Scottish National Gallery

The Scottish National Gallery stands on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. Its neoclassical building was designed by William Henry Playfair and opened in 1859. The gallery houses Scotland’s national collection of fine art, covering works from the Renaissance to the early 20th century. It is run by National Galleries Scotland, which also oversees the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Visitors often confuse it with the neighbouring Royal Scottish Academy Building, a separate institution with which it collaborates closely. The gallery’s origins trace back to the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Scotland, founded in 1819. In the 1840s, plans were made for a new building to house the Royal Scottish Academy’s collection. Playfair designed the structure, with Prince Albert laying the foundation stone in 1850. The building originally divided its space between the academy and the new National Gallery. In 1912, the academy moved to the former Royal Institution building, allowing the National Gallery to focus on expanding its permanent collection. Inside, the gallery displays major works such as Rubens’s *The Feast of Herod* and Titian’s *Diana and Actaeon*. Scottish artists like Sir Henry Raeburn and Alexander Nasmyth are well represented, alongside pieces by the Glasgow School. The collection includes notable works like *The Skating Minister* and *The Monarch of the Glen*. A new underground entrance in Princes Street Gardens connects the gallery to the Royal Scottish Academy Building, offering additional spaces for exhibitions and research.