They have warned that the “risk and potential for a catastrophic incident” at one of their buildings is “now at a critical level never before seen.”
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The demand for more money comes despite the SNP administration’s promise of a 9% hike to the budget of the body responsible for housing and caring for the 120,000 objects in Scotland’s collection of world-class art.
In a submission to Holyrood’s Culture Committee ahead of an evidence session today, NGS said this uplift will be almost “entirely absorbed” by increased staffing costs.
This is, they say, in part, because of the changes to employer National Insurance contributions brought in by the UK Government.
They also say the Scottish Government’s public sector pay policy, which means all staff working for the galleries will receive a 3% hike this year, will add to the challenges.
So too is the expectation for NGS — like all employers covered by the Scottish Government’s pay policy — to move towards a standardised 35-hour working week.
As they are required to provide 24/7 staff cover to meet their statutory obligations, this has forced them to increase the size of their workforce.
(Image: Courtesy of National Galleries of Scotland)
For the 2025/26 financial year, NGS — which receives around £19m annual revenue funding — said 93% of their grant-in-aid money from the government and 72% of their total income is now forecast to go on salary costs.
In their submission, they say this leaves them caught in a “staffing cost trap” as the Scottish Government’s commitment to no compulsory redundancies limits what they can do to tackle these increasing costs.
They also warn of a “crisis” in their estate investment programme, saying they need at least £17.4 million over the next five years to “mitigate serious risk of failure and/or injury” and a further £40m over the next ten years to address a backlog of maintenance issues.
NGS operates five category A listed buildings across three sites in Edinburgh – the Scottish National Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy on the Mound, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery on Queen St and the Modern 1 and Modern 2 galleries that comprise the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in the capital’s West End.
NGS told MSPs: “The level of risk and potential for a catastrophic incident at one of our buildings is at a critical level never before seen with the likelihood of such an event increasing with each budget cycle.”
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Around 2.4 million visitors came through the doors in 2023, making NGS one of the top three visitor attractions in Scotland.
NGS says the recent opening of the new Scottish Galleries at the National Gallery has led to a significant increase in revenue from retail sales, restaurant income, donations, and Friends memberships.
However, they argue that they should not be forced to rely on uncertain and often volatile self-generated income to cover essential core costs like maintaining infrastructure and safeguarding the collection for future generations.
They also expressed concerns over the Art Works, a planned new storage and research facility for NGS in Granton Waterfront in north Edinburgh.
The new building has received ongoing funding support from the Scottish Government, but NGS is seeking confirmation on the timeline for releasing funds for construction amid concerns that delays could lead to increased costs.
Anne Lyden, Director-General at National Galleries of Scotland, told The Herald: “National Galleries of Scotland appreciate the Cabinet Secretary’s efforts in securing funding for the wider cultural sector during challenging financial times but we continue to urge the Government to be aware of the precarity of the culture sector, which has been underfunded for years.
“Recent UK and Scottish Government policies have added additional cost pressures.
“This includes the public sector pay rise, an increase in employer National Insurance contributions, and the move to a 35-hour working week.
“As an organisation requiring 24/7 cover to meet our statutory obligations, these policies have necessitated increased headcount and costs.
“The 9% increase in revenue grant-in-aid we received in the 2025/26 draft budget was an important step but will almost entirely be absorbed by these increased staff costs.
“This leaves little if any funding for the things people value the most about our galleries – a place to discover Scotland’s amazing art collection, to improve wellbeing, relax, learn more about art, and to enjoy events.
“We look after Scotland’s heritage, and we need to keep it safe not just now but for future generations.”
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Ms Lyden said NGS currently had no plans for a voluntary redundancy scheme and was reviewing “the basic level of staffing required to run the galleries every day, to ensure we have the right skills and capacity to meet our statutory obligations.”
She added: “We have a critical need for investment in our estates and without this investment, we face the unacceptable possibility of shuttered galleries and the loss of public access to Scotland’s national collection.
“Closing one of our galleries is a last resort, however, the challenges we face may mean it is the only option.”
The Scottish Government has promised to increase investment in the arts by £100m a year by 2028-29. An additional £34m was announced in the Scottish Budget by Finance Secretary Shona Robison.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As part of a record £34m uplift for culture in the draft 2025-26 budget, National Galleries of Scotland received a 9% increase to their overall budget, including a capital allocation above what they requested in the last capital spending review.
“Ministers await the outcome of the UK Government’s ten-year national infrastructure strategy and multi-year Spending Review in the spring to get a clearer picture of the longer-term capital position available to the Scottish Government.”