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

A group of adults in hard hats and hi-vis vests posing for a photo on a wooden walkway that leads to a wood roundhouse.

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.

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.

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.

448

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 group of seven adults are standing aboard a ship. A large mast is standing tall behind them with a purple flag attached that reads 'Museum Futures'. A large grey building with an angular roof is also in the background.

Culture Secretary celebrates year one success of Museum Futures programme

During her visit to the Tall Ship, Màiri McAllan unveiled the first-year evaluation report of the Museum Futures Programme, which has provided £3.5 million in funding to 58 organisations through 94 grants since its launch in July 2025.

A museum staff member with light skin tone, short brown hair, and glasses is standing on the right. On the left is an adult with light skin tone and long blonde hair. They are both looking at a booklet that says 'Ullapool Museum' across the front.

Over £129k awarded through the Small Grants Fund

We’re pleased to announce that £129,584 has been awarded to 12 museum organisations across the country through the latest round of our Small Grants Fund. The awarded projects aim to improve audience engagement, education, and accessibility.

Innovation Panel: Building Financial Sustainability

Join us for a discussion with three museum workers whose innovative approaches to energy, technology, and visitor experience have transformed the financial sustainability of their organisations.

Price: Free
Organiser: Museums Galleries Scotland
Location: Online