Mistakes galore at portrait of author

But it appears that in all the excitement of the re‑opening in Edinburgh last month, no-one noticed some glaring schoolboy errors beside a portrait of writer Sir Compton Mackenzie, Whisky Galore author and one of the founding fathers of the Scottish National Party.

The description beside the painting, by Robert Westwater, written after research by gallery curators, mistakenly credits him, along with novelist Eric Linklater, of founding the Scottish Party in 1932. Both men were in fact in the rival National Party of Scotland founded four years earlier.

It also states, in error, that both parties merged in 1932 to form the SNP. The parties merged in 1933 and the SNP was founded in April 1934.

The mistakes about the origins of the SNP were still on display last week – more than a month after the gallery reopened its doors to the public.

Gallery director James Holloway admitted the gallery had got the dates wrong and said: “We have gone to great lengths to ensure the accuracy of information relating to the 849 works on show in the Portrait Gallery’s new displays, but on a project of this size some inaccuracies will unfortunately creep in, and we are very grateful when these are brought to our attention.”

Rob Gibson, SNP MSP for the Highlands and Islands, said: “I’d like to see these things correct, especially at a time when people are examining Scottish history. In fact, we are at a time when there has never been so much interest in Scotland’s past. The party’s origins are there for all to read. It is up to the gallery staff to read the right books.”

Maurice Davies, head of policy at the Museums Association, said: “The gallery’s stuff must be feeling gutted. It is very embarrassing as it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Obviously, it shouldn’t have happened, but everyone’s human.”