Fruitmarket Gallery
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Edinburgh
What it’s like
Free contemporary art galleries right by Waverley Station, with a proper café for afterwards.
Entry to the galleries themselves is free, which makes this an easy one to fold into a day in town without committing to an entry fee before you've even checked whether anyone's in the mood for art. The gallery spaces open at 11am and run through to 6pm, seven days a week, so it's not a first-thing-in-the-morning option if you're up early with the kids and looking to fill an hour before breakfast.
That said, the café and bookshop open earlier, from 9am, and that on its own might be reason enough to duck in. It's described as restaurant-quality food made fresh on site, from sustainable suppliers, at affordable prices, with plant milks available for a small extra charge. If a small one needs a change of scene mid-morning, you can sit in with a coffee and a snack well before the art itself is open.
Occasional events add a bit of structure to the free browsing, things like a paid album launch that lists a child ticket for over-fives at £5, alongside the adult price. Not every visit will land on one of these, but it's worth knowing they crop up.
It's genuinely well set up for access needs: every space is wheelchair accessible, doors are press-to-open, and there are sensory backpacks plus a sensory map made fresh for each exhibition. Buggies aren't parked anywhere specific, they're just wheeled straight in, since the whole building is buggy accessible. Being two minutes from Princes Street and the Royal Mile, right next to Waverley, makes it a sensible stop if you're already walking that stretch of town rather than a destination you'd plan a whole day around.
What’s on here
- WED7
Night Walk for Edinburgh
Free · 120 more dates
- WED7
Strange Architectures Book Launch with 12, a collective of women writers
18:30 - 20:00 · Free
- THU8
Fresh Fruit 18-30s Workshop: Be/Speaking
18:00 - 20:00 · Free
- MON2
Book Launch: Elizabeth Cook: Tumbling
18:30
Tfeh presents: AUTOREVERSE (Arnaud Rivière & Nina Garcia)/ Neil Quigley/ Zeena Mindikowski & Off Brand
from £12
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Pick up/drop off points and short stay paid parking on Market Street
- Food
- Café on site serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon specials, made fresh on site
- Getting there by bus or train
- Next to Waverley Station, Edinburgh
- Sensory backpacks are available and a new sensory map gets made for each exhibition
- Café hours run longer than the gallery, 9am to 6pm versus 11am to 6pm
- Access support can be requested in advance through their Welco Me tool
- Parking on Market Street is short stay only; long stay is at the Waverley car park on New Street
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
Entry to the gallery spaces is free. Some events have a charge, like the album launch listed at £15 for an adult and £5 for a child over five.
What are the opening hours?
The gallery spaces are open 11am to 6pm, seven days a week. The café and bookshop open earlier, from 9am to 6pm.
Do we need to book?
There's no booking link for general entry, so you can just turn up during opening hours.
Is it OK for a toddler or a buggy?
There's no dedicated buggy park but the whole building is accessible to buggies, so you wheel straight in. Baby change is available in the accessible toilets.
What about food?
There's a café on site doing breakfast, lunch and afternoon specials made fresh on the premises. Plant milks cost a bit extra and dietary requirements can be catered for.
Is it accessible for wheelchairs?
All spaces are wheelchair accessible with press-to-open automatic doors on the external entrances.
How do we get there?
It's right next to Waverley Station and two minutes from Princes Street, the Royal Mile and North Bridge, so public transport is straightforward. There's short stay paid parking on Market Street and long stay paid parking at Edinburgh Waverley car park.
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