The National Mining Museum Scotland has launched a major fundraising appeal to support its long-term sustainability and upgrade the site with new event and exhibition areas.
Ahead of the 130th anniversary of the Lady Victoria Colliery where the museum is now located, the appeal aims to raise more than £450,000 by 2027 through major gifts, legacies and a sponsorship campaign. It has also launched an individual online giving campaign, called Be Part of Our Future.
The museum has ambitions to turn the site into “a world-class destination for Midlothian” and a community asset for the people of its closest village, Newtongrange. Its plans include a collections discovery and skills centre, developing communal growing and rewilding projects, and restoring its A-listed buildings and winding engine.
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The money will enable the organisation to undergo the “transition to a sustainable future” but it has warned that, without essential funding, its current operations are at risk.
“We are at a crucial turning point,” said Henry McLeish, the chair at the National Mining Museum Scotland. “This museum is more than just a collection of artefacts – it is the beating heart of Scotland’s mining legacy.
“We urge individuals, businesses, and organisations to rally together and support this vital part of our nation’s history.”
The National Mining Museum Scotland was created in 1984 to preserve the physical remains of the Lady Victoria Colliery. The colliery was sunk by the Lothian Coal Company in 1890, came into production in 1894 and closed in 1981.