National Galleries of Scotland

We can confirm that in line, with the latest Scottish Government announcements, our Galleries will remain open and we look forward to welcoming you. You may be aware that Edinburgh is now in Tier 3 of the Scottish Government Strategic Framework; we are permitted to remain open and continue to implement measures to ensure the health and safety of our visitors and employees.

The latest Scottish Government guidance does have restrictions on travel and groups. For more information on the local protection levels visit the Scottish Government website. If you are not permitted to travel to Edinburgh and have already booked a ticket to visit us, please contact us at [email protected]

• Scottish National Gallery is open.
• Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One) is open three days a week: Thursday-Saturday.
• Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern Two) is open for our exhibition Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema.
• The grounds of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One and Two) are open daily.
• Scottish National Portrait Gallery is open three days a week: Sunday-Tuesday.

Admission to our buildings (except for Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema) is free, via a timed ticketed entry system which must be booked in advance from this website.
For the grounds, admission is free and unticketed.

• The Scottish National Gallery is open 10am-5pm daily.
• The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One) is open Thursday-Saturday, 10am-5pm. Closed Sunday-Wednesday.
• The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern Two) is open 10am-5pm daily.
• The grounds of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art are open 9.45am-5.30pm.
• The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is open Sunday-Tuesday, 10am-5pm . Closed Wednesday-Saturday.
• Last admission to all our Gallery buildings is 3.45pm.

Booking is now open for all sites including Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern Two).

Bookings can be made for up to six people for a visit. Each individual booking can be made up of no more than members of two households. 

You are able to book a visit four weeks in advance for the Scottish National Gallery, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One).

For Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema we are currently taking advance bookings for three months at a time.

Yes, we ask that everyone that wishes to visit books in advance. Only babes in arms do not require a ticket.

Not currently. We will reintroduce group bookings as soon as we are able.

We are limiting the number of visitors coming into our Galleries. We hope that not only will this reassure and make you feel safe, but that you will be able to have your own very special experience, re-engaging with much-loved artworks after the separation of lockdown.

Not all rooms will be accessible from reopen day. Some smaller spaces need to be temporarily closed so we can conform with safe physical distancing measures. Others are closed because of the refurbishment works going on around the Scottish National Gallery complex.

Rooms that are closed at the Scottish National Gallery:

• Room 4 Cabinet Pictures
• Room 14 Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Art
• Room 17 A Century of Scottish Art 1810-1920
• Room 18 Impressionism and Post Impressionism

Rooms that are closed in the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One):

• Room 5 Katie Paterson’s film Future Library: A Century Unfolds, 2019. The film can be viewed on the exhibition page.
• The exhibition Resource Room.

Rooms that are closed at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery:

• The Library and Print Room
• The Robert Mapplethorpe Photography Gallery
• Rooms 11 The Modern Portrait

You can print off your ticket and bring it with you or show the email attachment on your mobile phone at the entrance to the Gallery.

There will be a queuing system in place which is outdoors and uncovered. There is no indoor space for waiting, so we suggest arriving as close to your timeslot as possible. We recommend arriving no more than 5 minutes before your allotted admission time.

Please meet up with other members of your party before entering the Gallery as there are no designated meeting spaces.

We have implemented one-way routes around all our buildings. There will be signage to guide you on-site. When you book you will also receive a link to download a map of the Gallery so you can easily navigate the site.

Entry to the Scottish National Gallery is via the main entrance as normal. The queue is at the railings, directly opposite the Gallery. Entry to the Scottish Cafe & Restarant and the Gallery Shop is via the Gardens Entrance on East Princes Street Gardens.

Entry to Modern One is via the main front entrance. The queue for ticket holders is directly in front of the doors. Entry to Cafe Modern One is via the entrance at the rear of the building only.

Entry to Modern Two is via the main front entrance. The queue for ticket holders is to the right of the front doors. The queue for Paolozzi's Kitchen is to the left of the front doors, beside the pop-up cafe. There is an accesible entrance at the rear of the building.

Entry to the Portrait Gallery is via the main doors.  The queue for ticket holders is to the right of the front doors.

No. To minimise touchpoints, we’re not giving out paper maps. We recommend you download and print out a gallery map before your visit. There are links to download maps here for the Scottish National Gallery and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

We ask all visitors more than 5 years old wear face coverings during their visit.

There are no lockers currently available so please avoid bringing large bags or luggage with you.

All bags must be carried below waist height, ie. no bags on your back. Baby carriers are permitted.

All events at our Galleries have been cancelled. You should have heard from us already about a refund. If you didn’t, get in touch at [email protected].

To allow as many people as possible to enjoy the art, we are asking you to please limit your time in the Gallery to one hour. You are of course welcome to extend your visit in the shop, café or rebook for another time.

If you have already booked a ticket but cannot make it, or need to exchange it for another time slot, get in touch with us at [email protected]

We have a limited number of wheelchairs at our sites for vistors to borrow. They are regularly sanitised as part of our routine cleaning procedures.

There are no guided tours running at the moment. This is so we can follow physical distancing measures safely.

We always welcome visits with children at our Galleries. All of the Galleries have baby changing areas and buggy parks available.

Large print labels  are not currently available, but we have made information about many of artworks on display available via our free mobile phone app Smartify. Find out more about Smartify.

Scottish National Gallery
Toilets and baby changing facilities at the are available at gallery level 10am-5pm daily, but only for those with a ticket. There are also toilets for those dining in the Scottish Café & Restaurant.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One and Modern Two)
Toilets and baby changing facilities are open 10am-5pm daily. There are Changing Places facilities available 10am-5pm daily at the rear of Modern One.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Toilets and baby changing facilities at the are open 10am-5pm.

All facilities are cleaned regularly.

There is metered, on-street parking near the Scottish National Gallery and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Parking for visitors is available at both Modern One and Modern Two. A donation is requested of £3 for up to 4 hours and £6 for 4-8 hours. Our payment meters have contactless capability.

We also have disabled parking facilities for blue badge holders. Modern One is equipped with a small number of electric car charging points.

It is not possible for us to run the bus and adhere to safe physical distancing rules. We will restart it as soon as it is safe to do so.

Normally, we would love for you to create your own artwork during your visit, however, while we are under restrictions due to COVID-19 we ask you to avoid stopping for any length of time to create your own artworks. You are of course welcome to take photos to allow you to create an artwork at home, after your visit.