Scottish National Portrait Gallery
The gallery is housed in a remarkable red sandstone neo-gothic palace, similar to a Venetian Palace, and reflects the country’s history through the numerous portraits of renowned Scottish people that hang on its walls.
The collection
The vast collection makes a kind of family album of Scotland's history, and is made up of drawings, paintings, sculptures, engravings, and all kinds of representations of the most important people in Scotland’s history, from the sixteenth century to the present day.
The Portrait Gallery features portraits of kings, politicians, architects, actors, poets and philosophers, among others. All Scots that have played an important role in Scotland’s past and present have room in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. This type of museum is now found in many cities, but Scotland's National Portrait Gallery was the first art gallery of this sort.
A great museum
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery houses an impressive art collection that is worth visiting, even if you decide to spend little time in the gallery. Also, the entry is free and the building is located in the city centre, which makes it very easy to get to.
Schedule
Open daily: 10 am – 5 pm
Price
Free entry
Transport
Buses: Dublin Street, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 26 and 44
Nearby places
Scott Monument (357 m) Scottish National Gallery (524 m) Museum on the Mound (590 m) Princes Street Gardens (636 m) Mary King’s Close (656 m)
