises. It's always kinda cool when you walk into a gallery, or any space, where you don't get the complete experience at once. A bit like a magical cave or the catacombs in Paris. Located just over the hill in New Town, when you start heading towards Stockbridge, it has magical glowing letters that read "Axolotl" and a woman sitting at a desk right underneath the glowing sign who is more than willing to answer questions. I know this because my friend asked for a job there and she was smiley and enthusiastic. Normally, what one gets is apathy, so enthusiasm is quite a refreshing attitude.

The Museum of Edinburgh is often missed out or overlooked in favour of the city's more famous…read moremuseums or galleries. Built within an old 16th century Scottish mansion, the house itself is a real historic find Musuem housing a collection relating to the town's origins, history and legends. Exhibits are described as a maze of history with more rooms than one can imagine The Museum also houses spectacular collections of decorative art which reveal a rich history of Scottish craftsmanship, from beautifully cut and engraved glass and intricately made silver from Edinburgh and Canongate, costume, longcase clocks, along with Scottish pottery and Scottish porcelain dating from the 1760s. This free museum is easy to locate on the historic Royal Mile and with a wide range of stories and objects, this museum has something for young and old, locals and visitors.

Surprisingly large. The exterior of the museum is unassuming. There are MANY different rooms, each…read morewith a specific topic. The organization allows you to linger in rooms of interest and quickly scan rooms of lesser interest. It is likely that you will find enough content interesting to justify your visit.

Once again, the Museum Late evening (now becoming a regular fixture) was great fun, with lots of…read moreinteresting folk, good music and plenty of other entertainment. The music, overseen again by Vic Galloway, was particularly fine this time round. There was a decent Glasgow indie band, but great DJs and a pretty meaty sound system; this was obviously for dancing, rather than just background music, which is always a good sign. The silent disco was also back, which works well for me, as people just assume I must be dancing to a different song. For those prepared to explore, there were plenty of other bits to keep you amused, from face painting to exhibits (it *is* a museum) and various entertainers scattered around the place. There are really only two things here that aren't made of 100% awesome: The theming. The organisers trotted out an animatronic dinosaur once every so often, which chased people around a bit before returning to its authentic Triassic gazebo. There were also some natty dinosaur masks available, and a few folks in their own dinosaur costumes, but I can't shake the suspicion that the themes are just a brilliant excuse for using the museum as a club venue. The end. A few words of thanks for Vic Galloway and the house lights are brought pointedly back to full brightness. This is a move I still strongly associate with school discos, and the attendant sense of having done something you'll be teased about tomorrow.

The positives: impressive building, impressive atrium…read more Contents: lacklustre. Was bored. Just did nothing for me -- 2 or 3 impressive pieces overall. And the taxidermied stuff ... really made me want to run to the (beautiful) Scottish hills as quickly as possible.

Highly recommend this shop. Supports local artisans. Whimsical gifts and cuteness abounds. Wry…read morefriendly staff. Hard to go in and not leave with something beautiful.

Thank goodness it's only August. If it was late November or December, I'm sure I would have tipped…read moremy bank account into the red splashing out on Christmas presents in the Red Door Gallery! A gorgeous boutique near the bottom of Victoria Street, Red Door sells all kinds of irresistible, DIY gifts from limited edition screenprints, tote bags and tea towels to sock monkeys, stuffed toys and Tatty Divine jewellery. Everything seems to have been made by hand by talented artists and there's a strong proportion of cute and kitsch things that should appeal to indie kids and arty farty types. To top it off, they sell adorable wrapping paper and stationary - including glow in the dark and scratch and sniff cards - making Red Door a one-stop shop for memorable presents.

Cool house in botanical gardens with art exhibitions! Free with different artist for the changing…read moreseason. Right next to the Garden's cafe in the centre of the gardens. The Art exhibition that's here for the spring2015 is great using of the space, the artist has painted the walls to further the paintings! Really a treat!

I'm a huge museum geek. I go to the museum as often as possible in whatever city I'm in. This visit…read morewas many years ago (should have written a review a long time ago). I spent almost a month in Scotland for a milestone birthday and it was a truly wonderful experience. Most of the museums are free which I definitely wasn't used to being from San Diego; none of ours are. We walked through the national mall and I was in awe. The history of the buildings in the mall were older than the United States which is crazy. As we entered we were greeted by several extremely friendly employees including the security guard. I stopped at the information desk to ask questions and get a map. Then we set off through the rooms and floors. Most art was centuries ago was religious themed which I had forgotten, walking through the museum I was floored at the detail and the preservation of the pieces. My friend who accompanied me was not a museum person but he too got caught up in the sheer beauty of it all. I'm excited to return to Edinburgh in 2026 and I will absolutely be spending another full day here.

We recently made our way over to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art after my son…read morerecommended it to us. I love all things art and free art is even better! The building we walked into was impressive itself but they were in the middle of changing exhibits upstairs so we were limited to the main floor. After being a little disappointed at the lack of art on display, we learned we were in Modern Two and there was a whole other building across the street - Modern One! It was nearly closing time so we quickly made our way over there. We were very happy to see the variety and quantity of works on display! I loved seeing an Edvard Munch lithograph, a colorful David Hockney acrylic, a Picasso - and many more interesting works by new-to-me artists! I hope to get back here again when I have more time to explore!