National Galleries of Scotland

The National Galleries of Scotland actually comprises of three national galleries. The first of these, the Scottish National Gallery, was opened in 1859. In response to an increasing interest and demand for the recognition of Scottish culture, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery was opened in 1889. In 1959 the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art was added to the mix. The Scottish National Gallery is currently undergoing refurbishment in order to create more space for its unique collection of historic Scottish art. The improved space is planned to open in 2019. The collection includes major works by artists including Sir Henry Raeburn, Allan Ramsay, Sir David Wilkie, William McTaggart, Phoebe Anna Traquair and The Glasgow Boys. The perhaps most awe-inspiring piece in the Gallery of Modern art is actually outside the museum itself – the front lawn was reshaped in 2002 by Charles Jencks’ sculpture, Landform Ueda, into crescent-shaped pools surrounded by weaving serpentine-like hills. In 2004, the sculpture earned the Gallery the Gulbenkian Prize.