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Interesting news · 5 November 2025

Over 400 Years On: James VI & I Portrait Shines Anew at Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh · from historicenvironment.scot

Photograph · historicenvironment.scot

A historic portrait of James VI & I, the monarch who ruled Scotland, England and Ireland and survived the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, will go back on display at Edinburgh Castle on 5 November after undergoing specialist conservation.

The painting, normally hung in the Mary Room within the castle, had been taken down for essential work, including removing old varnish and stabilising the paint layer.

Conservators discovered evidence of two previous restorations and found traces that the 17th‑century Scottish painter George Jamesone may have been involved. The sash and gold regalia have been restored to their original brilliance.

Read it at the sourcehistoricenvironment.scot

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