Stills

Art gallery · Old Town

Stills

Art gallery · Old Town

2

23 Cockburn St, Edinburgh EH1 1BP, United Kingdom

Photos

Stills by null
Stills by Alan Dimmick/Courtesy Still Gallery
Stills by Alan Dimmick/Courtesy Still Gallery
Stills by Alan Dimmick/Courtesy Still Gallery
Stills by Alan Dimmick/Courtesy Still Gallery
Stills by Alan Dimmick/Courtesy Still Gallery
Stills by Alan Dimmick/Courtesy Still Gallery
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null
Stills by null

Highlights

Photography gallery with film lounge, photo booth, and classes  

Featured in Conde Nast Traveler
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23 Cockburn St, Edinburgh EH1 1BP, United Kingdom Get directions

stills.org
@stillsedinburgh

$$

Information

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23 Cockburn St, Edinburgh EH1 1BP, United Kingdom Get directions

+44 131 622 6200
stills.org
@stillsedinburgh
𝕏
@stillsedinburgh

$$

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Last updated

Aug 12, 2025

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@cntraveler

10 Best Museums in Edinburgh | Condé Nast Traveler

"Stills is a pared-back gallery that focuses largely on photography, with changing exhibitions that often incorporate multidisciplinary elements such as video or performance. Well-established artists like Andres Serrano show here, as do emerging Scottish artists. There are solo shows, group shows, and awards exhibitions, making for a different experience every time you visit. Best of all, the gallery, which is centrally located, is open to the public and completely free." - Freya Herring

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-museums-in-edinburgh
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@cntraveler

Stills Gallery, Waverley Station, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom - Gallery Review | Condé Nast Traveler

"Start from the top: What is the Still Gallery? Stills is a photography gallery with changing exhibitions that often incorporate multidisciplinary elements such as video or performance. It’s open to the public and it's completely free. That sounds cool. How’s the space? A pared-back interior keeps the focus on the art. Whose work can we expect to see here? Well-established artists like Andres Serrano show here, as do emerging Scottish artists. There are solo shows, group shows, and awards exhibitions, making for a different experience every time you visit. What's the staff like? Staff is largely volunteer. If you're hoping to arrange a guided tour, call ahead and they'll have someone on-hand to show you around. There's a good-size back-of-house operation here, too, which runs everything from photography courses to artists residencies on the northernmost Scottish isles. I’m interested. Is there anyone you think the Stills Gallery is especially good for? Stills is so centrally located that it’s an easy to pop in and out. If you love photography, definitely come; if you don’t, skip it." - Freya Herring

https://www.cntraveler.com/activities/edinburgh/stills-gallery
View Postcard for Stills

gilien enano

Google
I went on a Saturday afternoon, wasn’t that busy. The lady at the front desk was very friendly. Photo Booth was worth the money, better than most analogue photo booths I’ve been to! About a 6 minute wait for the photos to develop. Had a wander around the photography exhibition as well, open to the public and free. Would recommend if you’re on Cockburn street :)

Morgan Mitkowski

Google
The photo exhibit was closed when we stoped by but the photo booth is open for anyone to use . It’s 7 pounds for one strip, pretty pricy but the quality is great and it makes the perfect souvenir.

Brooke Cameron

Google
Lovely art gallery!! Photo booth is super cool and old fashioned, kinda broke for 20 mins so we had to wait for staff to fix it. But was an incredible experience.

Iola Ryland

Google
Lovely independent photography store. We went for the vintage photo booth (which we waited maybe a few minutes for), £7 per strip which is pretty much what I expect to pay based on others I’ve been to. There was also a lovely exhibition to look round while waiting for the photos to develop which was a nice surprise.

Leah M

Google
My favourite gallery in Edinburgh. I’m so happy there is a space dedicated purely to photography in Edinburgh, especially as a fine art student!! Their library is also full of gems, could spend hours flicking through the exhibition catalogues & the cafe royal book collection is insane

CJ Grant

Google
Fantastic vintage photo booth (£7, takes card) and bought a frame for the photo strip to commemorate the visit (£14). Also has a display of really cool independent prints and a small stand where you can look at photography booklets of "old Scotland" etc. Special mention goes to Percy who is a very very good boy, greeting all the visitors.

Katelyn

Google
Really cute gallery, shop and photo booth!

Barry Galek

Google
I was in today great place got some film very helpful and some amazing pictures on show. Would highly recommend
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Rezzi I.

Yelp
Half of my graduating class were self-proclaimed photographers, angstfully capturing the "essence that is life" with ridiculously expensive cameras, so you can't blame me for being a tad sceptical about photography. I finally made it in to the gallery after walking past it quite a few times, and I wasn't disappointed at all. There's a pretty cool exhibition on show at the moment, which should last throughout the whole festival, called the Pursuit of Fidelity (very deep name ofcourse....). I won't say I'm a convert, but it was definitely a good way to pass time! What's even more interesting about Stills is the opportunity to get quite involved if this is your sort of thing; they have impressive darkrooms we were lucky enough to check out, and actually offer professional training for would-be photographers! I fleetingly considered it... as it would probably be a nice break from university for a while.

Norman S.

Yelp
Great gallery space in a prime location that any visitor in the city should visit if you have any interest in photography at all. The people there are more than happy to talk about the exhibition and are really super duper friendly. I can't say anything about the classes that they offer, but I'm always happy to see classes being offered, since any artistic endeavor relies on a community to make sure that you're not too far up your own ass. And the whole getting better bit.
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Julia S.

Yelp
If you happen to just be wandering up or down Cockburn Street, trying to avoid all the uber expensive shops that seem to just stare you down, in a vigorous attempt to get you to give into purchasing pretty unnecessary items, stop by Stills instead. Why? 1) Because you don't have to pay anything to go in and ogle some hit-or-miss photography and 2) Because checking out someone's photographs beats ogling ridiculously expensive clothes any day. And though the people who work there might seem disaffected and indifferent to your presence, it's probably just because they've been sitting in the same place for a few hours with nothing to do. If you have any questions, though, they tend to perk up and become willing to give you a hand. Stills isn't just a gallery, though. There they have digital labs and darkrooms and all sort of delicious photographic facilities that you can use (at a price, of course). They also hold workshops from time to time. Once you've been to Stills once, it becomes a bit of an addiction. The huge windows that give you a peek of whatever exhibition is in there at the moment, beckon to you with open arms. And they're not even trying to take your money. Who woulda figured!
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Craig M.

Yelp
Was lucky enough to attend a screening of a locally made film here. It's one of those arty type places that if you're welcomed in, you feel part of the team. That you might come back again and again. I felt an urge to sign up for a photography course just so I could visit again. Or you might walk in here whilst on a wander, not quite knowing what exactly you've just stepped into, and walk straight back out again, nonethewiser. There were no exhibitions on show during our visit, but I've heard they can be exceptional. But on the same note, I'm sure there is a fair amount of self-loving-I'm-capturing-my-inner-self type indulgence to be found. If you're keen on photography, then do go and see what's on offer.
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Gavin M.

Yelp
The kind of place people who read The Metro pretend to like when they're not sending in ill-informed, badly spelt wisecracks to the letters page, Still is a wonderfully self-absorbed little unit on Cockburn Street,. It manages to trick all and sundry into believing just how clever, modern and cutting edge it is, whilst failing to provide any substance to back this up. Dull photography and featureless, sparse exhibits all served up in a sterile atmosphere that takes itself very seriously, yet doesn't have much of a clue about what point it's actually trying to make. This gallery really does sum up modern art to a T.
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Qype User (sfscot…)

Yelp
Stills host a variety of photography exhibitions especially of less heard of artists. This allows you the opportunity to broaden your knowledge in terms of photography and in terms of what's going on in the art world generally as time goes on. It isn't a huge space but is perfect for one man shows. Stills also provides educational materials and opportunities. It runs a wide range of classes from photoshop to final cut film editing. It is a great place to learn from experienced people.
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Emma W.

Yelp
This is a great wee gallery not only offering exhibitions but also courses to get you spot on with your camera. It's free to get in to see the exhibitions and it's not the that far from Prince street so you can walk it. The outside sign is ceratinly small so you could walk past this little find many a time and not realise it! I've heard thee is a small cafe space in the basement but was off limits due to a course being run on the same day. Apparently you can donate the cash you would spend on a wee biscuit and cuppa- which is rather quirky if i do say myself!
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Emma C.

Yelp
Stills on Cockburn Street is a great little place that is more than just a gallery. In addition to holding interesting exhibitions of contemporary art, it also bills itself as Scotland's centre for photography and runs various related courses. I attended an evening event a few weeks back 'Screen Bandita' which was a film /art installation/show - the women putting on the event had found old super 8 35mm film, which they projected onto the wall with gramophone music to accompany it. Weird, but interesting. This is typical of the things that happen here. For the culturally minded, it is a place worth checking out - entry is usually free or, at the most, a couple of pounds.
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Qype User (Erick…)

Yelp
The Stills is a great little photography gallery. It offers contemporary exhibitions that make you think about the medium of photography- this is true even if you're unsure about the worth of the content of the exhibition in and of itself. The basement of the Stills offers a photographic lab and resource center and there are sometimes films that run on loops there- these are free to watch, as is the whole gallery to visit. The only complaint, or compliment, that can be said about the Stills is that at times it seems quite an esoteric enterprise- both in the set up of the gallery and in the content of the art works put on. For some, this may be an accolade but to the uninitiated, this can be off-putting. The gallery is small, considering it is one of Scotland's biggest photographic galleries but this, perhaps, says more about the state of the medium than of the gallery itself. If walking down Cockburn, its definitely worth popping in and seeing what is going on. It could be cutting edge or avant garde or it may seem amateurish or redundant. Maybe none of these things are mutually exclusive- it'll be up to you to decide.

Qype User (joecoo…)

Yelp
Don't feel you are missing out by either not going here. You are unlikely to miss anything other than the the purest arty bollocks imagineable. This is the classic art for arts sake gallery. It exists to fulfill a supposed cultural need within Scottish society but the reality is most are not dim enough to give it the time of day. Do yourself a favour and read a good book as there is nothing to stimulate the grey matter within these walls.