Museums face funding 'crisis'

The Highland Folk Museum, Kingussie, could be affected

BBC Scotland arts correspondent Pauline McLean reports on the funding problems faced by Scotland's independent museums.

There's a sense of deja vu about the annual general meeting of the Scottish Museums Council.

Once again, the agenda is dominated by the need to replace the antiquated funding structure with something more suitable for the 21st century.

Three years ago, the SMC warned the structure was creating a two tier system between "the nationals" and the local authority and independent museums.

There remains an urgent need to ensure that irreplaceable treasures . . . are not lost to the public

Jane Ryder

It warned that things were already reaching crisis point and that, unless something was done, museums would start to close.

This autumn, despite a commitment from the Scottish Executive to spend £3.25m on a national audit, the grim predictions have been realised.

Last month, the Scottish Maritime Museum had to close the doors of its Irvine headquarters.

This month, it is the turn of the Scottish Museum of Lead Mining in Wanlockhead.

If the National Museum of Mining in Newtongrange cannot access extra funds by January, it too will have to close its doors.

Aberdeen's Marischal Museum is one of 335 museums

It may have the word "national" in its title but without the status, or the government funding attached, it is of little consequence.

Like most industrial museums, the National Museum of Mining is an independent museum, initiated and maintained by a core of enthusiasts.

They have support from their local authority. Often the neighbouring enterprise company chips in. But it is not a large or regular enough income to guarantee a safe future.

With more and more pressure, many museums are being forced to become more commercial.

Cafes and shops, themed tours and corporate hospitality all help pay the bills. But they should never undermine the museums' principal aim - to preserve and illuminate the past for future generations.

Small collections

And it is not simply a case of big versus small. The national museums include the magnificent Museum of Scotland, but also the much smaller collection of the National War Museum of Scotland, now housed in a new building in Edinburgh Castle.

Non-nationals include the vast collections of Glasgow Museums, which extend across 11 different museums.

Glasgow City Council: "Unfair structure"

Glasgow City Council has made its own representations to the executive about the unfairness of a structure which values some museums over others and fails to take into account the struggles of local authorities to keep their collections safe.

SMC chairman Malcolm McLeod is to commend the 335 non-national museums who have survived the last year.

However, he sounds the warning that: "They can only achieve their full potential within a coherent and fair strategic framework which addresses the current funding anomalies within the museums sector and fully recognises the contribution of Scotland¿s non-national museums."

Director Jane Ryder agrees. She welcomed the executive's decision to carry out an national audit, not just of museums, but of their collections and services. But she is worried that it could be too late for some museums.

She said: "There remains an urgent need to ensure that irreplaceable treasures and unique collections and services are not lost to the public while long term planning work is underway.

"Some of our museums face closure now - they can't afford to wait."