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The Art Works project has received £11.6m new government funding
National Museums Scotland and National Galleries of Scotland are to join forces to create a joint “national collections hub” in Edinburgh to share artworks and artefacts with the public.
NMS said it had “begun to work more closely” with NGS and now planned to merge its own facilities in Granton with that of the galleries.
NGS said it was “in the process of determining” what the merge would mean for the timelines and the detail of the project.
The facility, which has been in planning stages for nearly a decade, will create a combined archive, conservation centre, research facility and visitor attraction, which will allow the public access to items held in the national collections.
A spokeswoman for NMS said: “In recent months, we have begun to work more closely with the National Galleries of Scotland, and we now intend to align the two existing masterplans for the development of our adjacent facilities in Granton into a single, shared project – a ‘National Collections Hub’.
“This approach aligns with the Scottish Government’s Public Service Reform agenda, being more efficient, sustainable and cost-effective, and will see us working together to improve collections care and expand access to the National Collections.”
Anne Lyden, director general of NGS, said: “The Art Works will be an important strategic enabler for others in the culture sector. We are already looking at ways we can work more closely with National Museums Scotland as part of the wider Granton Waterfront Development.
“We are working to align our two existing masterplans into a single shared programme called the National Collections Hub.”
She added: “We are in the process of determining what this exciting news means for The Art Works project and our timelines. Thank you to the Cabinet Secretary, Angus Robertson, for his support of the project.”
Following the publication of the Scottish Government’s draft Budget for 2026/27, culture secretary Angus Robertson said the Art Works project would enable public access to Scottish art.
He said: “The Art Works development in Granton will also receive capital investment of £11.65 to realise that vision of a shared storage facility which also enables public access to our national art treasures at the heart of a wider regeneration initiative for the Granton area.”
The UK government has already pledged £16.4 million in “Levelling Up” funding for the Granton project, including an ongoing project to turn a former gas holder tower, which dates back to 1901, and surrounding land into a visitor attraction, event space and public park.
A former railway station building has already been converted into a new home for artists and creative businesses under a £4.75m project, while a former industrial warehouse on a separate site is to be turned into a new creative and community hub featuring studio space
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