October is here, and RSA200 continues to bring exhibitions, events and opportunities across Scotland and beyond. From new exhibitions opening at the RSA to the many partner projects taking place around the country, there’s plenty to discover as we head into autumn.
What’s on at the RSA
This 26: Contemporary Scottish Art and the Academy
Until 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.
17 October – 15 November
Taking cue from the 200th anniversary of our founding, 200 Years will celebrate the rich history of Scottish art in all its forms over the last two centuries. Reflecting the centrality of the Academy to the development of Scottish art, the exhibition will include works created by Royal Scottish Academicians since our founding in 1826.
Celebrating Together
From the Highlands to the Borders, our partners are exploring the RSA’s history, collection and community in ways that connect the Academy’s past with contemporary art and practice. Here’s what’s on this October.
Closing this month
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.
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.
Arthur Melville, Homeward, 1880. Museums & Galleries Edinburgh.
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.
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.
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.
Joan Eardley: The Sea at Catterline. Image by Jennifer Charlton, courtesy The Maltings Trust.
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.
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.
RSA Select, Gairloch Museum
RSA Select
Until 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.
National Galleries Scotland: Portrait, Edinburgh
Wendy McMurdo: The Digital Mirror
Until 25 October
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 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.
Four Paintings, a Scandal and an Angel, Cupar Museum
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'.
Currently on view
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.
Symbols of the Mind - A Showcase of Paintings by James Cumming RSA and His Former Students
Until 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.
Dorothy Carlton Smythe, David Forrester Wilson RSA.
Glasgow Society of Women Artists, Glasgow, Milngavie
Glasgow Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition 2026
Until 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.
Scottish Fisheries Museum, Fife
John Bellany: Anchored
Until 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.
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: A celebration of Andrew Carnegie and the Royal Scottish Academy
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.
Pathways to Pre-Raphaelitism
Until 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.
R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews
Masterstroke 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
Glasgow Royal Infirmary: Scottish NHS Arts Partners Touring Exhibition
1 October 2026 – 10 January 2027
Inverclyde Royal Hospital, Greenock: Scottish NHS Arts Partners Touring Exhibition
1 October 2026 – 10 January 2027
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.
RSA 200 @ Glasgow Print Studio
2 October – 28 November
Explore works by Academicians Robbie Bushe, Rachel Maclean, Barry McGlashan and Caroline Walker in this exhibition at Glasgow Print Studio.
Rachel Maclean RSA (Elect), DUCK, 2023 (still, detail)
Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee
RSA200 Moving Image Programme
6 October
Join DCA for a special evening of moving image work by Royal Scottish Academicians, many of them former students or staff of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design.
Moray School of Art, UHI, Elgin
Learning Forward: UHI Fine Art Alumni Exhibition
30 October – 27 November
Explore work by Moray School of Art alumni and past RSA New Contemporaries in this exhibition.
Duncan Shanks RSA: The Unseen Journey
30 October 2026 - 2 May 2027
Duncan Shanks RSA: The Unseen Journey offers a rare opportunity to explore the creative process behind one of Scotland's most celebrated landscape artists. Focusing on a decade of sketchbooks, exploratory studies and finished works inspired by the Clyde Valley, the exhibition reveals how observation, memory, music and literature come together in Shanks' distinctive practice.
With exhibitions continuing across Scotland and further afield, there's still plenty of opportunities to join us in celebrating 200 years of the Royal Scottish Academy. Keep exploring the RSA200 programme and discover what’s happening near you throughout October and beyond.
