New beginnings
Some of Scotland's finest museums are set to re-open this year following major refurbishment.
Facelift for portrait gallery
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery has reopened following a £17.6 million restoration project.
The major refurbishment is the first in the Gallery's 120-year history.
It has restored much of architect Sir Robert Rowand Anderson's original vision, opening up previously inaccessible parts of the building and increasing the public space by more than 60 per cent. Entry is free.
The iconic Edinburgh building was the world's first purpose-built portrait gallery when it opened in 1889.
The Gallery celebrates famous and well-known Scots throughout the ages - from great thinkers and poets to modern actors and actresses.
Its collection of portraits has grown to become one of the largest in the world, with 3,000 paintings and sculptures and 25,000 prints and drawings.
The distinctive red sandstone building also houses the national collection of photography with around 38,000 historic and modern photographs.
James Holloway, Director of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, said:
"Scotland's national potraits at last have a home worthy of them. Our great iconic building now looks tremendous and is the perfect showcase for our rich and unique collection."
The Gallery refurbishment comes in a year when Stirling Castle Palace, the Burns Museum and the National Museum of Scotland have all undergone considerable renovation.
The year 2011 also saw the opening of Glasgow's new Museum of Transport and Travel which has already attracted more than a million visitors.
Two other high-profile projects include the opening of the V&A at Dundee which will be an international centre of design for Scotland with an anticipated opening in 2015 and the construction of the new Bannockburn Heritage Centre which is expected to open in 2014 to mark the 700th anniversary of the Battle.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery: Key works
Left: Alexander Naysmith, Robert Burns, 1759-1796, 1787
Right: Sir Anthony van Dyck, Princess Elizabeth, 1635 - 1650 and Princess Anne, 1637 - 1640. Daughters of Charles I , 1637.
Images courtesy of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Left: David Eustace John Byrne , 2010, © David Eustace.
Right: Sarah Dunn Gerard Butler , 2009, © Sarah Dunn.
Images courtesy of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
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