Receptions and Dinners

Our team are here to help you create your event

From the point of enquiry to the derig of your event, our dedicated team of events professionals will work with you directly to meet your requirements.

Get in touch with our team

Our Services

Our rates are exclusive of VAT and are for venue hire space only. We will work with you to build your event to include catering, audio-visual, event theming and experiences. This approach allows you to create a unique event for your guests with the help of our skilled events professionals.

Your venue hire fee includes:

Exclusive use of National Galleries of Scotland venue hire space
Dedicated member of our team to be your 'in touch' contact

Build your event with our events partners to add:

Catering and bar hire
Audio-visual special equipment
Event dressing or theming
Bespoke event experiences

Meet our partners

Drinks receptions and dining in the most unique art spaces

When you hire a space at one of our art gallery venues, we will help you to build the most creative event, ensuring your guests have a truly unique experience.

Our Spaces

Across all four venues for hire at National Galleries of Scotland, we have a variety of spaces on offer to suit your event. Whether its a small meeting with colleagues to a large celebration with friends and family, our competitive venue hire fees allow you to work with our event partners to build your event to include the best in catering, styling and incentives.

Please note that the capacity at some of our venues is temporarily reduced. Check with our Events team to ensure your anticipated numbers can be accommodated.

Modern One | Café and Terrace

The café and beautiful terrace and kitchen garden at Modern One are available to hire in the evenings for parties. This space is ideal for everything from summer barbeques and birthday parties to retirement dinners and buffets.

Capacity: Reception 60, Dinner 50
Rates: £500
Availability: Evenings

Book this space

Modern Two | Outside Space

If you are contemplating a large scale occasion and want to impress your guests, the outside parkland featuring modern sculptural artworks and wide open lawns is a spectacular location to host your event.

Capacity:  Reception 500, Dinner 250
Rates: From £3500
Availability: Evenings

Book this space

Modern Two | Great Hall

Formerly called the Dean Gallery, Modern Two is situated opposite Modern One. The stunning double-height Great Hall is a wonderful space for drinks or dinners.

Capacity: Reception 60, Dinner 38
Rates: From £950
Availability: Evenings

Book this space

Modern Two | Gallery Space

The beautiful Gallery Space at Modern Two is available to hire in the evenings for parties. To be surrounded by such inspiring artworks makes for an enlightening experience.

Capacity: Reception 150
Rates: £950
Availability: Evenings

Book this space

National | Gallery Space

This splendid gallery venue is available for dinners, receptions and exclusive private views. Guests can enjoy champagne, drinks and canapés in wonderful surroundings. Surprise your guests with an additional exclusive private view of the Gallery's treasured art collection in the company of an art expert.

Capacity: Reception 350, Dinner 100
Rates: £3500

Enquire about this space

National | Scottish Collection Galleries

Welcome your guests to 150 years of the best of Scottish art, in stunning new gallery spaces with breathtaking views out to Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens. The combination of popular artworks, including Landseer’s Monarch of the Glen, contemporary fresh new decor and unrivalled city vistas make this impressive space perfect for a private view with a very Scottish story.

Capacity:  Private View, 350
Rates: From £2500
Availability: Evenings

Book this space

National | Gardens View

From Gardens View, your guests can take in majestic views of Edinburgh's skyline. Take in a panorama of this UNESCO World Heritage site while hosting breakfast meetings, formal dinners, or cocktail receptions. Guests can also enjoy a private view of 150 years of the best Scottish art in the new Scottish galleries.

Capacity: Reception 100, Dinner 40
Rates: From £2500 (+ VAT)
Availability: Evenings and out of hours

Enquire about this space

National | Main Entrance Gallery 

This spacious gallery area is conveniently situated between the Hawthornden Lecture Theatre and The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant and Main Entrance. Guests can enjoy a reception event before a film screening, conference, or a private view of the Scottish Collection Galleries.

Capacity:  Reception 120-190
Rates: £1500
Availability: Evenings

Book this space

National | Main Entrance

This grand entrance area is spacious and versatile, with incredible views across East Princes Street Gardens in the heart of Edinburgh. There is scope to add style and flair to make your guests’ arrival even more special, perhaps with a piper or a red carpet to ensure your event is top-class.

Capacity: Reception 180
Rates: From £2500
Availability: Evenings

Book this space

National | The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant

Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens, The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant is available for exclusive evening events catered by restaurateurs Victor & Carina Contini. The restaurant can be transformed into a stunning event space with views overlooking the beautifully lit gardens.

Capacity: Reception 300, Dinner 180
Rates: Available on request
Availability: Evenings and out of hours

Book this space

National | Royal Scottish Academy Gallery Space

This space can be hired during summer exhibitions, and so includes an exclusive viewing of the artworks as well as a curator's introduction. Guests arrive through the majestic Princes Street entrance and ascend to the Sculpture Hall for the private view.

Capacity: Reception - Maximum capacities vary, please contact us for details.
Rates: from £2500
Availability: Evenings and out of hours. Please contact our events team for further details.

Enquire about this space

Portrait | Great Hall and Ambulatory

With its stained glass windows, incredible astrological ceiling, painted murals and gothic architecture, this space at the Portrait provides a dramatic backdrop.

Capacity (Great Hall): Reception 120, Dinner 50
Capacity (Great Hall and Ambulatory):  Reception 150
Capacity (Ambulatory): Banquet 24
Rates: £1250-£2000
Availability: Evenings

Book this space

Portrait | Ramsay Room

This sumptious gallery space adjoining the Great Hall and Ambulatory, invites guests to dine whilst viewing paintings from the nation's art collection. Consider adding a drinks reception in the Great Hall prior to seating guests for dinner.

Capacity: Dinner 120
Rates: £2500
Availability: Evenings

Book this space

Portrait | Robertson Room

This spacious and accessible gallery space on the ground level of the Portrait, is very well situated in the centre of Edinburgh just off St Andrews Square. The AK Bell Room is adjacent to this space and could conveniently be used as a breakout or green room. The Robertson Room lends itself well to large drink receptions, talk events, dinners or larger scale workshops.

Capacity: Classroom 100, Dinner 100, Reception 100
Rates: £2000
Availability: Daytime and Evenings

Book this space

Portrait | Café

This vast space flanked by portraits of Scotland's contemporary icons is transformed from a cafe by day to an impressive setting for special night time events.

Capacity: Reception 80, Dinner 80
Rates: £1500
Availability: Evenings

Book this space

Portrait | The Library & Print Room

The intriguing library room can be hired for very special dinner or intimate drinks receptions.  For an entertaining evening inspired by a thought-provoking interior with its own story to tell,  this space is perfect for bespoke event experiences. 

Capacity: Reception 30, Dinner 12
Rates: £1000
Availability: Evenings

Book this space

Enquire about an event

We use a third-party provider to deliver our newsletters. We gather statistics around email opening and clicks using industry standard technologies including clear gifs to help us monitor and improve our newsletter. For more information, please see our privacy notice or contact [email protected].

Prove you're a human
To prove you are human, please answer our simple question.

Your other events

Business meetings, conferences and lectures

Inspire your delegates with a business event at Scotland’s national art venues, and enhance their experience with the most artistic incentives.

Venues: Modern Two, National, Portrait
Capacity: Up to 190
Rates: £350-£1650

Choose a space

Private parties

Hire our venue for your special private party with friends, family or associates, and ensure your retirement or momentous birthday is never forgotten.

Venues: Modern One, Modern Two, National, Portrait
Capacity: Up to 300
Rates: £250-£2500

Choose a space

 

100% of all profits support the National Galleries of Scotland

 

Get in touch

Please get in touch with our team, to talk through your event ideas, arrange a site visit and request rates and options for catering, styling and experiences.

+44 (0)131 624 6216 or +44 (0)131 624 6481

[email protected]

 

Event experiences

Meet with our curators and expert conservators to create bespoke experiences including gallery tours or informative talks that are entirely unique to our venues.

Venues: National, Modern One, Modern Two, Portrait
Rates: Prices available on request

Get in touch [email protected]