National Galleries Scotland: National

The national art gallery of Scotland stands on the Mound, the artificial ridge linking the Old Town and the New Town, just below Edinburgh Castle and beside Princes Street Gardens. Long known as the Scottish National Gallery, it was rebranded in 2023 as National Galleries Scotland: National. The neoclassical building was designed by William Henry Playfair and first opened to the public in 1859. Its twin, the Royal Scottish Academy building next door, looks similar enough that the two are often confused; they are linked underground. Entry to the permanent collection is free.

The collection covers European painting from the Renaissance to the late 19th century alongside a strong Scottish collection. Look out for Henry Raeburn's portrait of the Reverend Robert Walker skating on Duddingston Loch, usually known as The Skating Minister. Other highlights include Vermeer's Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, Titian's Diana and Callisto and Diana and Actaeon, and Botticelli's Virgin Adoring the Sleeping Christ Child. Canova's marble sculpture The Three Graces is jointly owned with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and shown on rotation.

The gallery has been expanded several times, most recently with a project to create larger exhibition space for Scottish art at the lower level, facing Princes Street Gardens. The underground link to the Royal Scottish Academy also houses a shop, a café and a restaurant, which makes the gallery a comfortable stop in any weather.

The gallery opens daily from 10am to 5pm, with a later closing on Thursdays and extended hours in August, so check before visiting in festival season. One to two hours is enough for the main rooms. Concerts, talks, tours, workshops and sensory mornings are held through the year, and the Scottish Café and Restaurant, run by the Contini family, is a convenient place for lunch during a visit.

The National suits art lovers, couples and anyone wanting a calm hour between the Old Town and Princes Street. It is a few minutes' walk from Waverley station. Afterwards, walk through Princes Street Gardens towards the Scott Monument, climb up to the Royal Mile, or continue along Princes Street to the New Town's Georgian streets and George Street.