Portrait of a Nation

We joined the great and the good of the Scottish cultural scene at an event to mark the re-opening of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

It has been closed for two years for a major makeover in which architects Page & Park have carefully removed the accretions of the past decades to allow light and air back in to this wonderful building - the world's first purpose built portrait gallery. The spaces now glow with daylight and with the wonders of the great Scots looking at you from the walls. Portraits by the recognised masters such as Raeburn combine with photographs of contemporary heroes to build a wonderful picture of Scots who have in their own individual ways made their mark.

This was an appropriate finale to a year in which Scotland has seen four major new museums open. Two of them - the National Museum and Riverside - have each already welcomed over a million visitors in just a few months. It has truly been a Year of Museums. It has been a privilege to be part of it.