The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is a complex of two large buildings on opposite sides of Belford Road, a short walk to the west of the city centre, which house regular high-profile contemporary art exhibitions and play host to the Scottish National Galleries’ permanent display of works from its contemporary collection. Modern One is the largest of the two exhibiting spaces, and in recent years has held retrospective exhibitions by artists like Louise Bourgeois and Tracey Emin, as well as numerous blockbuster group shows.
As well as hosting the biggest arts festival in the world, Edinburgh is renowned for nailing its year-round selection of cultural offerings. Aside from world-class theatres, museums, music venues and other performance spaces, the city’s wide selection of galleries provide everything from ancient artefacts and sculpture to contemporary painting and photography. There’s Scotland’s National Gallery buildings (including the Portrait and Modern Art Galleries) and the famous Edinburgh College of Art, but also a range of independent art galleries showcasing upcoming artists from home and abroad. Here’s our guide to the best galleries Edinburgh has to offer.
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