Supporting Scotland's Museums and Galleries

Discover the wide range of opportunities and support available to the sector to help deliver the strategy for Scotland’s museums and galleries.

Explore the strategy

Meet our team

An adult with dark skin, short black hair, and a short black beard crouches next to two children with medium-dark skin and brown hair. The children are examining some thistles growing in tall grass.

An adult with light skin and brown hair tied into a bun views a portrait by Maud Sulter, a Scottish artist of Ghanaian heritage, at Edinburgh’s City Art Centre. The portrait depicts an adult with medium-dark skin wearing a white wig and formal dress in the style of 18th century Western fashion.

An adult and two young people with light skin stand in front of a display of brass instruments.

A crowd of people wearing bright colours and waving flags marches past a large stone building which features a sign reading 'Art Gallery'.

Three people with light skin tone are stood in front of a red minivan parked on a lawn in front of a stone building. In the foreground a person with light skin tone wearing a kilt, red soldier's uniform jacket, and tall black hat is holding a rifle.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the national development body for Scotland’s museum sector. We support 450 museums and galleries through strategic investment, advice, workforce development, and advocacy.

Museum Futures

Museum Futures is a pioneering programme of funding and support which seeks to accelerate collaboration and innovation and embed organisational sustainability across the museum sector.

This programme, which is backed by £4 million of Scottish Government funding, was developed in partnership with the Scottish Government, Museums Galleries Scotland, and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

A group of adults sit at a table and engage in conversation. Behind them is an adult standing next to a flipchart.

450

Museums and Galleries

supported by us in Scotland

249

Accredited Museums

across Scotland meet the UK Museum Accreditation Standard

£1.7 million

In MGS Grants Funding

awarded to museums and galleries in 2024/25

72

MGS Learning Opportunities

provided to the sector in 2024/25

A small football dating back to 1540. It is grey and made from thick leather panels which have been stitched together.

World's oldest football crosses Atlantic for World Cup appearance

Today, the Stirling Smith hosted a public farewell event to celebrate the start of the football's journey to Miami where it will be displayed at the Coral Gables Museum from 20 to 26 June as part of World Cup celebrations.

A small silver cross attached to a red ribbon with a silver trim.

King’s Birthday Honours for Scottish museum champions

Congratulations to John McLeish, Mark Mair, and Jenny Rose-Miller, who have been recognised for their services to museums and heritage in this year's King's Birthday Honours.

Innovation Panel Discussion

The Museum Futures team are delighted to host our first Innovation Panel Discussion where we have invited three organisations to share their experiences.

Price: Free
Organiser: Museums Galleries Scotland
Location: Online