Auchindrain under threat

The future of Mid Argyll’s much-loved Auchindrain museum could be in doubt without urgent financial support.

Auchindrain Trust is a member of Industrial Museums Scotland (IMS), a partnership of museums holding almost a quarter of Scotland’s recognised collections. The trust has called for an urgent cash injection if closures and redundancies across Scotland’s independent museums are to be avoided.

Independent museums like Auchindrain operate on a financial knife-edge with limited reserves. They are charities and the vast majority do not get any income from local or national government.

Since closing during the COVID-19 lockdown, most independent museums have seen their reserves rapidly depleted with half of them anticipating a crisis before the end of the summer.

While Auchindrain receives financial support from Historic Environment Scotland, the amount it receives takes into account money generated from visitors and education programmes between April and October. This year the museum will earn just a fraction of this income, putting it in a difficult position.

Auchindrain is likely to remain closed during the vital summer months. If the museum survives to the start of the 2021 season next April, it will be with a drastically reduced income for the year and it is likely to struggle until the 2022/23 financial year, putting an important part of Argyll and Scotland's heritage at risk.

Alison Hay, chairwoman of Auchindrain Trust, said: ‘Auchindrain is recognised as being of national significance by the Scottish Government. It survived the Highland clearances and now, as a museum, it faces one of the biggest threats in its history.

‘Additional funding and support are essential to secure the future of this unique place.’

IMS chairman David Mann added: ‘While we are grateful for emergency grant funding from Museums Galleries Scotland and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, support for the cultural sector is only at present designed for the short-term.

‘Our growing concern is this additional support for the independent museum sector will come too late, after some members have closed permanently, staff have been made redundant and charities wound up.’