National Museums Collection Centre

The National Museums Collection Centre comprises a series of buildings on West Granton Road in Edinburgh, miles ( km) north of the city centre. On a site the National Museum had developed since 1972, a new £12-million purpose-built collection centre, known as Building 17, was opened by culture secretary Fiona Hyslop in 2015, its construction having been funded by the Scottish Government. The result is the biggest collection centre in Scotland, housing more than 12 million items. It comprises three storeys, stands nearly 15m / 50 feet in height and has a floor area of approximately 6000 sq. m / 64583 sq. feet. It replaced storage facilities in Leith Customs House, the Royal Museum on Chambers Street and within former naval buildings at Port Edgar, dating from the First World War.

The site dates back to the 1940s, when it opened up as a training centre for ex-servicemen. Older buildings are scheduled to be replaced and the site will be expanded by the Scottish Government to accommodate a further expansion of storage, conservation and research facilities. The National Galleries of Scotland already has one building at the site and Historic Environment Scotland is expected to create new facilities here.


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