Our ambitious, internationally significant new setting for the world’s greatest collection of Scottish art has been revealed. The new Scottish galleries at the National opened on 30 September 2023 and are free for everyone to visit.

This major project completely transforms the way Scottish art is shown at the gallery. We have opened a number of new exhibition spaces that are directly accessible from the adjoining Princes Street Gardens, and provide a light-filled, new home for our unrivalled collection of Scottish art, raising its profile for visitors from all over the world.

The vision for the project has been driven by the National Galleries’ ambition to ensure that the widest number of people can enjoy our art and activities. The displays in the new galleries have been directly informed by extensive research into the needs of existing and potential audiences, driven by what people want to see and how they want to discover it.

For the first time in thirty years, there are new displays drawn from the Scottish and international collection on show throughout the entire Gallery. This fresh approach allows us to tell much richer stories about Scotland’s art, reflecting the international significance of pioneering figures such as Allan Ramsay, Gavin Hamilton and Sir David Wilkie.

The scope of the new displays is broader, encompassing the work of early twentieth century artists such as Cecile Walton, Anne Redpath, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Stanley Cursiter and the Scottish Colourists S J Peploe and F C B Cadell.

Our Princes St Gardens entrance is now the main point of entry to the Gallery, giving instant access to the Scottish collection and much easier routes to the rest of the building as a whole. The project has created a beautiful new space in the heart of Edinburgh, which is free for everyone to use and enjoy. A series of large windows, running the length of the gardens-level façade, fill the galleries with light and colour, and offer spectacular views over one of the most celebrated cityscapes in the world. Extensive new landscaping in the gardens radically improve access to this much-loved part of the city, and our new buggy park will also make it easier for families to enjoy everything the Gallery has to offer.

The project has been supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Scottish Government.