The Modern Portrait
This display collates some of the most recognisable modern and contemporary portraits from the national collection.
Exhibition
Scottish National Portrait Gallery visit
Open daily, 10am-5pm
(Thu-Sat from 1 July)
Admission free | Advance booking required
About
Come face to face with the people who shaped Scotland’s past, present and future at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
We've instituted a free, timed ticketing system.
- Admission is free, but tickets must be booked here in advance. Everyone, except babes in arms, is required to have a ticket.
- Bookings can be for six people from three households for an indoor space such as our gallery buildings or cafés. Booking for outdoor spaces like our cafe terraces can be for eight people from eight households.
- If you have already booked a ticket but cannot make, or need to exchange it for another time slot, get in touch with us at [email protected]
We have signed up to the Good to Go scheme to show we are committed to meeting current Scottish Government health and safety standards for our buildings and staff.
Event accessibility
Exhibition accessibility
Location
Gallery facilities
A full accessibility guide is available at www.accessibilityguides.org.
We provide a sensory map of the building to help visitors identify areas with changes in light, smells and noise. It locates seating areas and less crowded, quieter spaces. Printed copies are available from the front desk at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Getting here
Located in the city centre on Queen Street, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery is easy to access.
In addition to the transport options below there are bike racks at each site and Just Eat Cycle Hire stations nearby.
Related products
Exhibition
Scottish National Portrait Gallery visit
FREE
Donations
Donations may be administered by the National Galleries of Scotland Foundation (No. SCO43024). This has been set-up to support five key areas for the National Galleries of Scotland: Acquisitions, Exhibitions, Education, Conservation, and Access and Audiences.
National Galleries of Scotland is a charity registered in Scotland (No. SCO03728).
Included in this visit
A small number of rooms are temporarily closed so we can conform with safe physical distancing measures. These include the Library and Photography Gallery on the first floor and galleries one to four on the second floor.
The closed galleries include Imagining Power | The Visual Culture of the Jacobite Cause, The King’s Last Day | The Execution of Charles I, Art and Analysis | Two Netherlandish painters working in Jacobean Scotland and Reformation to Revolution.
The Remaking of Scotland
Subtitled Nation, Migration, Globalisation 1760-1860 this display explores the lives and careers of the Scots behind this period of dramatic change.
Scots in ltaly
This display explores the Scottish experience of Italy in the eighteenth-century, the period when fascination with the country reached its height.
Heroes and Heroines
This exhibition re-examines some major Scottish figures, from Thomas Carlyle to Andrew Carnegie, raises questions about the nature of hero-worship and the values that were upheld by our Victorian forebears. Women artists, scientists, writers and suffragists provide a strong female presence.
Smartify
Smartify
Download the app, scan the art, uncover the story.
Discover the stories behind the art with Smartify, the free informative art app. Scan most of the art in our gallery to learn even more about the work and the artist.
Keeping you safe on your visit
We have signed up to Check In Scotland, a voluntary service which enables visitors to quickly and securely provide their contact details to asssist with COVID-19 contact tracing.
Book online
Admission is via a ticketed entry system which must be booked in advance online only.
Additional cleaning
We have instituted a programme of deep cleaning of the Galleries and will have staff onsite cleaning all touch points throughout the day.
One-way system
To keep you safe, one-way routes are in place throughout the Galleries.
Maintain a safe distance
We are asking all visitors to adhere to current physical distancing rules.
Face coverings
In line with Government guidelines, we are asking all visitors over the age of 5 to bring and wear a face covering. Our staff will be wearing face coverings.
Hand sanitiser
Hand sanitiser is available in key areas, along with increased cleaning regimes in toilets and other high use areas.
Timed visitor slots
We are limiting the number of visitors coming into our galleries via timed visitor slots. We hope that this will make you feel safe when re-engaging with much-loved artworks.
Feeling unwell?
If you or anyone you live with displays symptoms associated with COVID-19, please delay your visit until it is safe to do so.
Smartify
Download Smartify to access our highlights tour, large print labels and get more information about the artworks during your visit.
Our Friends
Friends of the Galleries get free unlimited entry to all exhibitions, and enjoy a wide range of exclusive benefits including early exhibition access, special events and 10% discount in our cafes.
What's on
Browse what's on at the galleries below, or filter results to narrow your search.