National Galleries of Scotland

We can confirm that in line with the latest Scottish Government announcements our Galleries will be open. We look forward to welcoming you. You may be aware that from Monday 17 May, Edinburgh is in Tier 2 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. For more information on the local protection levels visit the Scottish Government website.

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

Admission to our all buildings is via a timed ticketed entry system which must be booked in advance from this website. For the grounds, admission is free and unticketed.

Booking is now open for all sites including Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema. Bookings can be made for up to six people for a visit.

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). We are taking advance bookings up to end of August 2021 for Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema.

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. In response to feedback from visitors we have rehung several Impressionist and post-Impressionist works on the ground floor of the Scottish National Gallery.

Rooms that are closed at the Scottish National Gallery:

• 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) are still to be confirmed, except:

• 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 1-4

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 five 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 when you get there. When you book you will also receive a link to download a map of the Gallery so you can easily navigate the site.

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

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One)
Entry to Modern One is via the main front entrance. This is also the accessible 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.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern Two)
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 accessible entrance at the rear of the building.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Entry to the Portrait Gallery is via the main doors. This is also the accessible entrance. The queue for ticket holders is to the left 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, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

We ask all visitors more than five 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.

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 (75 minutes for Ray Harryhausen | Titan of Cinema). 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. You can however access more information on many of the works on display by downloading our app Smartify. More on Smartify.

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 only currently available for Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema. We have made information about many of the artworks on display available via our free mobile phone app Smartify. Find out more about Smartify.

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

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

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

A ticket is required for access to facilities. 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.