Scottish Conservative MSPs Liz Smith and Murdo Fraser have expressed their delight at the opening of the £27 million of Perth Museum, describing it as being a “milestone” for the city.
The politicians were commenting on the Museum opening its doors to the public on March 30. The much-awaited cultural and heritage attraction will have the Stone of Destiny as its main centrepiece, and the venue promises to be one of Perth’s main visitor and tourist attractions.
In December 2020, Scotland’s then First Minister confirmed that the bid for the Stone of Destiny to move to Perth had been approved by the late Queen Elizabeth II. MSPs Liz Smith and Murdo Fraser attended a special pre-opening event on March 28 which saw the UK Government’s Levelling Up Minister Felicity Buchan view what Perth Museum has to offer.
Perth Museum is managed in partnership between Perth and Kinross Council and Culture Perth and Kinross and is supported by £10 million from the UK Government as part of the Tay Cities Region Deal.
Commenting, Liz Smith MSP said: “This is a momentous moment for Perth and is a milestone for the city. I must praise all those involved in transforming the former City Hall building into Perth Museum, including the UK Government who provided £10 million of funding.
“I was delighted to be invited to the pre-opening event and to be shown around Perth Museum. It is a fantastic building, full of interesting historical exhibits and of course, housing the Stone of Destiny, which was such a big coup for the Museum and city in bringing it back to Perth.
“Perth Museum will provide a huge economic boost to Perth and its surrounding area and is expected to attract an additional 140,000 to 160,000 visitors to the city each year and generate an additional £2 million Gross Value Added (GVA).”
And Murdo Fraser MSP added: “This is a fantastic new resource created by Perth and Kinross Council, with the assistance of £10 million from the UK Government by way of the Tay Cities Deal, and of course home now to Scotland’s Stone of Destiny.
“At a General Question session on March 28 at the Scottish Parliament, I asked how the Scottish Government will assist Perth and Kinross Council to capitalise on the benefits provided by this new museum and was encouraged when Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, Kaukab Stewart MSP, promised the Scottish Government would continue to support museums in Scotland.
“The importance of the opening of Perth Museum cannot be emphasised enough. Many of us remember the uncertainty surrounding the future of the building once Perth City Hall closed its doors, with several well-meaning plans falling by the wayside. This move to create Perth Museum has taken a considerable time to see the light of the day but I’m sure anyone who visits Perth Museum will agree with me that it has certainly been worth it.”
