The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art.
The RSA Building on Princes Street, Edinburgh
First President of the Scottish Academy, George Watson (1767-1837)
The RSA was formerly housed in the National Gallery of Scotland (left) until it moved to the Royal Institution building (right) in 1911
The RSA New Contemporaries Exhibition, 2022
Royal Scottish Academy Building
The Royal Scottish Academy building, the home of the Royal Scottish Academy, is an art museum in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is situated at the junction of The Mound and Princes Street in the centre of the city. It was built by William Henry Playfair in 1822-6. Along with the adjacent National Gallery of Scotland, their neo-classical design helped to transform Edinburgh into the cityscape known as "the Athens of the North". Today the structure is a Category A listed building.
The Royal Scottish Academy Building seen from Princes Street
1825 painting by Alexander Nasmyth of Princes Street, with the construction of the Royal Institution visible, right
The Royal Institution, Edinburgh (now the Royal Scottish Academy), by George Meikle Kemp, c. 1840; watercolour and pen, 31.30 x 44.90 cm; National Galleries Scotland
Playfair's fine detailing