The National Gallery Complex is open as normal while the tram work is taking place.  For more information see the How To Find Us section.

The National Gallery Complex is one of Scotland’s top free visitor attractions and Edinburgh’s second most-visited attraction after the Castle. It is made up of three interconnected buildings, right in the heart of Edinburgh. The National Gallery of Scotland is home to a major part of Scotland’s sensational national collection of fine art; the Royal Scottish Academy Building (RSA) is one of Europe’s premier venues for international exhibitions; and the Weston Link, which lies beneath the two buildings, connects them together with areas for shopping, learning, eating and drinking.

The National Collection
The National Gallery houses the national collection of fine art from the early Renaissance to the end of the nineteenth century. Spend an hour strolling around this peaceful setting with the floor plan and you’ll find masterpieces from Raphael, Titian, El Greco, Velázquez, Rembrandt and Rubens to Van Gogh, Monet, Cézanne, Degas and Gauguin. For a nation of Scotland’s size, the collection is rightfully regarded as one of the very best in the world. The most comprehensive part of the collection covers the history of Scottish painting. All the major names, including Ramsay, Raeburn, Wilkie and McTaggart, are represented in depth. Works on show include Raeburn’s much-loved The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch or, as it has become known, the ‘Skating Minister’.

Special Exhibitions
The newly refurbished Royal Scottish Academy Building, in front of the National Gallery, re-opened in 2003 as a world-class venue for special temporary exhibitions. It has two floors of exhibition space, and current exhibitions are listed in the What’s On calendar.

Visitor Facilities
Both of these buildings give access to the Weston Link – a state-of-the-art space containing a restaurant, café, cloakroom, shop, IT gallery and information desk. The Link also houses a lecture theatre and centre in which we deliver our award-winning educational programmes. The Link also offers spectacular views over Princes Street Gardens.