The operators of Culloden Battlefield have said they will fight “tooth and nail” to keep the attraction going , with many Scottish museums facing an uncertain future following lockdown.
More than 50 members of full-time and seasonal staff at the Highland Visitors Centre have been placed on furlough.
With reserves rapidly depleting, many independent museums – some run by charitable organisations – have come forward to say they are likely to be struggling until 2022-23.
Operations manager Raoul Curtis-Machin said the biggest challenge for Culloden – run by the National Trust for Scotland – will be establishing sustainable income despite a clear reduction in international visitors.
“There are a lot of unknowns at the moment as it has all happened very quickly,” he said.
“We are only really just starting now to think about recovery and think about how we open again and what type of offer we can have for visitors.
“It will probably be the biggest challenge we have ever faced.”
He added: “The biggest concern is how on earth we are going to make sufficient income in the next couple of years. We just don’t know.
“We will fight tooth and nail to keep Culloden going, to conserve it and look after it so we can tell the story to not just the people of Scotland but everyone.”
The Scottish Community Heritage Alliance, Industrial Museums Scotland (IMS), and Museums Heritage Highlands are now calling for a financial relief package to be agreed to help safeguard Scotland’s heritage and communities.
David Mann, chairman of IMS, said: “Closing indefinitely at a time when we generate the bulk of our annual operating income has put the future of many of our independent museums on a cliff’s edge.
“Our growing concern is that 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.”
Scottish Government urged to help
The Scottish Community Heritage Alliance (SCHA), Industrial Museums Scotland (IMS) and Museums Heritage Highlands (MHH) have appealed to the Scottish Government for assistance.
Half of the country’s independent museums expect to hit crisis point before the end of summer, and predict they will be struggling until 2022-23.
The groups are calling for a financial relief package to safeguard Scotland’s heritage and communities.
David Mann, chairman of Industrial Museums Scotland, said: “While we are grateful for emergency grant funding from Museums Galleries Scotland and the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), support for the cultural sector is at present only designed for the short-term.
“Our growing concern is that 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.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “This is a hugely challenging and concerning time for people and organisations in the culture and heritage sector and we are doing all we can to support them during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are in regular contact with Museums Galleries Scotland and are in direct contact with the national industrial museums.
“We have provided £400,000 in additional funding to help support museums and galleries critically affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.”