A love letter to Scotland
A neo-Gothic palace dedicated to exploring various aspects of the Scottish story, this gallery is a hidden gem right at the heart of Edinburgh. The art tells you stories of the land and its people, through the medium of imagery.
Meet with friends in the welcoming Café Portrait. Find other familiar faces when you discover contemporary portraits of pop culture icons like Billy Connolly, Emeli Sandé and Tilda Swinton in the galleries above. You will spot recent pioneers in science, sport and the arts and sit alongside famous historical figures such as Mary Queen of Scots, Robert Burns and Charles Edward Stuart.
The gallery is decorated in elaborate murals and sculptural embellishments inside and out - really, take time to look up at the Zodiac ceiling in the world-famous Great Hall. Seriously, it is like 2,000 golden stars and 47 constellations! Bedazzling.


Getting here
Located in the city centre on Queen Street, the Portrait is easy to access.
Gallery floor plans
About your visit
Opening times
Gallery Open daily, 10am-5pm.
Café Portrait Open daily, 10am-5pm (last orders 4.30pm). No advance booking required.
Gallery shop is closed. Shop online here.
Contact
For general enquiries regarding your visit or gallery services:
+44 (0)131 624 6200
[email protected]
Visitor information
Everything you need to know about your visit can be found in our frequently asked questions and our visitor guidelines.
Families
Enhance your visit with wee ones with our Art Spot guide. You can pick up copies in the gallery or use our online resource. Who will you meet - and what will you spot?
Group visits
Schools and community groups of 10 or more can book free self-led visits to all our galleries.
Explore the gallery
Portrait BSL introduction
Presented by Trudi Collier, this short welcome film in British Sign Language (BSL) introduces the building and collections of the Portrait.
Tour of The Great Hall at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Liz Louis, Curator of Portraiture introduces the Great Hall of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Liz gives us a tour of the elaborate decorative interior and examines the glittering frieze and mural decorations by William Brassey Hole. The Great Hall is a work of art in itself, and Liz explains how the decorative scheme relates to both the outside of the building, and the contents that it was purpose built to house.
Featured exhibitions and displays
Making Space | Photographs of Architecture
Until Sun 3 Mar 2024
Open daily, 10am–5pm
Admission free
The Remaking of Scotland | Nation, Migration, Globalisation 1760-1860
Open daily, 10am–5pm
Admission free
Featured events
Relaxed mornings for adults (autism and learning disability friendly)
Tue 24 Oct 2023
10 - 11am
Free
Booking essential
British Sign Language (BSL) tour | Making Space: Photographs of Architecture
Sat 28 Oct 2023
11am - 12 noon
Free
Booking essential
Sensory Friendly Sundays for families (autism and learning disability friendly)
Sun 5 Nov 2023
10:30 - 11:30am
Free
Booking essential
Sinfonia Chamber Players
Wed 15 Nov 2023
6 - 6:30pm
Free
Booking essential
Café & shop
Café Portrait
After visiting the galleries head to Café Portrait, where you can relax and enjoy a delicious lunch or coffee and cake in impressive surroundings.
All our food is prepared from scratch in our kitchen, which is why it tastes so good. You can choose from a wide variety of gluten and dairy free dishes.
Book a tableGallery Shop
The shop at the Portrait is temporarily closed. You can find our other shops at the National and at the Modern or shop online.
Shop onlineAbout us
The National Galleries of Scotland cares for, develops, researches and displays the national collection of Scottish and international art and, with a lively and innovative programme of activities, exhibitions, education and publications, aims to engage, inform and inspire the broadest possible public.