Royal Scottish Academy Building

Why go

Its neoclassical design complements the Scottish National Gallery beside it, while the Academy’s exhibitions offer a different reason to enter. Look for the statue of Queen Victoria above the building. A visit works well alongside the neighbouring gallery, provided you first choose the exhibition that interests you.

What to look for

• William Henry Playfair designed the neoclassical building.
• John Steell’s statue of Queen Victoria tops the building.
• The building stands beside the Scottish National Gallery on the Mound.

The full story

The Royal Scottish Academy Building belongs to William Henry Playfair’s transformation of the Mound through neoclassical architecture. Beside the Scottish National Gallery, it presents a cultural frontage between Princes Street and the Old Town. The two buildings are best compared together: their classical forms create a coherent setting even though their institutional roles differ. The Academy began in 1826 with a group of contemporary artists and received a royal charter in 1838. Its history is therefore tied to artists organising and exhibiting their work, rather than solely to the formation of a permanent national collection. That distinction still makes an exhibition visit a different prospect from a visit to the neighbouring gallery. William Thomas Oldrieve remodelled both buildings in 1912, and later refurbishment continued their adaptation for art. Above the Academy building stands John Steell’s statue of Queen Victoria. Looking up at the sculpture and then across to the gallery connects the individual details with the larger architectural composition.

Useful to know

• Check the exhibition programme before making the interior your main reason to come.
• Combine its exterior with the neighbouring gallery and a walk up the Mound.

Your next visit

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