The future is bright for one of Scotland’s most popular visitor attractions after it secured a substantial grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in Coatbridge has received an initial award of £148,000 for consultation, feasibility studies, and research into a multi-million-pound development project.
The "Summerlee: New Stories, New Audiences, Better Lives" project promises to weave together the threads of history, culture, and community, ensuring that the legacy of Scotland's industrial past is honoured and shared with future generations.
The grant could pave the way for a subsequent application of £3.4 million to the Heritage Fund to significantly expand and enhance the visitor experiences on offer, including the construction of a miners’ village, a miners’ welfare hall, and a new Learning Landscape zone.
The overall project is expected to cost around £6.4m in total with the Heritage Fund acting as lead fund and helping to attract additional investment from other funding sources.
Councillor Jim Logue, Leader of North Lanarkshire Council, welcomed the news saying: “This is the dawn of a new era for Summerlee, it will catapult it into the major league in terms of national visitor attractions.
“It’s already a popular and much-loved museum but this will see a significant upgrade to its collections, bringing them to life for both established and new audiences.
“The project encompasses two crucial components: revitalising the museum site and fostering community development, and that’s what this initial development phase is all about: we want to hear the views of local communities and groups and from people who visit Summerlee.”
Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, nestled in the heart of Coatbridge, was opened in 1989 and, since then, has welcomed over 3.9million visitors.
Caroline Clark, Director for Scotland, The National Lottery Heritage Fund said; “Summerlee is already a great resource that brings to life the area’s industrial and people’s heritage. These development plans recognise that there is an opportunity and enthusiasm to make it even better.
"We are delighted that thanks to National Lottery players we can support the development of these exciting plans.”
The museum spans 23 acres and has a collection of over 80,000 objects, including treasures like working steam vehicles, trains, and cranes.
Lu McNair, Museums & Collections Manager with North Lanarkshire Council, said: “Everyone associated with Summerlee is thrilled with this announcement.
“We are a noisy, unstuffy museum that tells the story of ordinary working people in the central belt of Scotland, and we aim to substantially develop our offering by telling the latter part of the story of heavy industry in the area, focusing on social history up to the closure of Ravenscraig in the early 1990s.
“It will concentrate on the lives, shops, resources, and social dynamics of workers from the post-war era to the 1990s. By collecting living memories and untold stories, this initiative will ensure that this crucial period of Scotland's industrial history is documented, conserved, and accessible for present and future generations.
“We also plan to expand the miners' row, creating a vibrant miners' village, and establishing a welfare hall.
“And a new village will serve as an immersive reminiscence resource, bridging generations and offering an engaging visitor experience. We also hope it will also become a place for marginalised groups and individuals in our communities to come along and enjoy.”
The funding announcement was made at a special event at Summerlee Museum of Industrial Life on Monday August 14, 2023.
A family fun day also took place with a variety of activities on offer, including arts and crafts, Compton Organ try-outs, sports events and history-themed games.