Museums in funds boost

FOUR museums in the Lothians will share in a pot of £115,000 reserved to help fund Scotland's top collections.

The cash awarded by Museums Galleries Scotland will allow the University of Edinburgh to invest 40,000 in its collection of musical instruments at St Cecilia's Hall in the Cowgate, while The Royal College of Surgeons will put 36,970 into a project to give access to its catalogue online.

The National Mining Museum will use a grant of 26,000 to undertake a major new display at the Newtongrange site and The Royal Scottish Academy will have 5,693 to go towards new projects.

Joanne Orr, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland, said: "For a small museum this represents a major cash injection, and helps put them on a firm footing for the future."