• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Edinburgh Travel Guide

Ireland's Independent Travel Guide to Edinburgh

Main navigation

  • Places to Stay
  • What to see
    • Museums
    • Historic Sites
    • Family Attractions
    • Gardens and Parks
  • Things to do
  • Edinburgh Festivals
  • Book Guided Tours
  • Flights
  • Contact
  • Show Search
Hide Search

National Gallery of Scotland

The National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh, presides over the Princes Street Gardens from its location on The Mound that bisects the two sections of the gardens. It was originally designed by William Henry Playfair in the mid-19th century and subsequently remodeled by William Thomas Oldrieve in 1912. Since that time the curators have focused on the growth of its Scottish and European art collections.

The museum is the home to over 30,000 works on paper that originate from the Renaissance to the end of the 19th century. It also houses a library that contains roughly 50,000 books, microfiches, journals and slides. Notable paintings within the museum include: The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch by Sir Henry Raeburn, Haystacks by Claude Monet and Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Christ Child by Sandro Botticelli. The museum also boasts many land and seascapes by William McTaggart as well as masterpieces by artists such as Johannes Vermeer, Sir Anthony van Dyck, Titian and Raphael.

In 2004, the National Gallery opened the Playfair Project, which includes an interactive gallery area, gift shop, restaurant and lecture theatre. The interactive gallery features virtual displays of the collections of both the National Gallery of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy.

How to get there

The Mound, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL
Served by Edinburgh’s Hop-on Hop-off Tour Bus

Opening Times and Prices

Open daily 10am-5pm. Thursdays until 7pm.

August – Open Daily 10am-6pm. Thursdays until 7pm.

Admission to the museum is free.

More Information

> National Gallery of Scotland Website
> Hotels near the National Gallery of Scotland

Primary Sidebar

Search hotels and more...

Destination

Check-in date

Check-out date

Booking.com

Quick Links

  • Quick Edinburgh Guide
  • Things to do in Edinburgh
  • Hotels Near Princes Street in Edinburgh
  • Cheap Edinburgh Hotels
  • Getting to Edinburgh by Plane
  • Getting to Edinburgh by Ferry
  • Eating Out in Edinburgh
  • Sporting Events
  • Shopping in Edinburgh
  • Going Out

Top 5 visitor attractions

  • Edinburgh Castle
  • The National Gallery
  • St Giles’ Cathedral
  • Edinburgh Zoo
  • National Museum of Scotland

Things to See

  • Edinburgh Old Town
  • Museums
  • Historic Sites
  • Family Attractions
  • Gardens and Parks

Things to do

  • Things to do in Edinburgh
  • Shopping Guide
  • Edinburgh Restaurants
  • Edinburgh Nightlife

Transport

  • Getting around Edinburgh
  • Getting to Edinburgh by Plane
  • Getting to Edinburgh by Ferry
  • Edinburgh Airport
  • Car Hire at Edinburgh Airport
  • Edinburgh Airport to City Centre
  • Edinburgh Airport Bus

Resources

  • Contact
  • Links
  • Useful Numbers
  • Sitemap