The latest advert on the Edinburgh Trams network has recently been applied to 261 with the tram entering service with new vinyls for National Galleries Scotland. This is the eleventh different ad that 261 has carried, although several of these have been revised ads for the same sponsor.
261 – which up until these vinyls were applied was carrying an advert for Edinburgh Bus Tours – now has a partial style advert for National Galleries Scotland, another attraction who are no stranger to advertising on the trams. As mentioned its not a full wrap but is of the more restrained partial style which sees just full height ads on two of the seven sections of the tram whilst the rest has adverts just above the windows.
Its different on each side with varying parts of the advert having white, blue and orange backgrounds. Using the latest publicity for visiting National Galleries Scotland including the slogans “My Memory Lane”, “My Friendly Local” and “My pause for thought” the advert includes various people looking at pieces of art which can be found at the various National Galleries premises.
There are four National Galleries Scotland locations in Edinburgh – the National, the Portrait and Modern One and Modern Two.
Previous trams to have advertised National Galleries Scotland include 257 (for the Ray Harryhausen exhibition – November 2020-October 2021) and 264 (September 2023-January 2024).
And 261’s previous ads have been for Edinburgh Trams Hogmanay services (December 2016-February 2017), Edinburgh Trams Try the return to Murrayfield (February-May 2017), Edinburgh Trams Royal Highland Show Trampede (May-July 2017), Edinburgh Trams Festival and Fringe (July 2017-September 2017), CR Smith (September 2017-January 2019), Standard Life (January 2019-March 2020), Scottish Rugby (November 2021-June 2023), Scottish Rugby Summer Internationals (June-October 2023), Scottish Rugby (October 2023-June 2024) and Edinburgh Bus Tours (June 2024-March 2025).
This image shows one full side of the tram. This side features a blue and white background and tells us all that the art in the galleries is ours. Taken at West End.
Further down the advert on the same side of the tram showing some more of the detail. Including an image of Lady Agnew of Lochnaw which was painted in 1892 by John Singer Sargent.
The other side of the tram, with 261 now being at St Andrew Square. This end of the tram has bright orange vinyls and includes the slogan “My friendly local”.
Further down the same side and the background goes blue with another image of someone looking at artwork in the galleries. The slogan here is “My pause for thought”. (All Photographs by Roy Calderwood, 27th March 2025)