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 medium-dark skin, braided brown hair, and a blue cardigan holds headphones to their ears while standing in front of a bright blue painting.

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'.

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

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.

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 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.

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

Three adults are standing together dressed in prison guard outfits from the Victorian period. The two on the left are wearing black coats and trousers with flat topped black hats. The person on the right is wearing a grey dress and black coat. Behind them is a two storey, 19th century building with large arched windows.

Jedburgh Castle Jail & Museum launches dark tourism experience with support from Museum Futures Innovation Fund

Jedburgh Castle Jail & Museum opens a new interactive escape room and costumed tours with support from the Museum Futures Innovation Fund.

Four adults stand together and smile in front of a building with glass walls and a revolving door. One member of the group - and adult with light skin, tied-back brown hair, and a green jacket - holds a green plaque which features the text "Green Tourism".

Green Tourism Gold for Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums

We welcome the news that all four venues at Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums have been awarded Green Tourism Gold accreditation, a globally recognised sustainability award.

28 September, 2026

Getting to grips with Heat Pumps

Hear from sector colleagues about their years of experience in the world of heat pumps from the well-known air and ground source to experimental river heat exchange systems and even how heat pumps can work on a historic ship.

Price: Free
Organiser: Museums Galleries Scotland
Location: Online