Six museum and galleries located across Scotland have been awarded funding of £234,185 under a scheme designed to increase access to the collections and raise standards of collections management and care.

The Recognition Scheme funded by the Scottish Government and managed by the Scottish Museums Council and ensures important collections are identified, cared for, protected and promoted to a wider audience. 

Minister for Culture Linda Fabiani said: “In June, I announced the first awards to ten collections across Scotland giving them Recognised status. Today I am delighted to confirm that six of these collections will now receive funding to attract audiences and promote their wonderful collections of national significance. 

“These collections should be shared with as many people as possible and through the Recognition Scheme I look forward to seeing direct benefits for our local museums and galleries around the country.”

Custodians of the Recognised Collections are using the grant as an opportunity to develop new ways to attract audiences such as providing interactive online access to the collections.

Douglas Connell, the chair of the Recognition Committee, which oversees the recognition of collections of national significance, added: “To achieve Recognition status, the applicants had to demonstrate the uniqueness, authenticity, comprehensiveness, and national value of their collection.  It is wonderful to be able to now fund their aspirations to undertake projects such as increasing accessibility to their collections and improving how they are cared for.”

The full list of projects receiving funding funded from the scheme is: the Archaeology Collection cared for by Dumfries and Galloway Museum Service, the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments cared for by University of Edinburgh, the core collection cared for by Scottish Railway Preservation Society, Bo'ness, the entire collection cared for by Burns Monument Trust, Alloway, the entire collection cared for by Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow and the entire collection cared for by Surgeons' Hall Museum, Edinburgh.

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