About the Scottish Portrait Gallery
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is one of Edinburgh's most extraordinary buildings—a great red sandstone neo-gothic palace which sits proudly on the city's skyline. Following a dramatic three-year redecoration, completed in December 2011, the Gallery now offers 17 new displays. Each of these explores different aspects of the story of Scotland and her people.
The Building
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery was designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson as a holy palace for Scotland's heroes and heroines. A detailed Arts and Crafts decorative scheme, both inside and outside, with its glittering friezes, evocative murals and extensive sculptural embellishment, makes it a very special visitor experience.
The Collection
The Portrait Gallery's collection is an exceptional national resource of over 30,000 fascinating images containing a rich variety of media and including many internationally outstanding works of art. The portraits depict(刻画) the men and women whose lives and achievements helped shape Scotland and the wider world. The Gallery is also home to the NGS's outstanding collection of photographs which includes around 6,000 works by the early Scottish pioneers of the medium, Robert Adamson and David Octavius Hill as well as new works by leading-edge contemporary photographers.
Visitor Facilities
The new Portrait Gallery cafe serves a delicious menu of fresh dishes and classic recipes, using the very best local ingredients and seasonal produce. Our new shop offers a fresh twist on design-led gifts and souvenirs. The gallery now has all the facilities which today's visitors expect, including a fantastic new lift, an Education suite and disabled access throughout the building.
