A new culture complex on Edinburgh's waterfront which will become home to many of Scotland’s most important art treasures has secured vital backing from the Scottish Government.
The Art Works project, which the National Galleries of Scotland has been pursuing for a site in Granton for around a decade, was allocated £11.65 million in the Scottish Budget.
The new cultural hub is planned to open up public access to thousands of works in the care of both the National Galleries and National Museums.
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The government announced the investment in the project as it revealed it was putting another £2.5m to ensure the long-delayed refurbishment of the King's Theatre in Edinburgh, which is expected to cost well over £40m, is completed by this summer.
The government also confirmed a planned £20m increase in Creative Scotland's budget, which had been announced a year ago for its long-term funding programme, would be going ahead.
However the national performance companies, including Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet, have had pleas for significant additional support and long-term funding agreements snubbed by the government.
The Art Works project, which is expected to cost at least £90m to deliver, has long been planned to become a centrepiece of a £1.3 billion transformation of around 60 acres of land in Granton.
Ministers had previously approved £9.3m for the project, which is earmarked for a site for a site, between Waterfront Avenue and West Granton Road, which is roughly equivalent in size to two playing fields.
The Art Works, which was first announced in 2012, is intended to bring the National Galleries collection under the one roof for the first time and replace a number of other buildings which are said to be “over capacity and not fit for purpose”.
However the project has effectively been in limbo due to a lack of funding since planning permission was secured in October 2023.
The National Galleries warned last year that the project was vital to ensure its collections were kept safe for future generations and raised concerns of the risk of a “catastrophic failure” at one of the buildings which currently houses works it is responsible for.
At the time, its then chairman, Benny Higgins, said: “Without the funding to build The Art Works, our hands are tied. Scotland’s collection is at risk, in cramped and outdated storage."
It is understood the government has insisted that the National Galleries and National Museums work together on the Granton culture hub.
Responding to the announcement of the new funding, National Galleries director-general Anne Lyden said: “We’re so happy to receive anchor capital funding from Scottish Government for The Art Works, our project to build a new, free-to-visit experience in Granton.
"The Art Works will be a state-of-the-art home for Scotland’s national art collection. It will not only open up access to art in Edinburgh, but across Scotland and the UK through an increased loans and touring programme.
"The Art Works will also be an important strategic enabler for others in the culture sector. We are already looking at ways we can work more closely with the National Museums Scotland as part of the wider Granton waterfront development."
A spokesperson for the National Museums said: "In recent months, we have begun to work more closely with the National Galleries and now intend to align the two existing masterplans for the development of our adjacent facilities in Granton into a single, shared project.
"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."
Meanwhile a long-awaited overhaul of Edinburgh’s historic King’s Theatre, which is due to be completed by the summer, has received a new £2.5m bail-out from the government.
Ministers have signed off £1.25m in additional support for both this financial year and for 2026-27 after the cost of transforming the 120-year-old venue soared since work began nearly three years ago.
The government announced an initial £6.5m for the revamp in 2021, but had to step in with an additional £3.85m in February 2023 to ensure work could get underway.
Fiona Gibson, chief executive of Capital Theatre, which runs the King's on behalf of the city council, said: "This funding from the Scottish Government comes at a hugely significant moment for the King’s Theatre and for everyone who has worked so hard to bring this project to life.
"We are incredibly grateful for their support, and for the backing of the many people who have believed in this project, contributed and championed it every step of the way.
"The King’s holds a special place in the hearts of Edinburgh audiences, and being able to bring it back to life feels truly special.
“As we look ahead to reopening, we are excited to welcome back Edinburgh communities and our loyal audiences to the King’s Theatre in July."
Finance secretary Shona Robison said: "It is through our songs and our stories that we best express ourselves, and best understand ourselves, and our place in the world.
"In these times of uncertainty, in these times when there are so many pressures on family budgets, we can find some solace, maybe even some much-needed escape, in art, in dance, in laughter, in music, in the shared experience that is a concert or a festival.
"Scotland is richer because of our world-famous culture, and this government stands full square behind our fantastic creative sector."
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