New Architecture of Scotland

Scotland and the US have strong bonds – demonstrated in the US 2000 Census where 9.2 million Americans confirmed their Scottish heritage, and a high proportion of these are in California. The number of people proclaiming their "Scottishness" dramatically increased between the Census in 1990 and 2000 so it's clearly something to be proud about.

Scots are a confident nation and in the context of this exhibition – 'New Architecture of Scotland' – perhaps the most tangible example is our award-winning iconic new parliament building standing at the foot of Arthur's Seat in the heart of Edinburgh. This startling building is a symbol of Scotland's confidence and purpose – always there but with new vigour since the establishment of the first Scottish Parliament in 300 years in 1999.

The arrival of devolved government in Scotland also brought a new sense of purpose and increased self confidence to its architects. This exhibition provides a snapshot of new architecture in Scotland and is intended as an introduction rather than as a comprehensive survey of the best buildings completed in the past nine years. As such it celebrates an aspiration to emulate the best new architecture to be found elsewhere, and to promote a demand for a 'higher level of the ordinary' among the population of Scotland.

Scots are continuing to go out in the world but we are also attracting many people – coming to study, live and work in Scotland. And, of course, to do business and to visit.

More US citizens visit Scotland as tourists than any other nationality and tourism is vital to our economy – something we also share with San Francisco which is one of the top ten tourist destinations in the United States.

This exhibition of New Architecture of Scotland not only demonstrates the creativity of the architects in creating buildings in harmony with the unique environment Scotland offers its people in its urban and rural areas but also the value we place on making visitors time in Scotland memorable.

These buildings indeed convey the spirit of Scotland – its past, its present and its future.