Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

National Galleries Scotland: Modern, formerly the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, is a major art museum in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. As part of National Galleries Scotland, it holds the national collection of modern and contemporary art, spanning from roughly 1900 to the present. The institution comprises two buildings, Modern One and Modern Two, which face each other on Belford Road to the west of the city centre. Its holdings encompass more than 6,000 paintings, sculptures, installations, video works, prints, and drawings, alongside a significant library and archive. The museum also stages major temporary exhibitions and is currently directed by Simon Groom, who was appointed in 2007.

The museum first opened in August 1960, located in Inverleith House within Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden. As the collection grew, the institution relocated in 1984 to a former school on Belford Road. By 1999, the museum had outgrown this single building and expanded across the street into the former Dean Orphan Hospital, which was converted by Terry Farrell and Partners and initially opened as the Dean Gallery. Following a 2012 rebranding, the two sites were renamed Modern One and Modern Two. A further rebranding in 2023 changed the organization's name to National Galleries Scotland, and the campus became officially known as National Galleries Scotland: Modern. Over its history, the institution's acquisitions policy evolved from an aspiration toward universal coverage of international modern art to a targeted specialization in specific areas, notably Dada and Surrealism.

The collection covers modern and contemporary art from the beginning of the twentieth century onward, balancing historical survey with contemporary engagement, and international movements with modern Scottish art. Early twentieth-century European art forms a core strength, including cubist, expressionist, and modern British works. The post-war and contemporary collection features prominent international figures alongside a strong Scottish representation. A particular specialization lies in Dada and Surrealism, supported by extensive archival and library holdings. The museum also participates in the ARTIST ROOMS program, a collection of modern and contemporary art acquired jointly by National Galleries Scotland and Tate with support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund, and the Scottish and British Governments.

Modern One displays early European works by artists such as André Derain, Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso, alongside works by the Scottish Colourists Samuel John Peploe, John Duncan Fergusson, Francis Cadell, and Leslie Hunter. Post-war and contemporary highlights include pieces by Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Joan Eardley, Alan Davie, Douglas Gordon, Antony Gormley, Robert Priseman, and Tracey Emin. Modern One also holds the larger of Roy Lichtenstein's In the Car pieces. Modern Two houses the world-famous Surrealism collection, featuring works by Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Alberto Giacometti. It also permanently displays a recreation of Eduardo Paolozzi's studio and his 7.3-metre-tall sculpture, Vulcan, as well as ceiling panels originally made for Cleish Castle.

The museum occupies two imposing neo-classical buildings. Modern One is the former John Watson's Institution, a refuge for fatherless children designed by William Burn in 1825 and adapted for gallery use in 1984. It houses bright, spacious rooms, a print-room, a conservation workshop for all the National Galleries, a cafe, and a shop. Modern Two is the former Dean Orphan Hospital, designed by Thomas Hamilton in 1833 and converted in 1999. Both buildings are set in extensive parkland featuring outdoor sculptures by artists such as Ian Hamilton Finlay, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, George Rickey, Rachel Whiteread, Richard Long, and Nathan Coley. In 2002, the lawn in front of Modern One was re-landscaped into a dramatic land art project called Landform by Charles Jencks, comprising a stepped, serpentine mound reflected in three crescent-shaped pools of water. The facade of Modern One features Martin Creed's Work No. 975, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT. The grounds back onto the Water of Leith river and walkway.

The galleries are located at 73 and 75 Belford Road, Edinburgh, EH4 3DR, approximately a 15-minute walk from Princes Street or Haymarket Station. Modern One can also be reached via the Water of Leith walkway. Both Modern One and Modern Two are open daily from 10am to 5pm, with cafes, shops, and visitor parking available. Research facilities, including the archives and special collections comprising over 120 holdings and 2,500 artist books focusing heavily on Dada and Surrealism, are open by advance appointment Monday to Friday. The grounds are open daily from 7am to 6pm, though gates to the Water of Leith close at dusk between October and March. The museum offers free family trails, sensory walks, and educational workshops, and provides accessible parking and changing places facilities.