5 Scottish museum collections awarded National Significance status
On May 18th 2026, International Museums Day, we are pleased to announce that five collections have officially been recognised as Nationally Significant through the Recognition Scheme. This announcement brings the total number of Recognised Collections in Scotland to 56.
The five new collections of National Significance are:
- The Linoleum Collection managed by OnFife
- The Photographic Collection managed by the University of St Andrews
- The Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design Collection managed by University of Dundee Museums
- The Oakbank Collection managed by the Scottish Crannog Centre
- The Art Collection managed by the University of Stirling
Scotland’s Recognition Scheme celebrates and promotes Nationally Significant Collections beyond those held in our national museums and galleries. They are cared for by museums throughout Scotland, from Shetland to Dumfries and Galloway, and showcase the immense diversity in Scotland’s museum and galleries collections. From preserving the heritage of Fife’s floorcovering industry to offering a rare glimpse of Iron Age material culture, these collections tell the multi-faceted history of Scotland and reflect centuries of effort to preserve and interpret our past.
"Recognising these five collections on International Museum Day reminds us that Nationally Significant collections are not the preserve of a few. Scotland's history is wide and surprising, and it is held and cared for by institutions across the country, in communities that have chosen to say: this matters. Bringing the total to 56 is cause for celebration, and an invitation to keep asking whose stories are still waiting to be recognised."
Chanté St Clair Inglis, Chair of the Recognition Committee
We’re also delighted to announce the new Recognition Committee members:
- Eilidh Lawrence, Museums of the University of St Andrews
- Jane Rowlands, Glasgow Life
- Fiona Robertson, Newcastle University
