Reviews of Dovecot Studios. (Museum) in Edinburgh (Edinburgh).

Dovecot Studios

356 Reviews

184 Comments

Museum

Art gallery

10 Infirmary St, Edinburgh EH1 1LT, United Kingdom

Description

Information of Dovecot Studios, Museum in Edinburgh (Edinburgh)

On this page you’ll find the address, open hours, more popular times, the contact, photos and real reviews of this business.

This business has received very good reviews from their customers, so probably it’s a place you should try if you are looking for this kind of services.

Map

Open hours of Dovecot Studios

Popular times

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Friday

Reviews of Dovecot Studios

D. B.

Lovely exhibition of William Morris wallpaper and textile display. Also able to look down on to the weaving room and see craftspeople at work. Tea room was closed when we visited but is reopening soon. Nice gift shop. We were able to park very close too.

P. W.

Excellent place to visit. Weavers are unbelievable! Don't forget to call into the cafe for some fab food

P. M.

Tremendous exhibition. I really recommend this.

K. H.

Fantastic exhibition of Japanese print workshop. Very well presented - stunning show!

D. F.

William Morris exhibition is definitely worth a visit. Well-presented history and examples of wallpapers from the Morris and Co. archives. including those of other artists and contemporaries. The guided tour was interesting and informative. Dovecot Studios is a wonderfully creative space to visit. Well thought out and loved. Shop and cafe are fairly priced.

R. J. E.

Saw the William morris exhibit - worth a view!

V. Y.

We went to the exhibition about William Morris wallpapers. Very interesting and beautifully presented. Very imaginative transformation of the space, from public swimming baths to textiles museum/workshop, with nice café and shop.

R. W.

Lovely gallery. William Morris exhibition is well worth a visit. The staff are very helpful too. Cafe does delicious cheese scones !

K. S.

Visited for a meeting, what a fabulous space in the city. With changing exhibits and working weavers, proved quite an educational visit. Will be back!

K. H.

Great space, friendly and helpful staff. Definitely worth visiting.

l. n.

Absolutely wonderful café and beautiful gallery! Very welcoming and lovely staff!

K. S.

Visited for a meeting, what a fabulous space in the city. With changing exhibits and working weavers, proved quite an educational visit. Will be back!

M. P.

A surprise! Not what was expected. Fascinating conversion from a delapidated swimming pool to a home for the historic tapestry creators of Edinburgh. Very very very worthwhile. They are doing a Orla Keily exhibition from 7th Fed to end June...we can't go as off back to big smoke but ENCOURAGE you all to go of can get to Edinburgh!!!! This is an excellent way of protecting Scottish heritage!!!

S. E. E.

Beautiful! A must see, relaxing and enjoyable if you are in the area! Nice friendly and helpful lady on reception was a pleasure to talk to. Thanks! Some wonderful gifts can also be purchased here. Would recommend for sure!

G. M.

Such a welcoming space. Friendly, approachable staff, well-curated gift shop next to super cafe run by The Pantry. Great repurposing of a former swimming baths to showcase the very best weavers alongside exhibitions of Scottish and internationally renowned artists and makers.

J. S.

Interesting place where you can see artists working on their weaving. Historically, fascinating as it was once a swimming pool. In the temporary exhibition space they have a great Orla Kiely exhibition on until 29 June 2019. Next up will be Grayson Perry's Julie Cope tapestries. These are amazing along with the story of Julie. This is an Arts Council touring exhibition. Having seen it elsewhere this is thoroughly recommended. There is a café on site.

C. S.

Visited the Orla Kiely exhibition if you are interested in bags and fashion pop in to have a look

T. C.

Its brilliant to watch highly talented weavers working away in a beautiful setting. And the Grayson Perry exhibition was awesome and I love his art.

K. H.

Great space, friendly and helpful staff. Definitely worth visiting.

M. N.

A beautiful building and an opportunity to see beautiful weavings being created, excellent exhibitions and great cafe and shop.

D. J.

The tapestry viewing gallery allows visitors to actually see weavers working in studio space in middle.

A. H.

Always well-curated exhibitions - but the real attraction is the gallery above the weaving hall.

a. c.

Never stumbled across Jock McFadyn before but I wish I had. Tremendous desolate landscapes, (that I'm familiar with), with just a hint of human in them. Colour adding to the feeling of isolation without being gloomy. Atmospheric a bit of a cliche but that's what they are.Big ones out of my price bracket but seriously tempted by some of the smaller ones.

C. H.

Great cafe and a good exhibition

M. D.

Beautiful jewelry exhibition during the festival time in August... Such talented creators.. the studio itself it is a lovely place to visit ..

W. M.

Popped into the cafe yesterday, as a recommendation from a creative friend. Had a really tasty lunch of filled rolls and a side salad / soup respectively. Reasonable prices for the quality of the food, and a relaxed eating atmosphere. Loved browsing in the shop, restrained myself from buying anything, and enjoyed visiting the upper museum floors. I imagine the Grayson Perry exhibition will be hugely popular!

A. F.

A beautiful space with incredible looms, workshop and visitors shop. They also regularly host exhibions

C. C.

We visited today to see the May Morris exhibition about her work as an art embroiderer. Absolutely superb...have never seen work like this! I am an embroiderer myself, so I could see how much work has gone into it. Have really appreciated what is on display, absolutely recommend this exhibition.

w.

Great place to visit and watch the weavers work! The cafe is small and the coffee is fantastic! Amazing cakes too! The exhibitions are very interesting and the staff are lovely! Very quirky artistic things to buy in the shop as well as wool and your own looms!

M. S.

Always a delight to visit and exhibitions the perfect length.

J. O.

Excellent exhibition. Disappointed that the exhibition catalogue was not available.

F. M.

A stunning building that has been sympathetic to it's previous life as Victorian Baths, retaining many of the original details and features. Brilliant shop packed with awesome products, not your average gallery retailer! Lovely cafe with friendly staff, delicious food and their own following. Great exhibitions and constant supporters of Scottish textile students. Definitely worth a visit.

J. M.

Bright, airy space housing exhibitions, small gift shop and cafe. Delicious food including freshly prepared soups, salads and sandwiches. Great for lunch. Bit pricey but good value considering quality of offerings.

C. K.

One of my favourite places in the city. A very peaceful little gallery with engaging exhibitions and a really lovely cafe with excellent food and great cakes. Don't miss the viewing balcony to watch weavers working on their current projects.

H. G.

Wonderful and colourful tapestry studio in converted swimming pool. Occasional exhibitions, invariably interesting, sometimes stunning. Small, airy and tasty cafe. Quirky shop. Friendly and helpful staff. Great location.

L. A.

Really enjoyed stepping back in time at the Liberty exhibition as part of the Edinburgh fringe. Costumes fabulous. I was particularly taken with the black and white photos of the hand block printing; such skill. Pop up vintage shop seemed very overpriced. As a textile exhibition it would have been good to touch some of the dresses.

K. K.

Working temporarily at the Studio, but such a beautiful venue and contemporary venue. Loving the current Archie Brennan tapestry exhibition.

J. P.

An excellent exhibition of Archie Brennan - "Tapestry Goes Pop" including a wide variety of tapestries, archive film of Brennan demonstrating his skills and the chance to see weaving taking place from a viewing gallery.

L. Y.

My husband and I darted into Dovecot Gallery to avoid a downpour more by sheer desperation than design but boy I'm glad we did! This is a fantastic space with outstanding craft and weaving exhibits. The cafe is small with attentive pleasant staff and great coffee. I always make a point of submitting an online review if I've had good service so in this case I'd like to commend the staff of Dovecot for creating a blissful environment for this cold wet Canadian who needed her coffee. It's not to be missed!

N. I.

A warm, inviting building with lots to see. Standing on the balcony looking down at the tapestries being made is amazing, also the jewelry exhibition is worth a quick visit. Finally the Grayson Perry tapestries were outstanding, a must-see!

I. C.

A perfect place to relax and seeing art being created

R. R.

Public access is to a viewing gallery above the main studio. The gallery is fairly wide and has intersting items exhibited around the walls. There is a very pleasant feling of calm in the studio and spending a little time watching activity on the studio floor is quite theraputic.

K. M.

Just visited Orla Kiely exhibition and had never heard of Dovecot Studios before. Love love loved it. Small but well laid out. Nice cafe and really really nice and friendly staff with a gift shoo. Definitely worth a visit.

D. D.

Really interesting conversion of Victorian swimming baths. There are exhibition spaces plus you can view the weavers at work from the upper gallery. Good cafe plus unusual high quality gifts.

S. A.

I am a fan of this building designed by Architect Malcolm Fraser. It is a great re-use of an old building. I love the combination retaining most of the old building character with some contrasting contemporary inserts for this buildings current practical function. Although it is sad that it could not remain as a swimming baths it was at least brought back to life in a dynamic way through it's new cultural use which hosts regular high calibre exhibitions and events and is home to the Dovecot Studios, allowing the creativity of woven tapestry and textile arts to flourish here in Edinburgh. Not to forget the great little cafe and shop area.

F. S.

Just visited Orla Kiely exhibition and beautiful design walk through her work. Colourful, exciting especially giant dresses and handbags. Lovely cafe to chill in.

H. L.

Loved it. Great wee gallery, airy and open. Fab cafe too. Staff very heloful

I. W.

Attractively laid out gallery space in an old swimming pool. Worth timing your visit to also see the upper level gallery above the working tapestry studio.

A. B.

Set in a beautiful building with a lovely cafe

D. M.

Primarily a working studio with a viewing galley. It's interesting to watch the large looms being worked. There is also a good exhibition space with displays of tapestries, a small shop and a brilliant little cafe. Tbh I went for the tapestry but stayed for the cake

F. M.

Brilliant exhibition and history display both well presented. Tapestry workshop fascinating. Cauliflower soup, cappuccino and cake very tasty. Will recommend to others.

A. C.

I've used the Dovecot's meeting facilities before, which are excellent. Well appointed, comfortable rooms with great catering options. The building itself is a sensitive redevelopment of an old swimming baths and has exhibitions, a shop and nice on-site café.

A. L.

Nice open gallery.. daughter had her art displayed here

C. S.

If you like tapestry, art, books, or coffee then this is somewhere to go. There is usually a chance to look in on the working floor and see tapestries as they are made, and most likely at least one exhibition - not necessarily cloth-based - to entertain you as well. The retail end has a range of books and bits and then you can go to the cafe... This cafe deserves more attention. Off the main drag and thoroughly understated, the coffee is among the best I've had in Edinburgh and the selection of nibbles is far superior to anything in the area. Whether you care to look around the rest of the building or not - and you should - definitely go for a drink there.

A. C.

Great exhibits, beautiful rooms, good shop. Unusual art exhibited and you can watch artists as they work. Would estimate 1/2 hour - 1 hour time wise.

P. Y.

A formerly public baths to this lovely exhibition space. Some beautiful jewelry on show at the Dazzle show. Glad I left my c/card at home.

S. S.

A lovely place to explore and to see the weavers and how they work.

C. B.

I went to see the May Morris exhibition today, I loved the embroidery, and I wish that I could do as well as that, I am also trying to learn to weave a tapestry, I am always looking to learn new things.

Z. P.

Three years ago, Edinburgh’s oldest public baths were renovated and turned into the tapestry studio and arts space, Dovecot. It's an amazing space with some fascinating exhibits – well worth a visit.

D. D. L.

Beautiful place, but could have more tapestries for the public to see! Loved the possibility to see the studio while weavers are creating. Orla Kiely exhibition worth the visit, but a little overpriced.

r. m.

Great exhibition great place

T. W.

Always a delight! Dovecot put on great exhibitions, there is an enticing shop, and a nice cafe. For a light lunch, try the half bowl of soup and half sandwich.

G. R.

Brilliant and surprising Liberty exhibition tonight. Looking forward to revisiting. Great venue. Lovely people. Always worth a visit.

C. A.

Lovely studio with a great little shop.

E. B.

Loved the Perry exhibition. Thought the shop had some super things to buy also. Thoroughly enjoyed my visit today.

J. J.

Very interesting watching the artists work its quite mesmerising. Very peaceful and relaxing. It would be nice if there was a questions and answer session. I'm not into weaving and i found this interesting

E. R.

Contemporary art with a twist of yarn. Always well put together exhibits with interesting shop and cafe in addition to the gallery spaces and weaving floor.

I. J.

A very nice and calm place in the centre od Edinburgh. The coffee is excellent and people very nice. Sure a place to go back away from the busy touristic areas

J. M.

Very nice and artistic place to have conferences, meetings and other functions. Very central location makes it easily accessible even for those who don't know Edinburgh very well.

W. H. C.

You can see the textile artists working there. Very impressive.

C. M.

A lovely tapestry weaving studio with some great textile exhibitions and a nice gift shop. The setting in a Victorian swimming pool is pretty special.

G. G.

Nice exhibition, interesting permanent display (bit inactive in current situation 😁). Not the largest exhibition space but nice nonetheless 😇

A. G.

Great space with interesting exhibitions. You can watch tapestry-weaving going on. And there's a great cafe too.

M. T.

The Dovecot studios are home to one of the worlds great tapestry studios, a great cafe serving a curated range of snacks and drinks as well as a lovely shop selling beautiful well designed gifts. The dovecot studios also hold a series of exhibitions throughout the year.

E. W.

They have fantastic exhibitions here with really varied artists and a fascinating array of world class tapestries in progress.

E. M.

Trendy cafe with great coffee and sandwiches. Can be a bit crampt and cold, and is on the expensive side (eg £7 for sandwich and bit of salad), otherwise would easily get 5 stars.

D. M.

We absolutely loved our visit to Dovecot, especially Grayson Perry’s exhibition. A lovely place and well worth a visit

d. r.

Fascination conversion of swimming pool to a gallery and tapestry weaving Centre. Very high quality artwork to observe, was Norwich eligible and interesting staff on hand.

M. S.

Very nice exhibition space. Nice cafe, toucan watch the weavers. Just don't bother them cos that is inconsiderate.

A. M.

A wonderful Liberty's Exhibition as well as the Viewing Gallery views, and exhibition. The Dazzle exhibition in the Ladies Bath was mouthwatering.

L. K.

Always love visiting Dovecot and seeing the wonderful exhibitions it offers.

S. J.

The amazing Dazzle exhibition was on. Didn't eat there, but the cafe looked really good.

s. g.

Totally unique venue. A delight to be able to watch the weavers working on their various projects.

n. w.

Great coffee and relaxed atmosphere. Staff was very friendly and there's good cell coverage inside, which helps make up for the lack of wifi

J. J.

Fascinating to see the Tapestry weavers at work, impressed by the commissions they receive. Loved the exhibit in the gallery!

F. W.

Great exhibitons; friendly and helpful staff

P. M.

Interesting studio/ gallery space with cafe in a former swimming pool. It hosts some good exhibitions.

S. N.

A beautiful building and unique place where the skills of tapestry making are kept alive. A great cafe too.

A. A.

Nice building with interesting event and collection. Friendly staff.

B. S.

Difficult to find but the Liberty exhibition was interesting. Good to see an old building repurposed and put to good use

V. R.

Enjoyed my visit here with the Orla Kiely exibition. Also looking into the Tapestry studio. Nice cafe too

T. D.

Attractive exhibition space, pleasant cafe and friendly staff.

B. E.

The Dovecot Studios provide a beautiful home to some of Scotland's most experienced weavers. Located in an old Victorian pool you'll be amazed at the space now!

R. S. (. o. R.

Great exhibits and also a really nice cafe here

G. C.

Lovely space - the cafe is great too. Interesting to see the tapestries being designed and made.

N. K.

Utterly tasteful, aesthetically and literally. I like watching the weavers quietly working in the old swimming baths below.

R. B.

Excellent Orla Kiely exhibition. New folk running cafe and also worth a look

W. L.

Always loved this place...generally as now great exhibitions

j. d.

Lovely exhibition

G. C.

Excelĺent. Visited Archie Brennan exhibition. Loved it..

m. h.

Very enjoyable visit viewing the arts & crafts on display. Vibrant & colourful.

D. M.

Great little cafe with very good coffee and organic/vegetarian and other great food. Great for a light lunch.

叢.

Greetings meeting spot, steeped in history

J. G.

Very interesting building. Lovely Liberty exhibition at the moment.

R. R.

Something new around each corner. Leo's is a great place for lunch. A super day out.

J. M.

Always try to visit when I am in Edinburgh. This is a wee gem.

K. G.

Super art space. Bright and airy. Also a stunning event space.

A. H.

Super venue, thanks so much

D.

Great space and venue. Exhibitions are well curated and presented.

J. H. f. W.

Wonderful venue, I swam in the pool that was there many moons ago!

A. J.

Fab place to have Scottish Craft Fairs. Very high quailty goods to buy

J. D.

Very helpful staff. Meeting room was well laid out and lunch provided was excellent.

K. G.

Exhibition was great, gift shop very pricey

J. T.

Off the beaten track. Great cafe and interesting to see the weavers at work from midday.

C. K.

Their mission shall win the battle against machinery and robotics. Work on women and men! Let's go back to simple work

C. S.

Interesting as you can wat h work in progress and visit exhibitions.

N. R.

Very cool place to visit if you're into textiles.

R. S.

A lovely place for meeting with friends. Best scones in town!

T. V. d. W.

Places like this should be supported in any possible way. You can see the weavers in action from a viewing balcony

F. A.

Impressive textile workshop|gallery space to see explore and enjoy!😍 A Must!

K. P.

Interesting well-presented and informative exhibitions. Cafe on site.

P. P.

Great place and fantastic exhibition's

C. R.

Fantastic shop exhibitions and dazzle exhibition

P. S.

Fascinating views into a working space. Good café.

J. m.

Beautiful venue for the annual QMU student awards event.

R. F.

Great Grayson Perry exerbition, but poor hot chocolate despite good reviews

H. D. K.

Lovely gallery. Ideal for conferences and large groups.

J. H.

Beautiful inspiring place

C. Y.

Beautiful art studio and café. An urban oasis. Not to be missed!

c. h.

Great cafe , delicious coffee & brownies

E. C.

Enjoyed current exhibition - history of Liberty print fashions

A. G.

Great exhibitions and friendly staff

A. D.

Superb environment, sympathetically restored Victorian era baths.

F. B.

Great Liberty Exhibition and the cafe is great.

S. S.

Great but their fruit costs £50

G. H.

Great café, amazing exhibit.

S. B.

Superb gallery, helpful staff, nice shop.

B. O.

Fascinated by the productive, creative use of an old swimming bath.

S. W.

Was here for a business course. It was a very sleek and professional host

B. W.

Epically large crafts tapestry studio and arts exhibitions

G. M.

Interesting large tapestry studio which can be seen in use.

P. L.

Great Cafe - try the award winning brownie!

A. M.

Really friendly and helpful staff

A. J.

Lovely tapestry workshop exhibition and cafe

S. M.

Fabulous place with nice cafe and shop

B. M.

Fabulous exhibition space with studios

V. S.

Brilliant building. Interesting gallery

P. V. B.

They also have a lovely coffee shop.

J. J.

This gives a very nice view on the versatility and beauty of tapestry

Y. A.

The cafe was lovely and it was very peaceful

H. (.

Loved the exhibition. Very nostalgic.

A. C.

Been during the fringe and the location was great.

A. G.

Unique venue and inspiring exhibition

L. H.

Excellent gallery and lovely food

G. W.

A showcase and workspace for outstanding national craft.

L. Y.

Really nice place to stop for lunch

W. W.

See the Quant exhibition extraordinary

B. G.

Great venue with excellent staff!

A. P.

Beautiful... Interesting gallery

D. Y.

Good cafe

H. B.

Excellent venue for conference

C. A.

Excellent!

K. M.

Wonderful

G. L.

A must go for textile lovers

A. P.

I can not remember Being there

B. W.

Great gallery.

H. C.

Good exhibition

L.

Went there for dazzle.

P. L.

What an amazing space

C. D.

Great space

A. M.

Lovely space

A. P. F.

Brilliant place!

S. M.

So peaceful

M. G.

Lovely

N. C.

Nice facilities...

S. D.

Reverting

F. M.

Marvellous!

C. L.

Gem of a place.

A. g.

The place is fantastic, the food too pretentious

S. C.

(Translated) Charming relatively small museum for those interested in textiles and tapestry. Temporary Expo around the design. Attention to come in the opening hours of the studio otherwise it's a shame! (Original) Charmant musée relativement petit pour qui s’intéresse au textile et à la tapisserie. Expo temporaire autour du design. Attention à venir dans les heures d’ouverture du studio sinon c’est un peu dommage !

J. B.

(Translated) In this cultural and experimental center of the arts there is a good vibe, there is a good atmosphere in the atmosphere. There is also a store where they sell products from exhibiting artists and others and temporary exhibitions of all kinds. You will not miss the cafeteria, the famed Leo offers very good coffee and, among other dishes, his cakes (hence the fame). (Original) En aquest centre cultural i experimental de les arts s'hi respira bon rotllo, hi ha una bona atmosfera en l'ambient. També hi ha una botiga on hi venen productes dels artistes que exposen i d'altres i exposicions temporals de tota mena. No us perdreu la cafeteria, l'afamat Leo ofereix molt bon cafè i, entre d'altres plats, els seus pastissos (d'aquí la fama).

A. P.

(Translated) Orla Kiely exhibition! Excellent! (Original) Orla Kiely exhibition ! Excellent !

E. M.

C. C.

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