Royal Scottish Academy & National Gallery

Where local artists stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Old Masters
Popular plate: The Weston Link, which connects the academy to the gallery, is a great place to stop for a delicious, hearty and surprisingly affordable lunch.

The spiritual home of Scottish art for almost two centuries, the academy was first formed in 1826 by a group of then contemporary artists. They were granted a royal charter in 1838, which led to the construction of a gallery space to house the country’s impressive art collection. By 1859, William Henry Playfair’s beautiful neoclassical building was opened behind the academy to showcase their ever more impressive body of work.
Nowadays, both buildings are popular attractions, displaying art from all around the world. Visitors will see works by masters like Gainsborough, Velazquez, Monet, Bernini, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, (deep breath), Botticelli, Titian, Gauguin, Bassano and Cézanne, and will also be introduced to seminal pieces by highly-respected Scottish artists like Raeburn, Drummond and Hamilton.