As we enter the final months of RSA200, September brings a packed programme of exhibitions, events and opportunities across Scotland and beyond. From contemporary practice to works from the collection, there’s plenty to discover.
What’s on at the RSA
This 26: Contemporary Scottish Art and the Academy
12 September – 11 October
Curated by Edward Summerton RSA and Amy Cameron, This 26 will look at the recent history of the RSA’s artist opportunity programme, presenting works by 26 artists, one selected for each year of this century so far.
Metzsetin Architecture Discourse 2026
30 September, 6pm
We’re delighted to welcome Amanda Levete to present this year's Metzstein Architecture Discourse. Amanda founded AL_A in 2009, she’s a winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize and has led AL_A on a number of major cultural projects. At the Metzstein Discourse, she’ll reflect on architecture's role in shaping civic life, cultural identity and belonging in Scotland.
Celebrating Together
Celebrating Together has been made possible through an extraordinary network of partners across Scotland and internationally. This September, exhibitions, screenings and events continue to bring our Academicians, history and collection to audiences in galleries, museums and cultural spaces across the country.
Closing this month
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.
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
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, both working in print.
Traquair House Charitable Trust, Scottish Borders
Sir William Gillies RSA - A Love of Landscape
Until 18 September
Traquair House's annual summer exhibition will celebrate the work of Sir William Gillies RSA in the High Gallery.
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.
City of Dunfermline Heritage Group, Dunfermline
Historic Dunfermline Through the Eyes of Children Exhibition Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries
Until 20 September
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.
Erin McQuarrie, Weaving (detail)
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.
Dalkeith Palace, Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust, Dalkeith
Celebrating Together: RSA200 at PhotoDalkeith
Until 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.
Currently on view
University of Dundee, Lamb Gallery, Dundee
Dundee and the RSA
Until 3 October
Over the years, more than 50 Dundee artists and architects have been elected to the Royal Scottish Academy, this exhibition showcases their work.
S.J. Peploe RSA
Kirkcudbright Galleries, Kirkcudbright
Colour - The Palette of S.J. Peploe RSA.
Until 4 October
S.J. Peploe RSA’s life and work is examined in this exceptional exhibition, which brings together works from national collections and a great many from private collections, never seen before in public.
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.
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 celebrates Watson’s vision and generosity, showcasing works by William Fettes Douglas PPRSA, Arthur Melville ARSA, Charles Hodge Mackie RSA, Anne Redpath RSA and more.
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-Twwed
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.
Mary Bourne RSA, Reflection Pools, 2024
Inverness Museum & Art Gallery, Inverness
Shimmering: Anne Bevan / Mary Bourne
Until 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.
The Park Gallery, Callendar House, Stirlingshire
Breathing Space
Until 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.
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.
Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell RSA, The Poet, RSA Collections. On view at Perth Art Gallery.
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
Until 31 October
This exhibition will trace George Bain's journey from a childhood in Caithness to becoming 'Master of Celtic Art'.
Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden
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.
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.
The Carnegie Travelling Scholarship at 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.
Opening this month
Symbols of the Mind - A Showcase of Paintings by James Cumming RSA and His Former Students
3 September - 1 November
Symbols of the Mind will celebrate the life and work of Dunfermline-born painter James Cumming RSA. Works on view have been selected from the artist's studio bequest to the RSA, and the exhibition will also feature paintings by his acclaimed former students, including Alexander Moffat RSA and Stuart McKenzie RSA.
Draw the Museum and Collage & Cyanotype: Elgin's Historic Buildings
5 September & 6 September
Join Elgin Museum to get inspired by the work of Sir George Reid RSA. On 5 September, create observational sketches of Elgin Museum and work from their collection, and on 6 September, create collages using a variety of materials and cyanotype ‘sun paintings’.
Lennox Dunbar RSA, Through the Gap, 2025
Tighnabruaich Gallery, Argyll and Bute
Surface Tension: Lennox Dunbar RSA
5 – 27 September
Bringing Lennox Dunbar RSA’s distinctive visual language to Argyll’s Secret Coast, Surface Tension offers rare insight into an artist whose practice continues to shape and challenge contemporary Scottish painting.
Glasgow Society of Women Artists, Glasgow, Milingavie
Glasgow Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition 2026
5 September - 5 November
This year's annual exhibition of the GSWA, which was founded in 1882, will include a portrait of Dorothy Carleton Smyth painted by David Forrester Wilson RSA. On loan from the Lillie Art Gallery's Collection.
RSA Select
5 September – 24 October
This exhibition will showcase works by leading contemporary artists, including Anne Bevan RSA, Philip Braham RSA, Samantha Clark, Kate Downie RSA, Paul Furneaux RSA, Janette Kerr HRSA, Marian Leven RSA, Frank McElhinney and Frances Walker RSA.
John Bellany HRSA, Anchored
Scottish Fisheries Museum, Fife
John Bellany: Anchored
5 September - 30 November
John Bellany HRSA was an artist with a unique perspective on the fishing industry and communities of the east of Scotland, having grown up within them. This exhibition celebrates his very personal eye, bringing together artwork from the museum’s collection alongside pieces borrowed from the RSA Collection.
Maltings Cinema at Berwick Barracks
Moving Image Programme: Culture Above and Beyond
6 September
Join the Maltings for Culture Above and Beyond from the RSA Moving Image programme. This selectin of films is centred on rural and wilder places and includes work by Edward Summerton RSA, Graham Fagen RSA and Daniel Cook.
The Gallery at Linlithgow Burgh Halls, East Lothian
A Real Kind of Fiction: a solo exhibition by Michael Agnew RSA
18 September 2026 - 24 January 2027
This exhibition by Michael Agnew RSA combines both retrospective and recent work, showing the artists long term focus on meaning and process.
Ronald Forbes RSA, Still from Only Make Believe
Moving Image Programme, Seeing & Believing with Ken Currie RSA & Ronald Forbes RSA in Conversation
24 September
Experience the RSA’s Moving Image Programme, curated by Ronald Forbes RSA at the Wyllieum. Following the screening, hear from Ronald Forbes RSA and Ken Currie RSA.
Pathways to Pre-Raphaelitism
22 September 2026 - 10 January 2027
This exhibition, curated by Pamela Gerrish Nun, will explore the contribution of women artists to the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Included in the exhibition are two works on loan from the RSA by Phoebe Anna Traquair HRSA.
With our bicentenary programme continuing throughout autumn, there’s still plenty of time to explore. Whether you’re visiting an exhibition, joining an event or discovering the work of an Academician for the first time, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating 200 years of the Royal Scottish Academy.
