Funding

Scottish government backs museums to share untold community stories

Image: Edinburgh University heritage collections (University of Edinburgh)

The funding is hoped boost connections between local communities and nine museums across the country

Nearly half a million pounds in funding is to be shared between a selection of Scottish museums to support their connections with local communities.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) has backed nine museum projects with a shared £456,000 from the Scottish Government, via the Museums Development Fund.

Each of the nine projects is hoped to strengthen the relationship between museums and local communities through participatory practices, inclusive programming, and enhanced access to cultural heritage

MGS said the funded projects focus on “sharing untold stories within their collections, promoting inclusivity, and encouraging co-curation”.

The awarded projects include ‘A Fair Field and No Favour’ at Surgeons Hall Museum in Edinburgh. It will explore and highlight the historical and current barriers women face in the field of surgery.

Elsewhere, the Scottish Crannog Centre will use their funding to display Perthshire’s oldest piece of textile for the first time, sharing an insight into the lives of people 2,500 years ago.

Clydebank Museum is set to open later this year and project funding will allow West Dunbartonshire Council to connect local communities with the history and heritage of Clydebank through an arts and heritage activities programme at the new museum.

Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture said:“We are committed to safeguarding Scotland’s cultural heritage and developing the social and economic benefits that museums provide to communities across the country.

Lucy Casot, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland said the selected projects will “highlight the commitment of the sector to address community needs, better represent stories from individuals in Scotland and beyond, and improve access to culture.”

The funded projects

National Museums Scotland

National Museums Scotland has received £60,000 to support the next phase of its Reveal and Connect project, which aims to develop community-led research around South African collections. Museums and communities in both Scotland and South Africa will collaborate to develop scalable and transferable participatory practices, increasing meaningful community engagement and improving collections knowledge and management.

University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh has received £58,469 to develop and embed the University’s Heritage Collections learning programme in Scottish prisons. The programme aims to improve participants’ relationship with education, equip them with new skills and knowledge, and increase their self-confidence to support their rehabilitation. The funding will also support training for internal and external facilitators of the programme sessions to provide them with new skills and confidence in engaging vulnerable communities.

Royal Scottish Academy

Royal Scottish Academy has received £59,514 to support their Partners Across Scotland project as part of their 200th Anniversary programme in 2026. Partners Across Scotland will celebrate the cultural history, presence, and influence of the RSA and their Academicians across Scotland. The project will involve more than 42 partners, each developing their own exhibitions and events that connect with RSA Academicians or emerging artists who have been part of the RSA family. The RSA will also provide access to loans from its collection, allowing the Edinburgh based collection to be seen in venues across the country.

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Surgeons’ Hall Museum has received £43,932 to support their project ‘A Fair Field and No Favour’. A transformative project designed to explore and highlight the historical and current barriers women face in the field of surgery. The project will feature a temporary exhibition and a permanent “Women in Surgery” display which will address issues of inclusion and representation in the museum’s displays and interpretation. The project aims to unveil hidden stories, enrich collections, and inspire future generations while promoting inclusivity.

The Scottish Crannog Centre

The museum has received £58,367 to develop a new display for its 2,500 year old ceramic and textile collections. They will partner with UNESCO RILA and Maryhill Integration Network to develop a strong story about Iron Age Life in Scotland with a focus on caring for your community and environment.

Robert Burns Ellisland Museum and Farm

The museum has received £60,000 to help diversify and expand the museum’s audiences, provide inclusive opportunities for young people, and make the site more accessible to visitors. This is part of their larger project ‘Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne’ which will restore and transform the site by repairing, conserving, and adapting the buildings and outdoor spaces.

Dundee Museum of Transport

Dundee Museum of Transport has received £58,604 to employ a freelance curator to support the museum’s move to a new premises at Maryfield Tram Depot in 2026. The curator will support the creation of a new exhibition that celebrates Dundee’s transport heritage.

Almond Valley Heritage Trust

Almond Valley Heritage Centre has received £32,000 to reintegrate the Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry into the wider Almond Valley Heritage Centre experience. The project aims to transform the museum into an engaging hub that harnesses community engagement and co-creation.

West Dunbartonshire Council

The council’s museum service has received £25,535 to support their project, Connecting Clydebank, Communities and Culture. The project aims to connect local communities to the heritage of Clydebank and maximise access and participation following the opening of the new Clydebank Museum in 2025. A programme of cultural and learning experiences will be delivered at the new museum, designed to encourage ownership and pride in place as well as supporting health & wellbeing.