Edinburgh Art Galleries, Museums, Supplies & More

Best art galleries Edinburgh museums supplies classes your area

Over the next few minutes we will be breaking down everything we know about art in Edinburgh in full detail and our first section will fully cover the best art galleries and museums near you.

After that we will get into a variety of other topics like art supply stores, events, festivals, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, local sculptures and statues, art classes, studios for rent, and the top frame shops in your area.

You can jump straight to any section that interests you most by using the table of contents on the left and we are also including an Edinburgh art map with all of the spots we mention throughout the post pinned on it.

The United Kingdom is somewhere that we have covered often on our site if you want to read more.

Best Art Galleries & Museums In Edinburgh

If you want to check out the best art galleries and museums in Edinburgh you can head to:

The Scottish National Gallery is open from 10am to 5pm daily located in the centre of town and has one of the world’s greatest collections of top quality art including works by Botticelli, Rembrandt, Raphael, Titian, El Greco, Landseer, Constable, Velázquez, Vermeer, Tiepolo, Turner, and Angelica Kauffmann amongst many more.

Scotland’s finest collection of modern and contemporary art is housed in the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art which is also open from 10am to 5pm daily and which has world-class sculptures as well as a pop-up cafe with gorgeous green areas.

The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is one of Edinburgh’s most impressive structures, a giant red sandstone neo-gothic palace that stands proudly on the city’s skyline that you can visit from 10am to 5pm daily. Sir Robert Rowand Anderson designed the Gallery as a tribute to the areas heroes and heroines and it was the world’s first purpose-built portrait gallery when it opened to the public in 1889.

The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the countries national art academy which was created in 1826 by a group of eleven painters who met here. You can head over to see all that they offer from 10am to 5pm to Monday through Saturday and starting at noon on Sunday.

For a photographic center in the heart of town that has a long history of supporting the advancement, enjoyment, exploration, and knowledge of photography in Scotland that was founded in 1977 visit Stills.

Jupiter Artland is open from from 10am to 5pm daily when you will find a modern sculpture park and art gallery that is a non-profit organization supported by classes, seminars, events, ticket sales, and contributions.

The Open Eye Gallery was founded in 1982 and is one of the major modern private art galleries in your area of Scotland which you can check out from 11am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday. Located in the heart of New Town in a historic Georgian townhouse it hosts a year-round exhibition program of contemporary painting, printmaking, and applied arts.

The Velvet Easel is a contemporary art gallery that is open from 10am to 5pm Thursday through Saturday and starting at 11am  on Sunday presenting a diverse spectrum of modern art by local, regional, and worldwide artists.

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh is a collection of 13 locations and over 200 monuments located around the city with an aim to promote, enthuse, and provoke people through our common love of the city, art, and history.

The Queen’s Gallery is open from 9:30am to 6pm Thursday through Monday displaying art from the Royal Collection and it has been open for about 20 years.

Materials & Supplies Near You

These art stores in your area should have all of the materials and supplies you desire:

Greyfriars Art Shop has been servicing the local artist community for almost two centuries and has had many famous clients throughout the years including John Bellany.

Henderson Artshop has been a staple in the heart of Stockbridge for five decades featuring a large selection of artist supplies which is excellent if you are a professional or just want to give it a shot. The business also features a large selection of high-quality items for youngsters.

For an art store that specializes in spray paint, street art, and graffiti painting materials head to Mainline Store who has more than 450 spray paint colors in stock so you won’t be short of options.

Edinburgh Art Shop is located in the city center.

Tollcross is within a few minutes’ walk from the College of Art, the Meadows, and the Castle.

Cass Art has been supplying the creative community with art supplies since 1984.

Founded in 1995, Hobbycraft has since grown to a nationwide business with over 100 locations throughout the UK with everything you need for art, knitting and crochet, haberdashery, papercraft, wedding and party supplies, baking, jewelry making, and more.

The Works founded its first store in 1981 and today operates a chain of over 500 outlets throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Shows & Events

You can find some of the best art shows and events in Scotland right here:

Edinburgh Art Festival is Scotland’s largest annual visual arts festival presenting a wide and energetic program of exhibits and events throughout museums. Artists and performers travel to hundreds of stages across the city to present entertainment to suit all tastes.

One of the world’s largest festivals of arts and culture is The Edinburgh Festival Fringe when for three weeks in August the city is inundated with creative energy from all over the world.

The Edinburgh International Festival was founded in 1947 as a world-class cultural event to bring together audiences and artists from across the globe and it has increased rapidly over the last 70 years.

Art Dealers & Appraisers

When you want to find some new unique pieces to add to your collection or figure out the true value of something visit art dealers and appraisers near you like:

The Scottish Gallery showcases the greatest in Scottish painting from the twentieth century to the present as well as museum-quality worldwide applied art.

The Fine Art Society was founded in 1876 and has two magnificent exhibition locations in Edinburgh and London that handle great items of British art and design. They are experts in Scottish art from the 1700’s to the present as well as London-based painters from the Victorian, Edwardian, and interwar periods. In addition to buying and selling Scottish works themselves they advise collectors and public institutions at all levels on private sales, auction purchases, framing, conservation, and collection curation.

Traditional art of primarily nineteenth-century oils, watercolours, and prints of Scottish landscapes, sporting and military scenes, portraiture, caricatures, and maps are what you get from The Anthony Woodd Gallery.

Sell My Artworks is a selected online destination where you can re-sell and acquire pre-loved artwork in a simple, fast, and cost-effective way.

Since the first Castle Fine Art gallery opened over 20 years ago they have worked hard to match their collectors with the appropriate artworks.

Walking Tours

Art walking tours in your area can be a lot of fun when the weather is nice:

Edinburgh Street Art can take you on a walking tour of colorful street art by famous and aspiring local artists as well as modern sculptures by globally known creators. Many brilliant and colorful murals and paintings cover the area’s walls, store fronts, bars, and restaurants.

Sculptures & Statues

You might also want to take some photos of these statues and sculptures:

  • David Hume Statue at Royal Mile
  • Robert Fergusson Statue at 145 Canongate
  • The Manuscript of Monte Cassino at 61 York Pl
  • Dreaming Spires at 61 Leith St
  • Statue of Thomas Guthrie at 117 Princes St
  • Adam Smith Statue at 192 Royal Mile

The monument of 18th century philosopher David Hume was erected in 1995 by sculptor Sandy Stoddart and is located on the Royal Mile in front of the High Court Building.

The Friends of Robert Fergusson commissioned the Robert Fergusson Statue and three sculptors had been shortlisted by 2001: David Annand, Bill Scott, and Jill Watson.

The Manuscript of Monte Cassino is a sculpture near you that was made out of disembodied body parts that serves as a poignant reflection of the tragedies of WWII.

Metallic giraffes are featured on Dreaming Spires and Denerley created the sculptures in 2005.

The Thomas Guthrie Statue is located in West Princes Street Gardens and was sculpted by Frederick W. Pomeroy ARA as Thomas Guthrie stands on a stone pedestal near Peterhead holding his Bible and looking down on a figure of a ragged boy.

On July 4, 2008 Alexander Stoddart presented the world’s first large public monument honoring Adam Smith with a monument that consists of a 10-foot bronze figure on a large stone plinth that is located on the Royal Mile.

Edinburgh Art Classes

You might be interested in private lessons or group classes for kids, teens, or adults but either way the best art schools in Edinburgh would be:

The Edinburgh Atelier of Fine Art (EAFA) is dedicated to the preservation of traditional methods of teaching drawing, painting, and sculpture as well as the development of today’s masters.

Claudia Petretti offers art classes for people of all skill levels including courses in drawing, painting, general studies, and figure drawing.

A full montessori education by creative arts professionals in your area for children aged one to eighteen are available from Edinburgh Montessori Arts School.

Fiona McCrindle established the Edinburgh Drawing School in March 2012 which originated from a concern that many of the local art schools were losing their traditional skill base with the reduction or removal of drawing, particularly life drawing, from the curriculum of fine art programs.

Mark and Lottie Cheverton, two art teachers, founded Leith School of Art in 1988 which currently has two campuses.

The Art Club specializes in providing classes for students of all ages with various topics from drawing and painting to graphic art, sculpting, and applied arts. The studio is available for use as a teaching facility as well as for exhibits and events.

Studios For Rent Near You

When your creative juices start pumping try to rent studio space at:

West Park Place has 40 studios spread across many stories while individual studios and open plan studios are available in a variety of sizes and it currently houses roughly 70 artists’ studios.

EP Spaces is the nationwide network of cheap meantime spaces for artists and creative groups run by Edinburgh Printmakers. They work with landlords across the country to repurpose disused stores, offices, and retail units with new purpose and vibrancy while also creating lively spaces in the heart of towns and cities that may have limited workplaces for creative individuals.

The Art Club from the schools list also has studio space available.

Framing

When you need art framing in Edinburgh head to:

Colinton Arts is located in the town of Colinton and was founded in 1981 to provide professional advice and a personal service for all elements of picture frame, cleaning, and restoration.

Edinburgh Arts & Picture Framers has over 40 years of expertise and aims to provide the highest quality and service. Their limited and open edition art prints showcase the finest of Scottish art and are shipped wrapped in tubes as standard.

For a professional family-run picture framing business that serves the majority of central Scotland contact Have It Framed who endeavors to provide high-quality preservation picture framing service to all consumers that visit their business. They have over 1,500 distinct frame types to choose from with access to an additional 10,000 and can also print your treasured images and artwork before framing them.

Framework Picture Framers works with artists, collectors, galleries, and individual clients to develop aesthetically pleasing frame designs.

Detail Framing Studio collaborates with artists, galleries, and collectors as well as their local community to give the greatest framing solution for each individual.

The Fine Art Society from the best galleries near you list also does framing.

In the past we have also discussed:

Have Fun Enjoying The Edinburgh Art Scene

For today that is all we have to share about the full art scene near you. We listed the best galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, local walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers that you may want to check out.

If you made it this far you might just know quite a bit about the local art scene yourself. Feel free to share your own local tips, or to let us know if we may have gotten anything wrong in the comments.

We hope you enjoy your time at the best Edinburgh art galleries, museums, supply stores, or doing whatever else you plan to do with the info.

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This post and all of the posts on our site are edited by Dan Soloman who has been a huge fan of art since he was a little kid. His mother was a good local artist, and she taught him the trade from a very early age. He studied art and its history in both high school and college, has worked at multiple galleries, and recently has begun creating and editing online content for this site and some other online media platforms.

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