The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded the National Museums of Scotland a stage one pass for a grant of £15.8 million and a development grant of £1 million in their largest commitment funds to a capital project in Scotland to date.

This funding represents a major step towards delivering the £44.5 million Royal Museum Project, a major development which will transform the attraction and create an exciting new experience for visitors in the twenty-first century.

Dr Gordon Rintoul, Director of the National Museums of Scotland, says that the new long term plans under the Masterplan vision include an intention to expand the display space available for crafts.

The Project will provide welcoming and accessible street-level entrances, lifts and escalators to encourage and enable all visitors to explore the full range of galleries. New exhibitions will double the number of objects on display, and the Museum will host larger international-quality travelling exhibitions. Inspiring learning zones will engage people of all ages and backgrounds, and social spaces will be improved, with updated restaurants, shopping and cloakroom facilities. The transformed flagship Royal Museum will attract even greater local, national and international audiences, following its opening at the end of 2011.

Culture Minister Patricia Ferguson said "This unprecedented UK award will provide a major boost to Scotland's fast growing reputation as a world class cultural centre.  It comes on top of recent awards to help secure the world renowned John Murray archive for Scotland, create a new £75 million transport museum in Glasgow, and restore the impressive Glasgow School of Art Macintosh Building for the benefit of future generations.”