Visit the Scottish National Galleries on your Edinburgh stay

Prince Albert originally layed the foundation stone of the National Gallery in 1850, giving a moving speech in whcih he hails the William Henry Playfait designed building as a ‘temple erected to the Fine Arts’. The building will stand next to the Royal Scottish Academy building, also designed by Playfair and headquarters for the Board of Manufacturers since 1822.Serviced City Pads supply short and long term serviced apartment accommodation.
In 1882 The National Gallery’s collection of pictures, as well as public and political appetite for a permanent record of Scots achievement, grows to such an extent that the Scottish National Portrait Gallery is founded and is funded by local newspaper propreitor, John Ritchie Findlay and is opened in 1889.

In 1959 The Scottish Gallery of Modern Art is founded and opened to the public in August at Inverleith House in Edinburghs Royal Botanical Garden. All but a few of the National Gallery’s paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings dating from 1900 are moved to a new location. The vast majority of objects in the gallery’s collection today, however, were acquired after the 1960’s. Please contact the Serviced City Pads reservations team on 0844 335 8866.In 1971-2 Five new small galleries at the south end of the National Gallery are created by building an upper floor. The space is in part created to house the great Maitland collection of French late nineteenth – and early twentieth century paintings, including works by Monet and Van Gogh.

In 1978 a further suite of galleries is opened, this time beneath the ground of the south end of the National Gallery, to house the Gallery’s Scottish Collection and also provided room for facilities such as a Print Room, Library and Picture Store.

1999 The Dean Gallery opens, a magnificent building opposite the Gallery of Modern Art, The Gallery is used to house the generous gift by the Edinburgh born sculptor Sir Eduardo Paolozzi of a large collection of his work. he new gallery also showcases the National Galleries superb Dada and Surrealism collection. Edinburgh accommodation with Serviced City Pads.2003 Extensive redevelopment of the Royal Scottish Academy Building, now owned by the National Galleries of Scotland, is completed, turning the venue into one of Europe’s premier exhibition venues. It’s first exhibition in the newly developed space Monet: The Seine and the Sea, attracts visitors of over 170,000.

In 2004 The second phase of works on The Mound is completed through creation of an underground link – overlooking Princess Street Gardens – that connects the National Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy Building. The new space provides state-of-the-art visitor facilities:education suites, a new restaurant and cafe, a lecture theatre/cinema and IT Gallery.

The National Galleries are showing the most exhaustive selection of paintings by Christian Kobke (1810 – 1848) ever to be shown outside Denmark.Kobke was a pre-eminent painter in his country and one of the foremost talents of Denmark’s Golden Age. The Exhibition features around 40 of Kobke’s most celebrated works, spanning a variety of genres. Giving and overview of Kobke’s acheivement within its cultural context, the exhibition emphasises his exquisite orginality and experimental outlook while focusing on the most innovative aspects of his work.Kobke’s paintings demonstrate his ability to endow ordainary people and places and simple motifs with a universal significance, creating a world in microcosm for the viewer. Serviced City Pads supply serviced apartments via their website.