Exclusive:Entry fees on the cards for museums and galleries in Edinburgh including City Art Centre and Museum of Childhood

Admission fees are being explored for council-run attractions in Edinburgh

Admission charges are being lined up for council-run museums and galleries in Edinburgh.

A 12-month pilot scheme is being proposed next year as part of a plan to help meet the rising costs of running and maintaining historic attractions, and ensure they have a long-term future.

Entry fees of at least £6 per adult could be introduced at attractions like the City Art Centre, the Museum of Childhood, the Writer’s Museum, the Museum of Edinburgh, the Museum of Childhood and The People’s Story Museum.

The Museum of Childhood is based on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.

If Edinburgh’s councillors approve the idea of charging, the city will need to seek special permission from the Scottish Government to press ahead due to historic laws intended to ensure free access to museums and galleries around the country.

But any Government approval would set a precedent and could have wider implications for other councils across Scotland also facing unprecedented budget pressures.

Council leaders in Glasgow had said earlier this year they were also considering charging “non-Glaswegians” to enter its museums and galleries, which are free to access.

Admission charges are being considered in Edinburgh as an alternative to cutting back the opening hours of the council's attractions, including reducing the number of days they are open.

Entry fees could be introduced at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh, which usually only charges for tickets to major exhibitions. Picture: Greg Macvean

Exemptions would be offered to local residents, but they would have to provide they stay in the city to secure free entry.

People who work in the city, but living in outlying areas, such as West Lothian or Fife, are expected to have to pay the new charges.

The council is keen to capitalise on the potential income from visitors to the city, who make up around 85 per cent of the 718,000 annual visitors to its museums and galleries. Consultants have warned the council its visitor numbers may plummet by a third if it introduces charges across the board.

The council would also face additional annual costs of around £295,000 a year, but could still generate an additional £620,000 for the museums and galleries service, according to the research.

Entry fees could be introduced at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh, which usually only charges for tickets to major exhibitions.

Culture chiefs say the introduction of entry fees would help attract more high-profile exhibitions to venues like the City Art Centre, near Waverley Station, as well as ensure the council’s museums and galleries are “fit for the 21st century”. A new collection and visitor centre is also being proposed for the Craigmillar area to bring together more than 200,000 works of art and historic objects in the council’s care.

The charging proposals for Edinburgh attractions have emerged months after council leaders in Glasgow said they were considering charging “non-Glaswegians” to enter its museums and galleries.

It emerged this year that entry fees could be introduced at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on non-worship days for the first time in its history.

Most museums and galleries in the two cities have traditionally been free to enter, with the exception of major exhibitions, such as the one this summer that was devoted to the work of Peter Howson.

The Museum of Edinburgh is on the Canongate section of the Royal Mile.

However, many of the most popular sites in Edinburgh are directly funded by the Scottish Government and are run by the National Museums and National Galleries.

An official council report states: “Edinburgh is unique in the volume of tourist visitors it attracts, and visitor numbers to the city’s museums and galleries reflect this. With total attendances of 718,000 in 2019, this could translate, if implemented appropriately and acknowledging risks, to substantial and transformative levels of income.

"It is not unusual for admission charges to be made in other countries. Schemes exist across Europe for charging non-residents The technology for implementing charges also exists alongside that for contactless donations which the museums and galleries service also plans to trial in 2024.”

Val Walker, the council’s culture convener, said: “We want to explore the potential for admission charges at this stage. Whichever option we choose, entry would remain free for Edinburgh residents. That is absolutely key.

"We wouldn’t be restricting access to people who are supporting these services through their council tax.

“People across Europe are used to paying for access to museums and galleries now. This is about how we maintain keeping our museums and galleries open seven days a week. I really want us to retain that, as I think it is really appreciated.”

Entry fees could be introduced at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh, which usually only charges for tickets to major exhibitions, such as this year's Peter Howson show. Picture: Greg Macvean

The council has had legal advice that it would need special permission from the Government, which provides specific funding to ensure free entry is maintained to the national collections, to bring in any charges.

Karl Chapman, the council’s cultural venues manager, said: “We are not the only local authority asking how we can keep our venues going and how we can pay for their increased costs if there is no more money available. It is also about how we make the museums and galleries service better without having any access to new funding.

"It is responsible to look at how we can maintain our museums and galleries in the best way we can, and we can make them fit for the 21st century by revitalising them. We think that the answer is to bring in admission charges for visitors to the city.

"We do charge for some temporary exhibitions at the moment, but it is not enough to create a resilient service for the future.”