The building served as an orphanage and school for 150 years before being converted into an art gallery in 1984.
The sculpture park contains a permanent installation of 'Tree of Life' sculptures by the artist Nathan Coley.
The landscaped grounds feature 'Landform,' a giant, wave-like grass sculpture designed by architectural critic and landscape architect Charles Jencks.
The gallery holds one of the most comprehensive collections of Dada and Surrealist art in the United Kingdom.
The Water of Leith Walkway runs directly through the gallery grounds, providing a scenic pedestrian route through the city.
National Galleries Scotland: Modern One is housed in an 1825 neoclassical building designed by William Burn, originally constructed as the John Watson's School. The gallery features a collection focused on 20th and 21st-century art, including works by Bacon, Freud, and Warhol. Its 12-acre grounds serve as a landscaped sculpture park featuring prominent works by artists like Ian Hamilton Finlay and Nathan Coley. The interior highlights include the recreated studio of the Scottish colourist Francis Cadell. The site is part of a two-building campus, connected to Modern Two by a shared sculpture park. The grounds are notable for Charles Jencks’s 'Landform,' a massive, earth-mounded landscape sculpture. The gallery hosts regular rotating contemporary exhibitions throughout the year. It sits on the northern bank of the Water of Leith, integrated into a historic residential part of Edinburgh.
The elevated grassy waves of the 'Landform' sculpture located at the front of the gallery.
Walk the Water of Leith trail between Modern One and Modern Two to see the outdoor sculpture collection.
Check the website for current temporary exhibitions, as these often occupy the majority of the gallery space.
Wear comfortable footwear if you plan to walk the entirety of the sculpture-filled grounds.
Missing the sculpture park by only visiting the indoor galleries.
Maintain quiet voices in gallery spaces; do not touch artworks or outdoor sculptures.
