Exit Waverley Station to find a host of galleries on one another’s doorsteps. Large-scale installations, classical painting, intimate photography and more sit side-by-side against the backdrop of the city’s Gothic architecture.

Edinburgh’s historic Old Town and the surrounding Southside form a dense cultural landscape where historic fabric and contemporary practice sit side by side. From major civic institutions such as the City Art Centre to lens-based and experimental work at the Stills Centre for Photography, the area offers a rich constellation of exhibition spaces. 

The Fruitmarket Gallery and Talbot Rice Gallery continue to shape contemporary discourse through ambitious programming, while initiatives such as Craigmillar Now extend artistic practice into civic and community contexts. Alongside these, Blackie House connects the city’s historic skyline with contemporary curatorial experimentation, linking landscape, heritage, and new artistic production.