City Guide

Museums, art galleries and exhibitions in Scotland

Craigievar Castle
Craigievar Castle
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Looking for art galleries, museums, and other attractions in Scotland?

Explore art and culture against Scotland’s rugged landscape, from fascinating artefacts at the National Museum of Scotland, mesmerising sculpture at Jupiter Artland, and hidden gem Timespan in the heart of the remote Highlands.

Start planning the perfect Scotland trip by finding the right museum for you.

Must-see Scottish museums

Places to visit in Scotland with your National Art Pass
Museum

Inverness Museum and Art Galle…

Inverness
Scotland
Museum

Aberdeen Art Gallery

Art Fund Museum of the Year
Find out more
2020 joint winner
Aberdeen
Scotland
Museum

The Black Watch Castle & Museu…

Perth
Scotland
Free entry
Museum

Almond Valley Heritage Centre

Livingston
Scotland
50% off entry
Museum

Wardlaw Museum

St Andrews
Scotland
Museum

McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery…

Dundee
Scotland
Museum

Historic Environment Scotland

Edinburgh
Scotland
Museum

Blair Castle

Pitlochry
Scotland
25% off entry
See all museums
'Hope Floats' at the Scottish Maritime Museum
Skylark IX Recovery Trust

Popular Scottish exhibitions

Visit these exhibitions in Scotland with your National Art Pass

Exhibition

Hope Floats

5 March - 31 December 2023
Scottish Maritime Museum: Dumbarton
Dumbarton
Free entry
Exhibition

Beyond the Little Black Dress

1 July - 29 October 2023
National Museum of Scotland
Edinburgh
50% off exhibitions
Exhibition

Tartan

1 April 2023 - 14 January 2024
V&A Dundee
Dundee
50% off exhibitions
Exhibition

Scottish Women Artists: 250 Ye…

28 July 2023 - 6 January 2024
Dovecot Studios
Edinburgh
50% off exhibitions
See all exhibitions

Upcoming events

Make, play and learn at events across Scotland
Special Event

Doors Open Days: Elgin Museum…

23 September 2023
Join us for an exclusive behind the scenes tour of Elgin Museum's collection stores!
Elgin Museum
Elgin
Family

Elgin Museum Makes - Medieval…

15 October 2023
Join us for a fun family make as we make crafts inspired by Medieval Moray!
Elgin Museum
Elgin
Family

Elgin Museum Makes - Ancient E…

12 October 2023
Join us for a fun family make as we make crafts inspired by ancient Egypt!
Elgin Museum
Elgin
See all events

Get inspired

Recommendations for your next day out
National Museum Cardiff, 2017
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Top tips for exploring museums with children

From the V&A to Cardiff Castle, get top tips on how to make a great museum experience for kids with author Mary Richards.
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29 May 2022
Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales
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Animal encounters: Museums with farms, butterfly houses, aviaries and more

Majestic horses, rare birds and even live beehives – explore the animal kingdom at these museums and historic houses this spring.
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22 Apr 2021
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Family-friendly museums: Top spots for visiting with kids

From enchanted libraries to adorable farm animals, museums have so much to offer for curious young minds.
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9 Aug 2022
Hepworth Wakefield, Museum of the Year Winner, 2017. Photo: Marc Atkins / Art Fund 2017. MOTY 2017. CP0068
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Explore the most iconic museums the UK has to offer

Whether you love cutting-edge art, classical painting or artefacts from around the world, you’ll be able to see all your favourite things at these...
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30 Aug 2022
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Places to remember the First World War

We've picked our favourite venues and works of art that commemorate the First World War.
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1 Feb 2016
In 1774 Josiah Wedgwood wrote to Thomas Bentley, a business partner at Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, proposing the creation of a collection that would save the company's works for posterity. The resulting collection was unique in its scope and depth, using ceramics, manuscripts, fine art, manufacturing equipment and more to tell the story of Britain's greatest porcelain manufacturer and the family that founded it.Today the collection is formed of more than 8,000 historical pieces, as well as 80,000 manuscripts, pattern books, works of art and photographs chronicling 250 years of Wedgwood pottery and the developments in taste, politics, society, science and art that shaped it. The ceramics in the collection range from Josiah's early experiments in jasper through to modern pieces. Highlights include Josiah Wedgwood's own first edition of the iconic jasper Portland Vase, and five plates from the 'Green Frog Service', a magnificent dinner set commissioned by Catherine the Great in 1773 for her palace at Kekerekeksinen.As well as pottery and personalia, the collection includes a number of fine works by artists with connections to Wedgwood, from John Flaxman to Peter Blake. Portraits of the Wedgwood family by George Stubbs, Joshua Reynolds and John Singer Sargent are among the collection's most precious works.
Long Reads

7 wild works of art acquired with Art Fund support

Inspired by The Wild Escape, Giovanni Aloi and Stephanie Holt explain the stories behind animals found in seven works acquired with Art Fund support.
Read More
31 Mar 2023
Recommendations

Places to visit in Dundee

The unveiling of the magnificent new V&A Dundee reflects both the vibrancy of the city’s cultural life and its broader renaissance. Christiana...
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31 Aug 2018
National Museum of Scotland
Recommendations

An insider's guide to Edinburgh

From the Scottish National Gallery to Dovecot Studios, explore the best museums to visit in Edinburgh, thanks to a city local.
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21 Aug 2022
Recommendations

The exhibitions you must see in 2023

Discover the story of the little black dress, Andy Warhol’s fascination with textiles, the legend of the Knossos minotaur, and fashion house Chanel...
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19 Dec 2022
Recommendations

Discover somewhere new: Art and culture off the beaten track

In search of something out of the ordinary for your next museum visit? Here’s our pick of exciting, inspiring and unusual spaces to explore across...
Read More
1 Nov 2022
Recommendations

Top 10 Scottish treasures

From fantastical castles to Victorian country houses, Scotland is home to some spectacular architecture.
Read More
14 Feb 2016
National Maritime Museum Cornwall
Recommendations

Ten great days out for summer

This summer, we've got 10 suggestions of places with something for everyone – from animals by the seaside to museums exploring the sea and sky.
Read More
11 Jul 2017
One of the best art exhibitions in 2023, DIVA at V&A South Kensington in London
Recommendations

Design your own fashion week at these museums and galleries

From gorgeous garments to intriguing materials, discover the stories behind our clothes at these fashion and textile museums.
Read More
5 Sep 2023
Kensington Palace aerial view front.
Recommendations

Must-see venues with royal connections

To mark the coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort, we've rounded up a selection of must-see venues with royal connections.
Read More
3 May 2023
Wangechi Mutu, Histology of the Different Classes of Uterine Tumors
Long Reads

Wangechi Mutu and the revelation of inequities

Marcus Field discovers a work at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art that raises questions about colonialism, race and gender.
Read More
7 Mar 2022
Podcast

Brian Cox at the Scottish Nati…

14 Apr 2022
Actor Brian Cox shares some of his favourite works of art at the Scottish National Gallery…
National Galleries Scotland: National
Edinburgh
Listen now
Jupiter Artland, Ian Hamilton Finlay 'Xth Muse'
Recommendations

Museums and galleries for a perfect bank holiday weekend

Experience something new and take a culture trip this bank holiday weekend. Here’s a museum of every shape and size to inspire you.
Read More
23 Aug 2023
Exterior of the Burrell Collection
Long Reads

The story behind Glasgow’s Burrell Collection

David Trigg explores the Burrell Collection, home to one of the most significant personal collections ever gifted to the public, which is reopening...
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28 Mar 2022
Tulips at Lyme
Recommendations

Explore idyllic gardens at historic houses for springtime

Landscaped gardens, cascading countryside and perfect spots for a picnic – here’s our pick of the best grounds and gardens to visit for spring.
Read More
31 Mar 2022
Recommendations

Five maritime museums that explore Britain's history at sea

Nautical but nice! From battleships to research vessels, rope makers to admirals these five museums explore our island's relationship with the sea.
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27 May 2013
Pendennis Castle, aerial view
Recommendations

Five spectacular castles by the sea

In a regal tour of Britain’s coastlines, we bring you our must-see list of coastal castles, perfect for historical days out by the sea.
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1 Feb 2021
Michael Craig-Martin, Tricycle, 2016, The Foundling Museum, Art Funded 2017
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See art for free with your National Art Pass

Here’s our pick of the inspirational museums, galleries and historic houses you can visit for free with your National Art Pass.
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15 Dec 2021
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Animal art to inspire your Wild Escape creations

We've found these creatures hiding in museums across the UK. Pick your favourite to draw, send it in to The Wild Escape, and watch it come to life!
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18 Apr 2023
Podcast

Jack Lowden at the National Mu…

7 Oct 2021
Actor Jack Lowden takes his friend and fellow actor Andrew Rothney to the National Museum…
National Museum of Scotland
Edinburgh
Listen now
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Where to see art outdoors: Sculpture parks and art gardens to visit now

Art and the great outdoors – have you ever known a better pairing? Head to these venues to see art in the open air, in dramatic garden and parkland...
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11 May 2023
Podcast

Kirsty Wark at V&A Dundee

8 Dec 2019
Journalist and TV presenter Kirsty Wark takes illustrator Johanna Basford to V&A Dunde…
V&A Dundee
Dundee
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Top five contemporary art galleries in Scotland

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4 Aug 2023
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Special episode: highlights fr…

10 Aug 2023
In this special episode, we delve into the Meet Me at the Museum archive to pull out highl…
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