200 years of Scottish photographic history celebrated, as Royal Scottish Academy throws bicentennial birthday bonanza exhibition
The Royal Scottish Academy will celebrate its second century with a photography exhibition including works from the 18th century to the modern day from some 120 artists
In 2026, the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) will commemorate its bicentennial anniversary with an exhibition titled PhotoDalkeith RSA 200. The event will take place at the historic Dalkeith Castle, located just outside Edinburgh, and will showcase the evolution of photography in Scotland over the past 200 years. Curated by Calum Colvin, the exhibition will feature works from approximately 120 artists, providing a comprehensive overview of photography's development through the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
The Buccleuch Collection, one of the world's largest private art and decorative collections, will be prominently featured at the exhibition. The collection, owned by the Buccleuch Family, includes a portrait of Lady Constance (1877-1970), daughter of the 6th Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, believed to have been taken in 1885 when she was eight years old.
Another notable work on display will be Wendy McMurdo's The Games Hall, a piece from the 1980s that showcases McMurdo's early experiments with digital manipulation in photography.
Other notable works featured in the exhibition include Leena Nammari's more recent pieces, which she created between 2021 and 2022. Nammari, whose multidisciplinary practice combines photography and printmaking, explores themes of identity, community, and social engagement through her art. Visitors to the exhibition will also have the opportunity to view large-scale outdoor photographic installations and interactive photo frames throughout Dalkeith Country Park.
Admission to PhotoDalkeith RSA 200 is priced at £3 (approximately $4 or AU$5.75). The exhibition will be open from Friday to Sunday, with opening hours from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, running from August 22 to September 27, 2026. The RSA is also hosting a series of celebrations throughout the bicentennial anniversary, providing visitors with a variety of events and activities to explore the rich history of photography in Scotland.
For more information about the exhibition and other RSA bicentennial celebrations, visit the RSA's official website.
Written by urgent.news from Digital Camera World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
