Dovecot Studios
ENTRY
from £6.75
WHERE
Edinburgh
What it’s like
A working tapestry studio in Edinburgh where you can watch weavers at their looms, plus exhibitions on art, fashion and textiles.
The main thing here is watching people actually make things. Dovecot has a historic tapestry studio, and there's a viewing balcony where you can see master weavers at work on the looms, going about it while you look on rather than performing for an audience. It's a quieter sort of visit than most gallery days out, and probably suits kids who can stand and watch for a bit rather than ones who need to touch everything.
The balcony hours are worth knowing before you plan around it. Monday to Friday it's only open 12pm to 3pm, but on Saturdays you get the full 10am to 5pm, so a Saturday trip gives you a lot more flexibility if you want to catch the weavers actually working. The gallery and shop run 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, and alongside the studio there are exhibitions covering art, fashion and textiles, which is where older kids with an interest in fashion or design will probably get more out of it than a toddler.
General admission is £13.50, though there are concessions down to £6.75 for Young Scot or Art Fund holders, and £12 for students, over-65s and accessible tickets. You don't need to book just to get in, but paid exhibitions do need a ticket, so check what's on before you turn up expecting to wander into everything for free. The ticket price bundles in a voluntary 10% donation, which you can opt out of at the point of sale if you'd rather not pay it.
It's a ten-minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley if you're coming by train. Parking on Infirmary Street is on-street and only 2 hours, so if you want longer than that the NCP on Holyrood Road nearby is the better bet.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- 2-hour on-street parking on Infirmary Street
- Getting there by bus or train
- Edinburgh Waverley train station, 10-minute walk
- Saturday is the best day for the tapestry balcony since it's open all day, not just the midweek 12pm to 3pm window
- General admission gets you into the building, but paid exhibitions need their own ticket
- It's a walkable ten minutes from Edinburgh Waverley if you're arriving by train
- You can decline the voluntary 10% donation at the point of sale if you'd rather pay the flat ticket price
Plan your visit
Do we need to book ahead?
No need to book just to get in, but paid exhibitions do need a ticket.
How much does it cost?
£13.50 for general admission. It drops to £12 for students, over-65s and accessible concessions, and £6.75 for Young Scot or Art Fund holders.
When can we see the weavers working?
The viewing balcony is open 12pm to 3pm Monday to Friday, but on Saturdays it runs the full 10am to 5pm, which gives you a lot more room to plan around it.
What's actually there for kids to do?
They watch master weavers at work in the tapestry studio and look round exhibitions on art, fashion and textiles.
Is there parking nearby?
There's 2-hour on-street parking on Infirmary Street, or the NCP car park on Holyrood Road if you need longer.
What's included in the ticket price?
It includes a voluntary 10% donation, but you can buy a ticket without that donation at the point of sale if you'd rather.
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