Overview

As the rained poured onto a bustling Princes Street I looked for somewhere to take cover. Seeing a sign proclaiming accessible entrance I wheeled in that general direction to find it was the National Gallery.

Transport & Parking

I arrived from the street side of the Mound and had used a Lothian bus to get there. Great service, as all the buses have low floor level access and powered ramps that the driver puts down at the touch of a button. The Galleries are also right next door to one of Edinburgh's new tram stops; again a great accessible service.

Access

A well deserved tops marks: from the signage to show me the way in through to the greeting and helpfulness of the staff it worked seamlessly. A short ramp at the rear of the building takes you to the accessible door where a member of staff greeted me and explained the layout, the lift, and the tips for where to start my tour. A large circular lift takes you to the various floors, I headed to the top where the exhibition areas were large, spacious and very easy to wheel around without fear of accidentally hitting a work of art!

Toilets

Taking the lift to the lower level, think it's called the Garden Level, you come out by the cafe, shop and restaurant. Here you can link to the other Gallery building where a similar lift will take you upstairs. There are two accessible loos adjacent to the main toilets, just look out for the signs to get you there. Both are of the spacious and of a narrow style but worked for me as a powerchair user.

Staff

Excellent staff! The chap who met me at the accessible door was great as he explained the layout, what to see, where to go, how the lift worked, and how you go down to connect with the other building. Going around other staff were equally helpful.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

In the galleries there are large print booklets you can borrow that explain the exhibits. Great for a wheelchair user as I didn't have to peer at the labels up on the wall. The cafe was excellent with staff happy to take your refreshments to a table. Tables and chairs are moveable to make it easy to position your wheelchair. The shop was easy to browse with two wide alley ways to wheel along. You can go out from the Garden level directly into Princes Street Gardens to admire the views or sit outside with a coffee.

Photos