The Monarch of the Glen has been saved for the nation - and will now go on a nationwide tour.
The National Galleries of Scotland has raised the £4m required to buy the iconic, much reproduced painting by Sir Edwin Landseer from the drinks giant Diageo Scotland Ltd.
Under an agreement made last November, the galleries (NGS) were given around four months to raise the sum, or the painting would have likely been sold at auction by the company.
The galleries made the deadline - the £4m sum was met by £2.65m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £350,000 from the Art Fund, £634,000 from private trusts and foundations, £100,000 from the NGS own acquisition fund via the Scottish Government, and £266,000 from the public.
In addition, today it has been announced that the painting will go on tour, funded by the HLF and the Scottish Government.
The painting will now hang in the Scottish National Gallery.
Support for the public campaign has come from around the world with donations received from Anchorage, Queensland, Los Angeles and Hong Kong.
The painting will initially be hung in the Scottish National Gallery, in central Edinburgh, plans are now in train for a tour to a number of venues across Scotland, starting later this year.
Sir John Leighton, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland said: "We are thrilled that we have been able to secure this iconic work for the national collection.
"The enormous support from the public has been incredible with donations coming from all over the world and from the length and breadth of Scotland and the rest of the UK.
"Thank you so much to everyone who has donated. Your gift has helped to ensure that this magnificent work will be enjoyed by millions of people for generations to come."
Dame Seona Reid, Heritage Lottery Fund Trustee and Chair of HLF’s Scotland Committee, said: "Landseer’s Monarch of the Glen portrays a quintessentially Scottish scene but has a global reach.
"With the help of National Lottery players from across the UK, we are pleased to play a major role in securing it a permanent home at the National Galleries of Scotland.
"The public’s affection for Monarch of the Glen has been reflected in the success of the recent fundraising campaign. Everyone involved should feel proud of the role they are playing in safeguarding and sharing this fine and popular painting."
Dr Stephen Deuchar, Art Fund director, said: "Many congratulations to the National Galleries Scotland for successfully securing this truly iconic painting.
"The success of the public appeal is proof of its contemporary appeal, and its acquisition by the Galleries will open up many new opportunities for its display, interpretation and enjoyment by a wide public."
David Cutter, Diageo’s senior director in Scotland and President of Global Supply and Procurement, said he was happy the see the positive outcome of the deal and for it to be in public ownership for the first time in its history.
Fiona Hyslop, the culture secretary, said: "I am delighted that National Galleries Scotland has secured the funding required to ensure the iconic Monarch of the Glen can remain on permanent public display in Scotland.
"The overwhelmingly positive response to the public fundraising campaign underlines the importance of the painting to people in Scotland and around the world.
"I am pleased the Scottish Government was able to provide £100,000 towards its acquisition and a further £75,000 for a tour that will enable communities across Scotland to see it. I look forward to seeing the Monarch of the Glen continue to attract visitors from far and wide in the years to come>"
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