Britain’s top cities for museums & galleries – Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s museums & galleries

It’s little wonder Edinburgh has been designated a World Heritage Site, alongside the world's greatest cities such as Rome and Venice. And when you first arrive in Edinburgh you cannot but be impressed by this city.

A city of contrasts

The city’s skyline is dominated by the staggering Edinburgh Castle (www.edinburghcastle.biz/). Just below the castle, off to the left of the bustling Princes Street, you’ll find the imposing temple of the National Gallery of Scotland. From here, you can catch the whole cityscape in a glimpse of the eye. It’s a great place to appreciate just how much the Scottish capital has to offer.

The Writers’ Museum

The Writers Museum

What about Edinburgh’s museums and galleries? Well, there’s plenty to see and do. Let’s start our tour at the Writers Museum (www.cac.org.uk/venues/writers_museum.htm), which is a treasure house of portraits and manuscripts from great Scottish writers including Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Edinburgh’s top galleries

Not too far away are the National Gallery of Scotland (www.nationalgalleries.org) and the Royal Scottish Academy (www.royalscottishacademy.org/), which recently saw the opening of an underground link between the two galleries. At the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (www.natgalscot.ac.uk/visit/page/2:298:3) you can also view portraits of famous Scots from the 16th century to the present day. Then on to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art to view some modern art.

Museum of Childhood Puppets

See works by Dada

Other notable galleries and museums include The Museum of Childhood, The Museum of Edinburgh, Weston Link (Edinburgh’s newest landmark building) and the Dean Gallery (www.natgalscot.ac.uk/visit/page/2:118:4) containing world class artworks from Dada and Surrealist art and work by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi.

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