Trip to Scotland

In June 2019, members of the V&AAF enjoyed a trip to Scotland, following the rich history of Scottish design across Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow and meeting the contemporary practitioners shaping the future of design in the country. The trip was inspired by the opening of V&A Dundee in 2018, a spectacular new outpost of the V&A located on the banks of the River Tay. V&A Dundee is the first dedicated design museum in Scotland and the only V&A museum outside London.

Before embarking on their Scottish adventure, the group spent a day at the V&A in London, touring the sold-out exhibition Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams with its lead curator and visiting the museum’s critically-acclaimed Photography Centre. V&AAF members were then invited to join the V&A’s exclusive annual Summer Party in the evening. You can read more about this year’s Summer Party here.

Upon arriving in Dundee the following morning, the group were delighted to hear from Director of V&A Dundee Philip Long, before enjoying an architectural tour of the building designed by award-winning Japanese architects Kengo Kuma & Associates, who have also designed the new stadium for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Over the remaining three days, the group were treated to private tours of some of Scotland’s finest stately homes, explored the work of celebrated Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and enjoyed exclusive access to the studios of world-renowned artists and designers.