Oceans of maritime history would be celebrated in £10m Leith museum

Published on Friday 17 April 2009 22:07

IT IS the grand building where, for years, masters of ships docked at one of Scotland's main ports would declare their cargoes and pay duties.

Now, the landmark on Edinburgh's waterfront is set to become a 10 million museum and arts centre boasting centuries-old artefacts and works of art.

More than 800 years of trading and maritime history would be marked in 19th-century Customs House, the Neo-classical building on Leith's Shore, under plans unveiled last night.

As well as hosting permanent exhibitions, the complex would offer studio and workshop space to local artists, play host to music and drama performances, and feature a cafe-bar.

A blueprint for the project, which relies on supporters winning the backing of Scotland's national museums body, which owns the building, would lift the lid on Leith's long-running role as one of the nation's main "gateways" to the world.

It has a commercial and industrial heritage stretching back to the 12th century – including everything from merchant seafaring, fishing and whaling, to shipbuilding and manufacturing.

Dating back to 1812, Customs House has been used as a storage space for National Museums Scotland collections since the 1970s. But officials at the body have admitted they have no long-term need for the building, on Commercial Street, as it is planning to centralise all of its material at a new collections complex in nearby Granton.

Last night's meeting was aimed at starting fundraising efforts, which will initially concentrate on paying for a detailed feasibility study and the drawing up of a business plan.

Leith-born entrepreneur Sir Tom Farmer has agreed to spearhead the campaign, which is expected to target the City of Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Government, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Scottish Arts Council for support.

Campaigners claim there have been demands for a "museum of Leith" for more than 20 years, during which the area has been transformed by thousands of new homes, cafes, bars and restaurants, and the arrival of the Royal Yacht Britannia.

The new museum is expected to have the theme of "culture and custom", charting the commercial and trading history of Leith, as well as the people who flocked into Scotland through the port, and those who left from Leith for a new life overseas.

The attraction will also celebrate some of Scotland's most significant "arrivals and departures", including the dramatic return of Mary, Queen of Scots from France to Scotland in 1561, the historic state visit of George IV in 1822, the attempted attack by the American navy during the War of Independence in 1779, and the Siege of Leith from 1559-1560. Studio MB, an Edinburgh-based design consultancy which has worked on museum exhibitions across the UK, is a key adviser on the project.

Charlie Barr, a partner at the consultancy, said: "The idea is for this to be a world-class attraction celebrating the critical role Leith has played as a major arrival and departure point throughout Scotland's history."

Mark Lazarowicz, the MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, added: "There is simply nowhere in Leith you can discover the long history of the area and its importance in a wider context to the whole country.

"There are discussions with NMS about the building, and they have offered a lot of practical help, but it's very early days and detailed studies will need to be done before things can be taken forward with them."

A National Museums Scotland spokeswoman said: "Customs House is unsuitable for the long-term storage of museum collections and is not appropriate for what is one of the finest buildings in Leith.

"However, we do not have a timescale or resources for a move of our collections. Additional funding would be required from the Scottish Government to construct an additional facility at Granton."

Deidre Brock, the city's culture convener, said: "We are certainly supportive of the idea of creating a Leith museum."