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Galleries
in Edinburgh.

It’s 20:03 in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh

National collections and small studios.

Edinburgh is a wonderful city for art. The national galleries hang old masters on the Mound, portraits in a red sandstone palace on Queen Street and modern art in two buildings set in sculpture parks. Most are free. Around them you'll find a print studio open to all, a weaving studio in an old swimming baths, and small galleries in Stockbridge, Morningside and the New Town showing Scottish painters and makers. Leave time to wander between them.

Saorsa Gallery→
City Art Centre→
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art→
Scottish National Gallery→
Edinburgh Book Sculptures→
The Fruitmarket Gallery→
The Fine Art Society→
Dovecot Studios→
Talbot Rice Gallery→
McNaughtan's Bookshop & Gallery→
Scottish National Portrait Gallery→
Edinburgh Printmakers→
Gallery of the day19 hours ago

City Art Centre.

The city's own gallery of Scottish art, six floors of it on Market Street across from Waverley, free to visit and open every day.

Read about it
From Issue 10 of Hidden Scotland magazineIssue 1018 hours ago

Craft and Soul

Hugo Macdonald and James Stevens on Bard, their shop and gallery on the shore at Leith, where Scottish craft and design are chosen for the stories behind them.

Read the story
From our guide17 hours ago

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

With a collection that encompasses everyone from Bonnie Prince Charlie to Emeli Sandé – and all housed in a vast Neogothic bastion of red sandstone – this was the first purpose-built portrait gallery in the world when it was opened in 1889. It’s still a wonderful attraction.

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Lunch17 hours agoEdinburghMimi's Bakehouse0 yardsEdinburghThe Milkman100 yardsEdinburghGordon Street Coffee100 yards

Lunch near The Fruitmarket Gallery.

The three closest tables: Mimi's Bakehouse, The Milkman and Gordon Street Coffee.

See The Fruitmarket Gallery
From our guide16 hours ago

The Scottish Storytelling Centre.

An Old Town arts venue dedicated to the great Scottish art of spinning a tale, with workshops, exhibitions and storytelling as well as dance, music and theatre. Its modern frontage stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the John Knox House, a medieval dwelling with a layered history.

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Stay15 hours agoEdinburghOld Town Chambers400 yardsEdinburghMoment George IV Bridge400 yardsEdinburghWest End Muse0.6 miles

Stay near Scottish National Gallery.

The three good places closest to it: Old Town Chambers, Moment George IV Bridge and West End Muse.

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From our guide14 hours ago

The Scottish Parliament Building.

An eye-catching vision of steel, oak and granite, the Scottish Parliament Building sits at the bottom of the Royal Mile. It was designed by Barcelona architect Enric Miralles and formally opened in 2004.

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From our guide14 hours ago

King’s Theatre.

An ornate institution in place for well over a century, the King’s has a lively programme of events year-round. West End-style shows are the norm.

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From our guide13 hours ago

The Banshee Labyrinth Cinema.

Billed as Scotland’s most haunted pub – prepare for grisly tales aplenty – the Banshee Labyrinth also holds weekly and monthly cinema events, with alternative and horror flicks alongside more mainstream movies.

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From our guide12 hours ago

Dominion Cinema.

Close to the Bore Stane looms a landmark Edinburgh edifice of a very different kind. The Dominion Cinema opened in the 1930s and represents a fine example of Art Deco architecture – it’s still very much a working picture house, showing a mix of mainstream and arthouse films.

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From our guide11 hours ago

Colinton Tunnel.

The last train ran through this Victorian rail tunnel in 1967. Since then it’s been reinvented as a public walkway, decorated within by Scotland’s largest mural – a large-scale artwork of riotous colours.

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From our guide11 hours ago

Edinburgh Playhouse.

The one and only. The Playhouse is the largest working theatre in the UK, its three levels holding more than 3,000 seats. Expect big-name musicals and big-budget plays. The venue is Grade I listed and was inspired by New York’s Roxy Cinema.

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