Scottish National Portrait Gallery

I didn’t even know this gallery existed until last year when I stayed around the corner in the Ibis hotel. Not to be confused with the National Gallery beside Princes Street gardens, this gallery is located on Queen Street and just around the corner from St Andrews Square. The grand entrance hall is amazing, one of the best sights in Edinburgh! The permanent collection is housed on the top floor and there are regular temporary exhbits as well. They also have a great old library which is a must see. Downstairs you’ll find the café which is very nice if a little pricey. The gift shop also has a good range of souvenirs, some great stuff from local companies, books and lots of fun stuff for kids. I’ll be keeping an eye on their website for new exhibitions and would definitely recommend this place to any visitor to Edinburgh.

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.

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.

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!

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 café 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

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.

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 café and gift shop. It’s free entry and has free no password required wifi to boot! I promise, you will love it.

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.

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.

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!

Surely one does not go out of one’s way to have a scone at a portrait gallery’s café? Yes one does if it is the Scottish National Portrait gallery. Surely one does not review the café instead of the gallery. Well, yes, one does.
The café 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.

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?).

I studied abroad in town and we had to go here. I wasn’t looking forward to it because I don’t really like portraiture that much and how many pictures of dead white guys can I look at before I get kind of bored? Not many. However, this is beautiful museum, the interior is gorgeous, it’s free, they have wi-​fi (!), and while I did get kind of bored, it was so well-​done that I didn’t care too much.

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 café staff are also helpful and friendly, and the café is a great place to get a coffee.

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.

Wow, what an absolutely beautiful building and again I left feeling so chuffed to live in a city where places like this offer free entry!
It’s perhaps not as flashy as some of the other galleries collections, but there are some exhibitions, paintings and photographs that offer such an amazing glimpse into humanity in the way only portraits can. This is one of those places you will emerge feeling inspired by the artists and the spirits they capture alike.
The photography exhibition they currently have on show, the Taylor Wessing Prize (1^st March — 26^th May 2014), was set up in such a beautiful way. They also showcase historic Scottish paintings with a collection of more modern portraits that offers something for everyone.
It strikes me as a place that has a constantly changing collection and does so in such a wonderful location. Definitely a place to visit, if not return to more than once!

The building is amazing. Never mind the portraits!
This gallery was specially built in the 19^th Century to house the portrait collection of the 11^th (?) Earl of Buchanan after he passed. When you enter, you can go right to the gift shop/​café, 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!

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

What an absolutely stunning building. And again, how wonderful it is that Edinburgh (and Scotland) offers so many beautiful museums and galleries for free entry.
It’s recently been refurbished and reopened. If you find museums stuffy and boring, then this is probably more of the ‘stuffy and boring’ ilk. Unlike the National Museum, there are no giant T-​Rex skeletons and buddhas. Because, well, it’s a Portrait Gallery.
Instead you’ll find lots of paintings, busts, photos and a library of portraits. From traditional Renaissance style portraits of Lords and Ladies with their small dogs and bedecked in jewels and gowns, to the Jacobite portraits (many of Bonnie Prince Charles, even one of him dressed up as Flora on his escape), to some modern day paintings — in particular, an eerie one of three lead Doctors who specialise in cancer, mid-​operation; and also some photo portraits.
The rooms are all quite small (again, unlike the National Museum); but the collection is very varied, and the inside very beautifully presented.
I did get round it pretty quickly and didn’t find it hugely extensive. But I think you could come back here and spend longer looking around; it’s a history buffs haven.
I’d say it’s definitely worth a look as it’s free, it’s a stunning building and a nice glimpse of some Scottish portraiture.

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 21^st 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.