Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh

Scottish National Portrait Gallery is a massive art museum that displays artworks focused on individuals that are intended to capture their identity and expression. Most of the portrait subjects are Scots, but you'll find some international works in this museum as well. In all, you'll find 3,000 paintings and sculptures along with 25,000 prints and 38,000 photographs.

When you visit, you'll be in awe of both the collection and the building itself. Some of the works in the vast collection date back to the Renaissance. With the Scottish Reformation working against religious art, portrait art was quite popular, and the best from the era is housed here. The building is crafted from sandstone with impressive details like sculpted figures, statues and paintings on the interior walls.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh - one of the highlights of 12 Best Museums in Edinburgh (Read all about Edinburgh here)

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Scottish National Portrait Gallery highlights

You'll find no shortage of impressive portraits in the gallery, both historical and relatively contemporary. The oldest portrait in the gallery is of James IV of Scotland, which was commissioned in 1507. You'll find 2 portraits depicting Mary, Queen of Scots, though their accuracy is somewhat disputed since the closest one to her lifetime was painted 20 years after she died. As for Scottish painters, 2 works by George Jameson, the first prominent Scottish portrait painter, are located here.

Scottish artists began delving into the world of photography in the 1800s. One of the more prominent displays in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery is Thomas Annan's collection of photos depicting life in Glasgow. Of particular interest are the photos he took of the Glasgow slums starting in 1868. Unlike the paintings depicting royalty and nobility, the photograph collection tends to lean more towards the common people.

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Scottish National Portrait Gallery history

Scottish National Portrait Gallery began as a collection of portraits before it spanned an entire building. The first pieces in the collection were curated by David Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan in the late 18th century. It was meant to be a Scottish version of the famous London National Portrait Gallery. Given that the London version was part of a larger museum, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery was the first gallery in the world to be built specifically for portraits.

The building was opened in 1889 and was shared with the National Museum of Antiquities. The latter moved to a new building in 2009, instigating a comprehensive refurbishment of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. When the gallery opened again in 2011, the entire building was dedicated to the portraits and had added 60% more gallery space.

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Good to know when visiting the Scottish National Portrait Gallery

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery offers free entry, but you can purchase a bite to eat in the onsite cafe. The facility is wheelchair accessible and offers large print, braille and audio descriptions for most items in the gallery.

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is located in Edinburgh New Town, so you'll find yourself next to quite a few exciting attractions well within walking distance. Other museums, like the Scottish National Gallery and The Scottish Gallery, are nearby, allowing you to explore more of Scotland's artistic history. The National Museum of Scotland is just a few blocks south past the North Bridge.

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Adress: 1 Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 1JD, UK

Telefonnummer: +44 (0)1316 246200

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