A design for the new heritage hub (Benjamin Tindall Architects)
Scotland’s oldest heritage charity must raise funds by January 2027 to purchase building ahead of 250th anniversary in 2030.
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland has launched a £1.5m fundraising campaign to secure a permanent home in Edinburgh ahead of its 250th anniversary in 2030.
The Society, founded in 1780 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1783, currently operates from a top-floor flat within the National Museum of Scotland complex.
The campaign aims to purchase a building on the corner of Bristo Port and Bristo Place, within Edinburgh’s historic southern gateway area. The building is offered at a fixed price of £2.1m until January 2027. The Society is contributing £600,000 from its own investments and must raise the remaining £1.5m by the deadline to secure the purchase.
The building sits within a cultural quarter which attracts more than 10 million visitors annually. The project would establish Scotland’s first national heritage hub, open to academics and visitors.
The Society is Scotland’s oldest heritage charity, and facilitates research and innovation through grants and awards, advocates as a voice for heritage, and shares knowledge through a programme of lectures and resources.
Diana Murray CBE HonFSAScot, President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, said: “We now have a rare and time-limited opportunity to secure this building and open our doors properly for the first time in our modern history, ensuring that Scotland’s past belongs to everyone, at home and across the world.”
Dr Simon Gilmour FSAScot, Director of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, said:
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime alignment of opportunity, affordability and historic significance.”
“We invite everyone who cares about Scotland’s past to help us secure it.”
A primary donor giving £1m or more may name the building, with their name, coat of arms or corporate logo displayed on the exterior. Gold donors giving £200,000 or more will have their name, coat of arms or corporate logo displayed in the boardroom.
