Find out what you need to know before your visit with our Frequently Asked Questions.
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Your Visit
Facilities and accessibility
Shopping, eating and drinking
Your visit
- Scottish National Gallery is open daily, 10am-5pm.
- Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One) is open daily, 10am-5pm.
- Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern Two) is currently closed.
- The grounds of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One and Two) are open daily, 9.45am-5.30pm. Our research facilitiesare open and Paolozzi Studio's will be open by appointment from 22 October. Find out more.
- Scottish National Portrait Gallery is open daily, 10am-5pm.
- Last admission to all our gallery buildings is 4.45pm except where noted.
Advance booking is no longer required for a general visit to our galleries but you can book a ticket in advance for our paid exhibitions with a timed ticketing system.
We are welcomingself-led groups back to thegalleries. Please contact usfor more information.
Not all rooms will be accessible. We are in the process of reopening some smaller spaces. Some spaces will stay closed for now because of the refurbishment works going on around the Scottish National Gallery complex.
Scottish National Gallery
- Rooms 8, 15 and 16 are closed due to refurbishment works.
For our exhibitions, 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.
Your ticket will have a time on it. You have one hour from that time to start your visit. So if you booked for 10am, you can start your visit any time between 10am and 11am. There may be a queuing system in place during busy times, which is outdoors and uncovered.
Scottish National Gallery
Entry to the Scottish National Gallery is via the main entrance. This is also the accessible entrance. Entry to The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant and the Gallery Shop is via the Gardens Entrance on East Princes Street Gardens.
Royal Scottish Academy
This building is situated directly in front of the Scottish National Gallery. The main entrance is at the front facing onto Princes Street. The accessible entrance is at the back of the building.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One)
Entry to Modern One is via the main front entrance. The accessible entrance is through the café.
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 café. 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.
We suggest all visitors more than 12 years old to wear face coverings during their visit if they wish.
Bags/Backpacks that are larger than 25cm wide x 42cm high x 12cm deep must be carried by hand or stored in lockers. Baby carriers are permitted.
If you have already booked a ticket but cannot make it, get in touch with us at [emailprotected]
Your health and safety
Your health and safety
In line with Scottish Government advice, you are welcome to wear a face mask if you wish. Some of our staff will be wearing face coverings.
We will have a limited number of free face coverings available at the front door for you to use.
Consult the Scottish Government website for regular updates. Public health advice can also be found on NHS Inform.
Facilities and accessibility
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.
We are now welcoming a limited number of self-led groups back to the gallery. Please contact usfor more information. You can also access more information on many of the works on display during your visit by downloading theSmartify app. More on Smartify.
We always welcome visits with children at our galleries. We suggest children over 12 to wear a face covering if they wish. All of the galleries have baby changing areas and buggy parks available.
Large print labels arecurrently available only at the Portrait Gallery. We have made information about many of the artworks on display available via thefree 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 Cafe & Restaurant.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One and Modern Two)
Toilets, baby changing andChanging Places facilities are open daily, 10am-5pm at Modern One and Two.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Toilets and baby changing facilities are open daily, 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.
The bus is not currently running.
Yes, all sites have lockers available for visitor use at a cost of £1/£2.
Yes, all we ask is that you be considerate to others and not block thoroughfares in the building. As part of our public engagement activities for the Scottish National Gallery Project, we want to inspire everyone to connect with some of the greatest Scottish artworks in the national collection.
Drawing on our sketchbook collection as a source of inspiration, Scotland Sketches provides participants with monthly sketchbook prompts on social media, as well as the chance to enter your sketches in competitions. We encourage you to share your creations on social media using the hashtag #ScotlandSketches.
You can participate in #ScotlandSketches from the comfort of your home, or bring your sketchbook into our galleries to find inspiration in-person.
Flash and tripods are not allowed but you can take photos of most of the artworks on display. Check thelabels next to artworks which will indicate if photography is not permitted. Please enquire about permission to photograph any temporary exhibitions. Staff in the exhibition rooms will be able to confirm this for you.
Shopping, eating and drinking
Scottish National Gallery
The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant is open daily, 10am-5pm. Last orders is 4pm.
Advance booking is requested, but not required. Book your table here.
Café Espresso is open 10am-4pm. No booking required. Counter service and takeaway available. Last orders is 4.30pm.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One)
Café Modern One is open daily, 10am-5pm. No booking required. Counter service and takeaway available. Last orders is 4.30pm.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern Two)
Paolozzi's Kitchen is open daily, 10am-5pm. No booking required. Counter service and takeaway available. Last orders is 4.30pm.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Café Portrait is open daily, 10am-5pm. No booking required. Counter service and takeaway available. Last orders is 4.30pm.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern Two)
The Gallery Shop is open daily, 10am-5pm.
Scottish National Gallery
The Gallery Shop is open daily, 10am-5pm. Access is via the East Princes Street Gardens entrance. There is also a small kiosk shop in room 5 on the main floor of the gallery.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One)
The Gallery Shop is open daily, 10am-5pm.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
The Gallery Shop is open daily, 10am-5pm.
Our online shop is open and we are dispatching orders worldwide. We also offer a click and collect service.
Please use contactless or card payments wherever possible to avoid cash handling. Contactless payments can be used for up to £100 on UK accounts.
Our online shop is open, and we are dispatching orders worldwide. Any deliveries from us will be contactless. Visit our shop. We have also have a click and collect service for online orders. If you have a question about our online shop, then check our shop frequently asked questions. If you can't find what you need there then please email us on [emailprotected] or call us on 0131 624 6494 (international customers call 0044 131 624 6494).
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