Scottish National Gallery

The Scottish National Gallery, now branded simply as the National by National Galleries of Scotland, is one of the finest small collections of European painting anywhere, and it is free. The building is a neoclassical temple by William Henry Playfair, opened in 1859 on the Mound, the artificial ridge that links the Old and New Towns, with Princes Street Gardens falling away on either side. Next to it stands its twin, the Royal Scottish Academy building, also by Playfair, which hosts exhibitions and is linked underground. Inside, the octagonal red-walled rooms are hung densely in the nineteenth-century way, and the collection punches far above its size. Highlights include Vermeer's early Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, one of very few Vermeers in Britain; Velazquez's Old Woman Cooking Eggs, painted when he was still a teenager; Titian, Raphael, Botticelli and Rembrandt; and later works including Monet's Haystacks, Van Gogh's Olive Trees and Gauguin's Vision of the Sermon. Scottish painting is the other great strength. Henry Raeburn's Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch, the skating minister, is probably the most loved picture in Scotland, and Allan Ramsay's portraits are superb. The major recent addition is the suite of new Scottish galleries on the lower level, which opened after a long redevelopment and shows Scottish art from around 1800 to 1945, from McTaggart and the Glasgow Boys to Phoebe Anna Traquair and Anne Redpath, with big windows looking out over the gardens towards the castle. The gallery opens daily, admission is free, and only some special exhibitions charge.

How to visit: there are two entrances. The main entrance is at the gardens level from East Princes Street Gardens, beside the restaurant and shop; the Mound entrance at the top gives access to a small espresso cafe. Start with the European collection in the upper octagonal rooms, then descend to the new Scottish galleries, where the windows frame Edinburgh itself. An hour gives you the highlights; two lets you settle in. Works occasionally move or go on loan, so if you are coming for one picture, check with the gallery first. Each January the gallery traditionally brings out its Turner watercolours, which are shown only in that month's low light.

Who it suits: anyone with even a passing interest in art, since the scale is manageable and nothing feels like a slog. Families can pick up free trails for younger children, and term-time family sessions run on some days. It is an outstanding rainy-day choice right in the middle of town: you can come in from the Christmas market or a walk in the gardens and be in front of a Vermeer within minutes. Lockers are few and small, so leave large luggage at the hotel.

Make a day of it: the Scottish Cafe and Restaurant at the gardens entrance is a good lunch stop with views over the gardens, and booking is wise at busy times. Afterwards, walk up the Mound to the Royal Mile, or east through the gardens to the Scott Monument. The Scottish National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street, a short walk across the New Town, is free too and makes a natural second stop for anyone hooked on Scottish history, while the modern collections are housed in two buildings near Dean Village, an easy riverside walk away. If you have time for only one free art stop in Edinburgh, make it this one: the collection is compact enough to enjoy in a single visit, yet deep enough that regulars keep returning, and the building itself, with its top-lit rooms and views over the gardens and up to the castle, is part of the pleasure. Few capital cities offer this quality of painting this close to their main shopping street, at no cost at all.