Arcadia Scotland

Exciting new Scottish art collection now available to the public

After years of some of the most iconic Scottish art being in storage, the new Scottish Art Gallery opened its doors on the 30th of September. The gallery is located at the National Gallery of Scotland, in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town. The gallery opening gives a new home to fan favourites such as the works by Charles Rennie Macintosh and seascapes by McTaggart. The gallery boasts 130 artworks on display. The total cost of the project, including the renovation and construction of the new gallery cost £38.62 million. Gathered through fundraising, patronage, Scottish Government grants and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

 The access to the gallery is through an accessible entrance from East Princes Street Gardens and there is no cost to enter the galleries. The impressive collection of Scottish art makes this gallery a must-see for visiting students. It walks you through the history of some of the most prolific artists and art movements in Scotland, whilst also highlighting some of the key events of Scotland’s history. 

The gallery boasts ten new display areas. Large slices of windows offer gorgeous views onto Princes Street and Princes Street Gardens. The views are echoed in the paintings near-by, which deal with the iconic skyline of Edinburgh. Photographs of the capital are displayed alongside dramatic oil-painted vistas of the Scottish Highlands. Along the centre of the gallery a display shows the colourful, mythic work of Phoebe Anna Traquair and other artists dealing with angels and myths. Her four glimmering and gorgeous tapestries create a luminous space where Celtic Revivalist John Duncan’s St Bride hangs. 

The gallery then delves into the cool blues and greys of William McTaggart’s seascapes. Throughout we glimpse the vibrant, light paintings of Scottish colourists before delving into the idyllic world of the Glasgow Boys. Their paintings are defined by almost fairy-tale scenes of children in nature, but painted with a large degree of realism. 

The farthest corner of the gallery displays works dealing with myths and legends. Here fairies peer out from undergrowth and medieval courtly love between a king and a lady is played out on a folding screen. 

The display moves on to show some of the finest landscapes painted in the 1700 and 1800s. Here, smoky mist encircles iconic Scottish mountains and oak trees tower over lochs. 

At the end of the gallery, surveying everything proudly, is the Monarch of the Glen.