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Galleries at 'crisis point' over £40m funding gap

Getty Images A general view of the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh. It is a sunny day with blue sky and a few grey-white clouds in the sky. The building itself is made from light stone and has two sets of four columns on either side.Getty Images
National Galleries of Scotland is responsible for about 120,000 artworks

The National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) has warned it may have to close some of its collections due to a funding shortage.

Director Anne Lyden said the organisation was at "crisis point" unless it managed to raise £40m over the next 10 years to address the condition of its buildings.

NGS operates the National, Portrait, Modern One and Modern Two galleries in Edinburgh.

However, in written evidence to the Scottish government's culture committee, Ms Lyden said the organisation would have to consider "very unpalatable options," including closing one of the galleries altogether, unless funding from Holyrood increased.

More than 2.4 million people visited NGS' sites across the city in 2023, the committee heard.

NGS is responsible for about 120,000 works of art.

PA Media Anne Lyden looking directly at the camera. She has white, shoulder length hair and is wearing glasses with a dark frame. She has long, green earrings on. She is wearing a green blazer and a white and green dotted top. She is standing in front of a neutral background.PA Media
Ms Lyden told the committee the galleries were at "crisis point".

The National Gallery of Scotland is home to works including Sir Henry Raeburn's Skating Minister, as well as those by Paul Cezanne, Paul Gaugin and Vincent Van Gogh.

The Scottish government committed to increasing culture funding by £34m for the 25/26 period in the finance secretary's autumn budget.

The NGS will receive a 9% increase to its budget, equating to about £1.75m.

But Ms Lyden told the committee the majority of that would be totally consumed by staffing costs, with the chancellor's national insurance rise for employers costing it £300,000 and the Scottish government's public sector pay rise £800,000.

She said the money was "too little, too late," and told the committee NGS was facing "seismic changes" unless funding conditions improved.

She said: "We're facing some very unpalatable options here this year.

"We're actively looking at what does that mean. Is it a change in our operating hours or opening hours for the public? Is it a day closure? Is it closures around our multiple sites? Is it even going to the far extreme of a complete permanent closure of one of our buildings?

"Because, again, if we cannot afford to upkeep the fabric of these listed buildings, then we are at risk. We're risking colleagues, we're risking the collection, we're risking the public, and we, I, cannot take that risk."

Entry fees 'possible'

First minister John Swinney said he was "determined to support" NGS when challenged on the issue at FMQs.

He described the galleries as a "great asset of Scotland" and urged opposition MSPs to back his government's budget to ensure they received an uplift in funding.

Katerina Brown, chief executive of Historic Environment Scotland (HES), also appeared before the committee on Thursday.

She told MSPs the national insurance hike would cost HES £1.6m, adding that the organisation, which has to raise most of its budget on its own, was facing a £10m reduction in its funding.

She said the organisation had to carry out inspections on hundreds of properties which may need repairs that could cost millions of pounds.

Ms Brown said HES was looking at entry fees on its attractions.

About 80% of locations managed by HES, currently do not charge to enter, but Ms Brown said: "It's something we are looking at but not necessarily going to roll out."