FUNDING FOR SCOTTISH FISHERIES MUSEUM – Fishupdate.com

FUNDING FOR SCOTTISH FISHERIES MUSEUM Published:  06 August, 2012

Support to preserve Scotland’s maritime heritage.

Government funding of £67,000 for the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther has been announced by Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop.

On a visit to the museum, the Cabinet Secretary said: “With more than 7,000 miles of coastline and blessed with a bountiful marine larder, Scotland has been a great seafaring nation for generations. Fishing is an integral part of our country’s rich heritage and the industry continues to play a vital role in our economy.

“The Scottish Fisheries Museum tells the story of fishing in Scotland through the ages and houses a nationally recognised collection that includes historic boats, equipment, costumes and an extensive library and photo archive.  We need to preserve this for future generations to learn about and enjoy.

“I am therefore delighted to see the improvements that this £60,000 award has enabled the Museum to make. I am confident that this will significantly enhance the Museum’s attractiveness to visitors in this, our Year of Creative Scotland.

“I am also pleased the Scottish Government has been able to contribute £7,000 towards repairing the floating vessel ‘Reaper’, a unique part of our nation’s heritage.”

Simon Hayhow, Director of the Scottish Fisheries Museum, said: “Scottish Government funding is vital to us in looking after the nationally recognised fishing heritage collection in Anstruther. As an independent trust and charity, it is costly to maintain a collection of over 70,000 artefacts, including 19 wooden boats, of which two are sea-going. The Museum is keen to develop its role across Scotland and the UK in providing access to the collections and in interpreting and displaying them for the public.

“A special grant in 2012 for capital works has allowed us to install new boilers, paint the entire exterior of the large complex of buildings and improve security and insulation. The grant also allowed us to do important work to keep our iconic fishing boat ‘Reaper’ in the water and able to visit ports around the UK, such as the Arbroath Sea Festival at the weekend. We are delighted to have the opportunity to show this work to the Cabinet Secretary and to outline some of our ambitious plans for the future.”