National Galleries Scotland: Portrait

The National Galleries Scotland: Portrait museum houses the country’s national collection of portraits, all of which are of Scots, though not necessarily created by Scots. The building was constructed between 1885 and 1890 and is notable for its ornate Spanish Gothic style, which stands out against the Georgian Neoclassical architecture of Edinburgh’s New Town. The collection includes 38,000 photographs, 3,000 paintings and sculptures and 25,000 prints and drawings. Visitors will find familiar faces, including present day notable actors and politicians, as well as Scottish royalty dating back to the Renaissance. One of the most famous paintings in the collection is a posthumous portrait of Mary Queen of Scots from 1610.