Scotland's Oldest Heritage Charity Launches Global £1.5m Campaign Against the Clock
Scotland’s oldest heritage organisation has launched a £1.5 million campaign to secure a permanent home in Edinburgh ahead of its 250th anniversary.
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland works to ensure that Scotland's past is for everyone to research, share, enjoy and protect, across the UK. Yet it currently operates from an inaccessible top-floor flat within the National Museum of Scotland complex, limiting its ability to engage with the public and collaborate across the sector.
The proposed heritage hub would establish Scotland’s first national heritage hub. Here, academics, visitors and anyone curious about Scotland's past can explore their heritage and engage directly with the work of protecting Scotland's history.
The Society is seeking to purchase a building which sits within the historic southern gateway area to Edinburgh, part of a cultural quarter which attracts more than 10 million visitors annually. The building is offered at a fixed price of £2.1 million until January 2027.
Founded in 1780 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1783, the Society is Scotland's oldest heritage charity. Its early Fellows contributed collections that formed the foundation of the National Museum of Scotland's Scottish history and archaeology galleries. Today, the Society facilitates research and innovation through grants and awards, advocates as a voice for heritage, and shares knowledge through a multifaceted programme of lectures and resources.
The Society is contributing £600,000 from its own investments and must raise the remaining £1.5 million by January 2027 to secure the opportunity.
The campaign carries particular significance as the Society approaches its 250th anniversary in 2030, marking a quarter millennium of scholarship and research.
Diana Murray CBE HonFSAScot, President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, said:
"For centuries, this small corner of Edinburgh has been a gateway to Scotland's past. We now have a rare and time-limited opportunity to secure this building and open our doors properly for the first time in our modern history, ensuring that Scotland's past belongs to everyone, at home and across the world."
Dr Simon Gilmour FSAScot, Director of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, said:
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime alignment of opportunity, affordability and historic significance. The building sits at the very heart of Edinburgh's cultural quarter, beside the National Museum of Scotland, within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in an area attracting more than ten million visitors a year. We invite everyone who cares about Scotland's past to help us secure it.”
Professor Elizabeth Ewan FSAScot, Professor Emerita of Scottish Studies and History, University of Guelph, Ontario, who has been a Fellow since 1985, said:
"From Canada I have seen first-hand how deeply Scotland's history runs in people across the world. The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland has been at the heart of Scottish historical scholarship for nearly 250 years, connecting researchers and heritage enthusiasts across the globe. A permanent home would transform what the Society can offer to that global community."
How to Support the Campaign
A Primary Donor giving £1 million or more may name the building, with their name, coat of arms or corporate logo displayed on the exterior. Gold Donors giving £200,000 or more will have their name, coat of arms or corporate logo displayed in the boardroom. In doing so, each major donor will be inscribed into Scotland's story and become a part of the nation's history.
Qualifying donors who do not already hold a coat of arms will be supported by the Society in preparing a petition for a grant of arms to the Lord Lyon King of Arms. All petitions are assessed independently by Lord Lyon on their individual merits.
Donors of £10,000 or more will join the 21st-Century Founding Circle, with access to exclusive events, both in person and online, as well as regular updates regarding the Society's research and projects and will be recognised on a dedicated honour roll within the building. Donors of £2,000 or more will be welcomed into The Antiquaries Circle and also enjoy a tailored programme of events.
All donors will also be recognised in a special edition of the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, the Society’s peer-reviewed journal which has been published since 1851. Gifts of any size are warmly welcomed, and every contribution brings the Society closer to securing this once-in-a-generation opportunity.
To donate or discuss a major gift, visit www.socantscot.org/heritagehub or contact Deborah Roe, Head of Fundraising, at deborah@socantscot.org
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