From the moment we arrived, the sculpted gardens of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh set the mood for discovery. The museum is housed in two separate buildings in a peaceful setting away from the city center.
Between iconic 20th-century works and engaging contemporary exhibitions, we explored these two venues with their complementary atmospheres. Each offered a unique visitor experience.
In this article, you’ll find some useful tips to help you prepare for your visit and have a wonderful time!
This opinion is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Why visit the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art?
Is the museum worth it? Our opinion:
Yes, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is well worth a visit. We really enjoyed this artistic stopover in Edinburgh, for several reasons:
- The gallery is spread over two buildings(Modern One and Modern Two), in a green setting far from the hustle and bustle of the city center.
- The visit invites contemplation and reflection, between great names in modern art and committed contemporary creations.
- Temporary exhibitions are often immersive.
- Integrating art into outdoor spaces adds to the pleasure of discovery.
For those of us who appreciate modern art, this is one of the best things to do in Edinburgh.
Why is the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art famous?
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is renowned for its collections, which include works by Picasso, Pollock, Klee, Beuys and others. It also plays a central role in Scotland’s art scene, hosting bold and committed temporary exhibitions.
It is also distinguished by its garden and outdoor installations, such as the Landform sculpture, a work by architect and landscape theorist Charles Jencks. Created in 2001, this undulating installation of lawn and water basins embodies a sculptural approach to landscape inspired by science, geometry and cosmology.
Our favorite moments
In addition to works by some of the greatest masters of modern and contemporary art, we also enjoyed..:
- The contrast between the neoclassical architecture of the buildings and their contemporary layout. Both buildings retain their historic charm, while offering uncluttered, luminous and well-staged spaces.
- The temporary exhibitions were great moments of discovery. During our visit, we were able to see the textile and architectural universe of South Korean artist Do Ho Suh, followed by engaged works in the Women in Revolt! exhibition.
- The sculptural gardens on the banks of the Water of Leith extend the outdoor visit. Charles Jencks’ Landform sculpture, in particular, creates a harmonious link between the landscape and contemporary art.
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History in brief
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art opened in 1960. It is housed in a former 19th-century orphanage, now known as Modern One. In 1999, a former administration building, Modern Two, located opposite, was integrated to accommodate more contemporary works. Since then, the venue has established itself as a major center for modern and contemporary art in Scotland, combining architectural heritage with ambitious artistic programming.
Access: Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh
Where is the museum?
- The museum is located to the west of Edinburgh city center, in the Dean Village district.
- It is close to the Water of Leith Walkway
- About 15min walk from Princes Street.
The museum’s address is as follows:
73 & 75 Belford Road, Edinburgh, EH4 3DR, Scotland
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How to get there?
The museum is easy to reach from central Edinburgh:
- On foot (in our opinion the most pleasant): about 15min from Princes Street, through the pretty Dean Village or along the Water of Leith.
- By public transport: the Gallery of Modern Art bus stop is served by line 13; the Haymarket Station streetcar stop is a 15-minute walk away.
- By car: the museum can be reached from downtown in around ten minutes. Traffic can be heavy at rush hour, however, and museum signage is rather unobtrusive.
Parking
- We found a paid parking lot, open from 9.45am to 5.30pm, close to each building.
- Parking is £5 for up to 4 hours, and £9 for 4 to 8 hours.
- It is not possible to stay longer than 8 hours or to park overnight.
- Places can fill up quickly during busy periods, so we recommend arriving early.
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Useful tips: duration, schedules, eating…
Best time to visit
- While fine weather allows you to take full advantage of the gardens and outdoor facilities, the museum is a pleasure to visit every day, even on rainy days!
- On weekdays, the atmosphere is quieter in the morning or early afternoon, ideal for strolling between the works.
- Note that temporary exhibitions can be very busy at weekends, especially when they open.
Length of visit and main difficulties
It will take you a good 2 hours to visit the 2 museums without dragging your feet.
We advise you to allow half a day to enjoy the gardens and why not have a meal or a cup of tea.
The 2 buildings are fully accessible to people with reduced mobility.
Advice on how to visit
On the day scheduled for our visit, we were only able to visit Modern One(Modern Two was closed for the installation of a new exhibition). We started with the first floor, where we saw atemporary exhibition by South Korean artist Do-Ho-Suh, before moving upstairs to the permanent collections. Here we saw works by some of the greatest names in modern and contemporary art, as well as works by Scottish artists.
We took advantage of our few days in Edinburgh to return to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and visit Modern Two for the opening of the exhibition Women in Revolt! This allowed us to appreciate the gallery’s committed vocation and the expression of the demands of the artists on show.
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Visiting with children
During our visit, we noticed several features to welcome young visitors:
- Free activity booklets, available at the entrance, allow children to discover the works in a fun way,
- Dedicated areas in certain rooms offer a quiet corner for drawing, reading or manipulating creative media,
- Workshops and family events are sometimes organized during the school vacations.
- Find out more here.
Schedules and rates
- The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is open daily from 10am to 5pm.
- Admission to permanent exhibitions is free.
- Some temporary exhibitions may be subject to a charge.
- Find out more here.
Guided tours
We didn’t see any guided tours, but the free Smartify art app lets you find out more about the museum’s works.
Catering
Each building has its own café, ideal for taking a break during your visit:
- Café Modern One: a bright upstairs space overlooking the gardens, offering hot dishes, salads, pastries and hot drinks in a peaceful atmosphere.
- Paolozzi’s Kitchen (Modern Two): on the first floor, the café takes its name from the Scottish artist, whose giant work decorates the space.
Modern One: modern art and a walk in a green park
While we loved the building’s exterior setting, its architecture and gardens, we were also seduced by the richness and diversity of the works it houses.
Immersive arrival between sculpture and classical architecture
Even before you step through the doors, art invites itself into the landscape with Landform, a large-scale landscape installation by Charles Jencks. British artist Martin Creed’s message “Everything is going to be alright” is also displayed in white neon letters.
The building itself, a former orphanage in neoclassical style, offers an interesting contrast between its historic past and the modernity of its contents.
Immersive temporary exhibition on the first floor
At the time of our visit, the first floor was hosting an exhibition devoted to South Korean artist Do-Ho-Suh. The ensemble of works explored notions of memory, identity and displacement through light materials, mainly translucent threads and fabrics.
Among them, a life-size architectural installation invited visitors to walk through corridors and rooms recreated in textiles, playing on transparency and superimpositions. The exhibition’s atmosphere was intimate, poetic and deeply sensory. Extremely delicate.
20th-century masterpieces upstairs
Upstairs, the permanent collection features major works of twentieth-century art. Works by Picasso, Morandi, Pollock, Paul Klee, Munch and Beuys are displayed in a clear, airy layout.
The tour, organized so as to create a dialogue between styles and eras, allows visitors to grasp the evolution of artistic forms, between figuration, abstraction and more conceptual experimentation.
Modern Two: Bold exhibitions and a more confidential atmosphere
On the other side of the garden, the Modern Two building offers a more intimate approach to contemporary art. It is home to projects that are often engaged, where the experience is built on a direct relationship with the works and ideas.
An exceptional venue for a committed approach
Modern Two occupies a former administrative building transformed into a museum space in the late 1990s. As monumental as its neighbor, it offers a more subdued atmosphere, conducive to introspection.
This venue was designed to host more conceptual or political exhibitions, often linked to major social and cultural issues. We explore contemporary artistic approaches that question, challenge or tell a different story.
Contemporary projects and temporary exhibitions
At the time of our visit, the building was hosting a major group exhibition focusing on feminist activism in British art from the 1970s to the 1990s. The display, rich in archival documents, posters, videos and installations, traced the struggles waged by women artists against social norms and patriarchal structures.
We were impressed by the diversity of approaches and the strength of the messages, in a journey that also left room for individual reflection.
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Frequently asked questions
Can both buildings be visited with the same ticket?
Access is free of charge. However, there may be a separate ticket for a specific temporary exhibition.
Can we take photos in the museum?
Yes, unless otherwise indicated in certain temporary exhibitions.
