We’ve got another jam-packed month of exhibitions and events planned to celebrate RSA200. Whether you’re revisiting favourites or discovering something new, here’s what’s on this August.
What’s on at the RSA
Joyce W. Cairns: A Personal Odyssey
1 August – 2 September
A Personal Odyssey will explore the career of acclaimed painter Joyce W. Cairns as part of our 200th anniversary celebrations. As the first woman to be elected President of the RSA and an influential educator to generations of Scottish artists, Cairns has long been an important voice in Scottish art.
Celebrating Together
From Dundee to Dalkeith, Edinburgh to Elgin, August highlights Academicians past and present all over the nation.
Closing this month
Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee
DCA Editions: RSA200
Until 2 August
Explore a selection of print editions by Royal Scottish Academicians at Dundee Contemporary Arts. Works by Claire Barclay RSA, Ilana Halperin RSA and Toby Paterson RSA, all made in DCA Print Studio as part of DCA’s editions programme, will be on show.
Art Collection, University of Stirling
Art & Science Exhibition
Until 7 August
This exhibition includes Stuart Mackenzie RSA’s Species (Coelacanth) II, a print on loan from the RSA Collection, and Le Bouc, a painting by Alison Watt RSA, displayed in Scotland for the first time.
Michael Visocchi RSA, Metaphysical Landscape. RSA Collection.
Meffan Museum & Art Gallery, Angus
Royal Scottish Academy: 200 Years of Art in Angus
Until 10 August
This special exhibition brings together works by Academicians past and present, exploring two centuries of creativity, innovation and influence, inspired by the landscapes and communities of Angus.
City of Dunfermline Heritage Group, Dunfermline
Summer Art Challenge: Historic Dunfermline Through the Eyes of Children:
Until 16 August
This free summer art challenge invites young artists to explore and celebrate Dunfermline’s rich history through creativity. All entries will be displayed in a public exhibition at Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries.
Rachel Maclean: They've Got Your Eyes
Until 16 August
They’ve Got Your Eyes is a major new commission and free exhibition by Rachel Maclean RSA (Elect), featuring the world premiere of a film created using AI models trained on her own image and artistic archive.
Mary Armour RSA, Moroccan Jar, 1964 © East Dunbartonshire Council. Image credit: East Dunbartonshire Council
The Royal Scottish Academy at 200
Until 26 August
The exhibition brings together works by past and present Academicians from the Lillie Art Gallery’s collection, showcasing the diversity of artistic practice fostered by the RSA.
Ushida Findlay: Future-rustic
Until 26 August
V&A Dundee present a display celebrating architect Kathryn Findlay, the first woman architect elected to the Royal Scottish Academy. This display brings together rare materials from the Ushida Findlay archive, showcasing the pioneering collaboration she formed with Eisaku Ushida and tracing the evolution of her architectural career.
The Maclaurin Art Gallery, South Ayrshire
Well Connected: The Royal Scottish Academy and The Maclaurin Collection
Until 30 August
Join the Maclaurin Art Gallery in Ayr as it celebrates the magnificent artworks in the permanent Maclaurin Trust Collection, made by Royal Scottish Academicians.
Opening this month
RSA200 Moving Image Programme
1, 17 and 24 August
Watch the RSA’s Moving Image Programme, curated by painter and filmmaker Ronald Forbes RSA. The programme includes a variety of work from the past and present, showcasing films from the RSA Collection and work being made today.
Elsa McTaggart, Capturing the Light. Photo Ralph Tonge
sruth-mara (Edinburgh Fringe Festival)
Elsa McTaggart: Capturing the Light
7-28 August
In Capturing the Light, singer-songwriter Elsa McTaggart tells the story of her great grandfather, William McTaggart RSA’s extraordinary life and talent and how it shaped her own creativity and life choices.
Family Fun
8, 16 and 22 August
Join Elgin Museum for some family fun. On 8 August, we’ll be creating pictures inspired by the work of Sir George Reid RSA. On 16 August, take a creative walk around Elgin’s historic town centre, and on 22 August, create a series of monoprints using a variety of materials.
Traquair House Charitable Trust, Scottish Borders
Sir William Gillies RSA - A Love of Landscape
9 August - 18 September
Traquair House's annual summer exhibition will celebrate the work of Sir William Gillies RSA in the High Gallery.
David McClure RSA, Blue Cockerel with Girl’s Head, 1966. University of Dundee Museums.
Dundee and the RSA
10 August - 23 October 2026
Over the years, more than 50 Dundee artists and architects have been elected to the Royal Scottish Academy, going right back to its founding in 1826. This exhibition aims to showcase work by every Dundee Academician.
Edinburgh Printmakers, Edinburgh
Archiving Architecture with Bronwen Sleigh RSA
17– 19 August
In this unique masterclass, you can create printed works in response to Scotland’s architecture, led by printmaker Bronwen Sleigh RSA
City of Dunfermline Heritage Group
Historic Dunfermline Through the Eyes of Children
22 August - 20 September
Celebrate the City of Dunfermline Heritage Group’s free summer art challenge with a special exhibition showcasing all the submitted works.
Anne Bevan RSA, Light Erratic, 2024, detail. © The Artist
Inverness Museum & Art Gallery, Inverness
Shimmering: Anne Bevan / Mary Bourne
22 August – 17 October
Inverness Museum & Art Gallery host an exhibition by Anne Bevan and Mary Bourne. Both artists have connections to the ecology of specific places in the north of Scotland, and their new work will link to a poetic, subjective view of the sea.
Dalkeith Palace, Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust, Dalkeith
PhotoDalkeith 2026
23 August - 27 September
This exhibition traces a line from founding RSA member David Octavius Hill RSA to contemporary Academicians and award-winners, including Thomas Joshua Cooper, Wendy McMurdo, Graham Fagen and Calum Colvin.
The Park Gallery, Callendar House, Stirlingshire
Breathing Space
29 August - 18 October
Breathing Space is an exhibition featuring a selection of artworks from the Art in Healthcare Collection, celebrating a commitment to improving lives through engaging with art and creativity.
Currently on view
The Dick Institute, East Ayrshire
Graham Fagen RSA: The Kilmarnock Edition
Until 5 September
To mark the 240th anniversary of Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, East Ayrshire Leisure and the Dick Institute present a solo exhibition by Academician Graham Fagen, one of the UK’s foremost contemporary artists.
St Andrews Museum
Living Colour: Celebrating 200 Years of the Royal Scottish Academy
Until 6 September
Living Colour celebrates two centuries of remarkable Scottish artistry. The exhibition features carefully crafted still lifes, elegant portraits, beautiful landscapes and thought-provoking abstracts from 19th and 20th century Scottish art
Frances Walker RSA and Ade Adesina RSA at Rozelle House
Until 13 September
This exhibition celebrates the work of Frances Walker and Ade Adesina, two prominent Royal Scottish Academicians from different generations, working in print.
John Gray Centre, East Lothian
An exhibition of paintings by John Bellany HRSA
Until 19 September
This exhibition is being curated by and Alexander Moffat RSA and Helen Bellany, the wife of John Bellany.
Erin McQuarrie, Dava (detail), 2025, image courtesy of the Artist
The Scale of Things – new work by Erin McQuarrie
Until 26 September
Inspired by her RSA residency at Linkshouse, Birsay in Orkney, Erin McQuarrie explores the architectural qualities and poetic sensibilities of textiles.
Forth Valley Hospital, Larbert: Scottish NHS Arts Partners Touring Exhibition
Until 27 September
Ninewells Hospital, Dundee: Scottish NHS Arts Partners Touring Exhibition
Until 27 September
This touring exhibition highlights works by RSA Academicians and award winners, showcasing art's powerful connection to health and wellbeing and inviting audiences from across Scotland to engage with and appreciate visual art, creating uplifting and healing environments for patients, visitors and NHS staff.
Works by Royal Scottish Academicians at The Hunterian
June – September
The Hunterian will mark 200 years of the Royal Scottish Academy by celebrating the breadth and impact of its Academicians’ work. Across its main displays in the Hunterian Art Gallery, The Hunterian will present selected pieces that engage with key themes including: art making, reforming the canon, art across borders, juxtapositions, and light and colour.
James Cumming RSA, Charred Table with Lamp and Tins, 1956-1962. © the artist's estate. City of Edinburgh Council Museums & Galleries.
Jean F. Watson: An Artistic Legacy
Until 4 October
Jean Fletcher Watson (1877-1974) presented a series of financial donations to the City of Edinburgh to develop a collection of Scottish art. Since then, the Jean F. Watson Bequest Fund has enabled the acquisition of more than 1,000 artworks. This exhibition at the City Art Centre will celebrate Watson’s vision and generosity, showcasing works by William Fettes Douglas PPRSA, Arthur Melville ARSA, Charles Hodge Mackie RSA, Anne Redpath RSA and more.
National War Museum, Edinburgh
Joyce W. Carins PPRSA | Maps: Memories from the Second World War
Until 4 October
Discover how RSA Academicians have depicted war, conflict and remembrance through artwork on display at the National War Museum, Edinburgh Castle. As well as the exhibition Maps: Memories from the Second World War by Joyce W. Carins PPRSA, paintings by Academicians Robert Gibb, Sir John Watson Gordon and Alberto Morrocco can be seen throughout the permanent galleries.
Kirkcudbright Galleries, Kirkcudbright
Colour - The Palette Of S.J. Peploe RSA
Until 4 October
S.J. Peploe RSA’s life and work will be examined in this exceptional exhibition, which brings together works from national collections and a great many from private collections, never seen before in public.
Andrew Cranston RSA, Trail of the Lonesome Pine, 1993. From the Collections of Scottish Borders Council (Hawick Museum). Copyright: administered on behalf of Scottish Borders Council by Live Borders
Hawick Museum & Gallery, Hawick
Past, Present, Future: The Royal Scottish Academy in the Scottish Borders
Until 5 October
To celebrate the RSA’s 200th year, this show brings together early and contemporary works by artists with a strong connection to the Scottish Borders. Visitors can discover the achievements of past Academicians such as Anne Redpath, William Johnstone and Thomas Scott alongside works by today’s leading Academicians.
The Granary Gallery Berwick-upon-Tweed
Joan Eardley: The Sea at Catterline
Until 11 October
This new exhibition of works by Joan Eardley RSA explores her relationship with the sea at Catterline.
National Galleries Scotland: Portrait, Edinburgh
Wendy McMurdo: The Digital Mirror
Until 25 October
This solo exhibition of work by Edinburgh-based artist Wendy McMurdo RSA is the largest presentation of her work in Scotland to date. It features more than 50 photographs, as well as digital animations and key loans of works that have inspired her practice.
F C B Cadell RSA, The Poet, RSA Collections
The Scottish Colourists Revealed
Until 26 October
See the Scottish Colourists as you’ve never seen them before in a new exhibition at Perth Art Gallery celebrating rare paintings by four of the most important Scottish artists of the 20th century, some of which have never before been on public display.
Blair Castle & Gardens , Blair Atholl
James Hutton and Glen Tilt Exhibition
Until 30 October
Celebrating the tricentenary of the birth of James Hutton and his discoveries within Glen Tilt, this exhibition features new commissions by Jake Harvey RSA and artist Helen Douglas.
Cupar Museum & Heritage Centre, Fife
Four Paintings, a Scandal and an Angel
Until 30 October
This exhibition tells the story of Charles Lees - his background, career and the scandal of his runaway marriage.
Groam House Museum, Black Isle
George Bain: The Continuous Line
June – October
This exhibition will trace George Bain's journey from a childhood in Caithness to becoming 'Master of Celtic Art'.
Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh
Earth Matters: Seeing soil through art
Until 1 November
Marking 300 years since the birth of James Hutton, the Edinburgh-born geologist, farmer and thinker who revolutionised our understanding of Earth’s creation, this exhibition features work by Academicians Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Joan Eardley, Ilana Halperin and Graeme Todd.
Dovecot Studios after Elizabeth Blackadder, Red Still Life - Dragon Fruit and Oysters, 2023
A Celebration of Elizabeth Blackadder
Until 14 November
This exhibition showcases the work of Dame Elizabeth Blackadder RSA. The breadth of her work in oil, watercolour and printmaking techniques has long been celebrated, and this show highlights her collaborations with Dovecot across five decades to create over 30 tapestries and hand-tufted rugs.
University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen
Aberdeen Artworlds: The Linklater Collection
Until 6 December
This exhibition marks the 50th anniversary of a bequest by Eric and Marjorie Linklater to the University of Aberdeen. An unusual domestic collection, it includes works by Joan Eardley RSA, S. J. Peploe RSA, James Cowie RSA and Stanley Cursiter RSA.
Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum
Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum, Dunfermline
The Carnegie Travelling Scholarship: A celebration of Andrew Carnegie and the Royal Scottish Academy
Until 13 December
For over 120 years, the RSA Carnegie Travelling Scholarship has supported artists in Scotland. This exhibition showcases the range of artists awarded the scholarship from its inception to the present day.
Discovery Point & RRS Discovery, Dundee
Polar Portraits by Calum Colvin RSA
Until 31 December
Discovery Point is home to RRS Discovery; built and launched in Dundee in 1901 for Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton’s first Antarctic voyage. On view throughout 2026 are two portraits by renowned Scottish artist Calum Colvin RSA, depicting two of polar exploration’s most recognisable figures, Captain Scott and Roald Amundsen.
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen
Works on Paper: Art & Energy, Kate Downie RSA
Until 14 March 2027
From pylons to wind turbines, we live in a world where we are never far away from the monumental infrastructure of the energy industry. This selection of drawings, prints and photographs from Aberdeen Art Gallery’s collection explores how artists from the 1970s to the present day have chosen to creatively engage with these physical markers.
R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews
Masterstrokes: 200 Years of Scottish Golfing Art
Until 21 March 2027
Visit the R&A World Golf Museum, where you can enjoy paintings and prints, photography and architecture, sculpture and sketches from the RSA Collections and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, as well as significant pieces from Fife Cultural Trust and the Museum’s own collections.
As the RSA200 celebrations continue, we look forward to sharing more highlights from across the programme with you!
