Scottish National Portrait Gallery

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery stands on Queen Street in Edinburgh’s New Town. Its red sandstone building, designed by Robert Rowand Anderson in the Gothic Revival style, was completed in 1890. The gallery houses the national collections of portraits of Scots and the Scottish National Photography Collection. It was the first purpose-built portrait gallery in the world, opening in 1889. The building also once held the collections of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. After a major refurbishment finished in 2011, the gallery regained its original layout and gained more space. The gallery is worth visiting for its remarkable architecture and important collections. The building’s ornate Spanish Gothic style contrasts with the surrounding Georgian streets. Inside, a large processional frieze by William Hole depicts notable Scots from history. The collection includes paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and photographs, with works dating from the Renaissance onwards. Portraits of Scottish royalty, nobility and writers form the core of the display. The oldest work is a portrait of James IV from 1507. Visitors find a grand main hall with pointed arches and a glass lift for access. The refurbishment restored the building’s original features and improved the layout. Sculpted figures of noted Scots by William Birnie Rhind stand in niches around the exterior. The gallery now shows 849 works, many by Scottish artists. The surrounding Queen Street area offers views of Edinburgh’s New Town. The building remains a striking example of 19th-century Gothic Revival design.