King's Gallery: Guided Looking

Fiona Johnston leads a guided looking session at The King's Gallery on Monday 26 October, one of several dates running from 27 April to 23 November. The session focuses on The Edwardians: Age of Elegance, the exhibition currently showing at the gallery, and Johnston, an audio describer, spends the hour describing the images on the walls to open up the show's imagery to everyone in the room.

The King's Gallery is part of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the King's official residence in Edinburgh, which sits at the bottom of the Royal Mile. The palace is home to Scottish royal history, with State Apartments and grounds linked to figures like Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Legend has it the abbey on the site was founded in 1128 by David I after he saw a vision of a stag. The gallery itself hosts changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection, which range from old master paintings and rare furniture to decorative arts and images from the Trust's vast photograph collection. The galleries in London and Edinburgh were renamed The King's Galleries in December 2023.

These guided looking sessions are led by Johnston, who describes the images from The Edwardians: Age of Elegance as you go through the show. It's a way of experiencing the exhibition that doesn't rely on you seeing everything for yourself, and it works just as well if you're visiting with friends as it does if you're on your own. The session on 26 October is one of several running throughout the spring and autumn, so if that date doesn't suit, there are others to choose from between 27 April and 23 November.

Tickets are £11.00 for adults, £7.00 for young people aged 18-24, and £5.50 for children aged 5-17 and disabled people. Access companions and children under 5 go in free.