I NOTE with interest the National Museums Scotland (NMS) spokesperson’s view that they have “been in discussions with Dumfries and Galloway Council … (over acquisition of the Galloway Viking Hoard, or GVH) … for several months now, and are continuing our discussions” (“Galloway battles to keep £1m Viking treasure”, the Herald, March 2). My understanding of NMS’s proposal is that it wants the rights to buy the Hoard and will deign to lend it to the regional museums service, as and when they does not require it in Chambers Street. Despite being asked to do so on a number of occasions, they have not clarified how they propose to fund this, nor when the arrangements might apply.

It will be no surprise to those of your readers with any knowledge of the process that, in seeking grant funding for such acquisitions, the National Museum and our own service would essentially be dipping their bread in the same gravy, so that – despite what may seem to be a David and Goliath situation – our resources available for acquisition and future conservation and research may be broadly similar.

We have made provision in our new gallery in Kirkcudbright, currently under development for a 2018 opening, for secure and environmentally tailored display of the Hoard. As Cathy Agnew of the Galloway Viking Hoard campaign points out in your article, this collection has remained under the soil of Galloway for a millennium, and it would be totally inappropriate for it now to be held in Edinburgh, with occasional drip-feeding to the area where it was found.

Museums and Galleries Scotland has a commitment in its strategy “Going Further” to brokering collaborations across the sector. National Museums Scotland’s commitment to doing so in this case seems little more than lip-service.

There is no dispute of the scale of the National Museum. However, this should not mean that the interests of smaller, regional services are over-ridden. There are exemplars of best practice in the other parts of the UK, which demonstrate a willingness on the part of the British Museum to collaborate with regional museums services, and it is ironic that this positive approach is not reflected in our own National Museum’s approach.

I find the suggestion that the only way to secure the Hoard for viewing by people outside of our beautiful and welcoming region, is for them to make a beeline for Chambers Street, quite demeaning. There is cross-party support amongst our local MPs and MSPs for an agreement which gives our region a meaningful element of control over the future display and research of the Hoard. As well as the recently launched GHV Campaign’s petition, now with more than 1,000 signatures, hundreds of people have taken the trouble to write personally to the Council to support our aspiration. There is a real feeling abroad in Dumfries and Galloway that our regional wish to continue to provide a home for this amazing collection should not be seen as separate from the national interest; rather as an expression of the desire of remote and rural communities across Scotland to have their historic and cultural identities recognised.

Councillor Tom McAughtrie,

Chairman,

Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Communities Committee, English Street, Dumfries.