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 light skin and short brown hair walks towards a large green gate which displays the text "Verdant Works".

Three large lighthouse lenses on display in a room with white walls and a blue floor. The glass bands of the lenses shine with white, yellow, and green light.

An adult in a black hoodie wears a VR headset and holds a controller whilst smiling. Behind him, a TV screen displays what the VR output.

A group of children standing on a staircase and holding hand-painted placards which feature messages about political and social issues.

An adult with light skin and wavy shoulder-length brown hair stands next to a display of maritime objects. The display includes ship bells, a life rings, and a large sign with the text "Greenock Princes Pier".

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the national development body for Scotland’s museum sector. We support 455 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.

An adult with long hair secured in a claw clip holds a baby in their arms while pointing up at a large globe that is suspended from a domed wooden ceiling.

455

Museums and Galleries

supported by us in Scotland

252

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

An ariel view of the debating chamber of the Scottish Parliament. Rows of black chairs at wooden desks face a large wooden podium.

Scottish Budget provides stability but further support needed

MGS welcomes the Scottish Government’s Budget while stressing that further action is needed to secure the museum sector’s long-term resilience.

An outfit on display within a glass case. The outfit consists of a white wide-neck blouse with ornate patterns down the sleeves, a red, green, and yellow patterned bag and a red and yellow belt.

Funding awarded to support vital repairs and sustainable futures for Scotland’s museums

Museums Galleries Scotland has awarded £543,299 to nine museum organisations through its Repair and Adaptation Fund.

2026 Election Advocacy Toolkit

As we approach the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, the impact of museums must be visible, valued, and understood by the people who shape national policy. This toolkit makes it simple for all museums to take part in the campaign, with practical tips and ready-to-use content.