Scottish National Portrait Gallery Museum

Address: Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 1JD, Scotland, UK

Website: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/visit/scottish-national-portrait-gallery

Hours: Daily 10:00am-5:00pm (check site for seasonal changes and late openings)

Admission: Free entry

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh is the national collection of portraits of Scotland’s people and was built in the late 19th century. The gallery was designed by architect Robert Rowand Anderson and opened in the 1880s as a national institution.

Galleries present painted and photographic portraits of monarchs, writers, scientists and public figures, with works that span several centuries. Key displays include portraits of figures such as Robert Burns and Mary, Queen of Scots alongside modern photographic commissions and contemporary interpretations. The building itself is often cited as part of the visitor experience because of its architecture and central exhibition spaces.

The gallery was created to collect and exhibit likenesses of notable Scots and has expanded its holdings and programming over time to include contemporary commissions, exhibitions, and education initiatives. Its collection and displays have been curated to trace Scottish history and identity through portraiture.

It stands in central Edinburgh on Queen Street near the eastern end of the New Town and a short walk from Princes Street and the Royal Mile, making it easily accessible from the city centre.

• Admission: Permanent collection galleries are free to enter; special exhibitions may require tickets and often have timed entries.

What to See#

• Main building (1889): A purpose-built Victorian-era structure that houses the national collection of portraits and is notable for its Gothic revival façade and interior galleries.

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is in central Edinburgh and is an easy walk from the main rail hub: Edinburgh Waverley station is about a 10‑minute walk. Numerous Lothian Buses serve Princes Street and the city centre with stops within a short walk of the gallery. If driving, use the city‑centre ring roads and public car parks - the gallery is in the Old/City centre and is most convenient to reach on foot or by public transport.

• General admission to the Portrait Gallery's permanent displays is free; special exhibitions and events may require a paid, timed ticket-check and book those on the gallery's website.
• Arrive on weekday mornings to avoid guided-tour groups and to have quieter time with the collection; take a pause in the gallery café or upper levels for city views that many visitors skip.