The Scottish Mining Museum has been awarded £1.3m by the Scottish government for urgent structural repairs. The money was announced by new culture minister, Mike Russell, during a visit to the museum last month.

But the cash will not solve the museum's immediate financial problems. Earlier this year, Midlothian council announced that it will stop its £106,000 annual grant to the museum from June.

Museum director Fergus Waters said he was delighted with the grant and added that he expected to have a decision about revenue funding within the next few weeks.

Russell said he was committed to the museum remaining open and has called a '"summit" meeting in May to discuss the problems faced by museums in Scotland.