Archives: In case of nuclear war, please place art treasures in nearest boiler room

A flurry of correspondence in the 1970s and 1980s, revealed in previously secret documents, outlined concerns over what would happen to art housed in Edinburgh's museums and galleries.

Months after first raising the issue, officials realised the preferred building in East Kilbride was damp and "quite unsuitable".

When a briefing paper finally appeared in 1982, official advice was to transfer artefacts to basement areas, rather than taking them to secure buildings away from cities.

At the Royal Scottish Museum, officials noted: "It would seem that there is very adequate space in the basement for all the exhibits which the museum might wish to place in special storage."

Similar advice was given for the National Gallery on The Mound.

It was suggested that the boiler room would be suitable at the Royal Museum of Antiquities.

Officials discussing the matter noted the sensitivity of the plans, should Europe be plunged into nuclear war.

The briefing paper stated: "The most probable scenario suggests that people will begin to emerge from sheltered accommodation from about one week after a nuclear attack, it is unlikely that attention to stored exhibits will be a high priority during the survival or recovery stage."

An internal note written by one civil servant during the early discussions read: "I might add that politically it would be unwise to emphasise the fact that security against a nuclear attack was being provided for inanimate objects, however valuable, when nothing is being done (at present] to secure the general public.

"If we were to publicise the fact, CND and others opposed to civil defence would have a field day."

The letters were prompted in the 1970s when a St Andrew's House official raised concerns that "little or no effort" was being made to find safe places for art in Scotland.