Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Portraiture & cafe with stained-glass (l; £)
Maybe due to its location away from much of the New Town hubbub, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery is all too often overlooked, yet its eclectic exhibitions rarely disappoint. The imposing Gothic building itself (a former shrine), with it's ornate central vestiuble, is certainly worth a look.
Portraiture is obviously the main theme here, but it's often the way the back-story of the paintings and photos is told that sets the place apart. This helps provide an insight into the lives and times of many great Scots. Particularly imposing portraits here include Robert Burns and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Text © Christian Williams
Images by dun_deagh, Edinburgh Blog, Steve Hodgson