Biggar Museum Trust

Biggar Museum Trust (BMT) is an independent charity based in and around the town of Biggar in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The late Brian Lambie began a remarkable collection of artefacts from the area over some 40 years, and with a number of others created BMT which became responsible for a number of museums. It became apparent to the Trustees that the buildings were not able to meet modern requirements, were difficult to access and expensive to maintain and develop.

In 2010 an opportunity arose to acquire a large site in the centre of the town, and a project to create a new museum to bring the collections together and meet current requirements and visitor aspirations. The cost of the project was £2.2 million, of which more than half was raised from within the town and scattered rural community of the area, together with Funding from the Clyde Wind Farm Community Fund, South Lanarkshire LEADER, Museums Galleries Scotland and a number of private trusts. The new museum was designed to meet high standards and is fully accessible, with a dedicated parking area for cars and a coach.

Biggar & Upper Clydesdale Museum opened to visitors on 28 July 2015. It has a historical gallery illustrating the history of the area from early times up to the 20th century, a street of shops recreated from the town and furnished from the collection, and a special exhibition room which can house items loaned from national collections.

BMT is also responsible for:

- Brownsbank Cottage, former home of Hugh MacDiarmid, with a live-in writer in residence, who must produce works in Lowland Scots. This is only open by appointment and is about 5 miles from Biggar.
- Holy Trinity Chapel an Oxford Movement restored chapel built to serve Lamington House [now demolished] about 3 miles from Biggar.
The Biggar Gasworks Museum [not run by BMT] is housed in the last existing gasworks in Scotland where coal was used to make town gas before the introduction of natural gas

Biggar also contains The Puppet Theatre and the Corn Exchange Theatre and Art Gallery. Biggar also has strong connections with William Wallace, with a small bridge in the town being associated with him, although his connection to Lanark is better known.

External links

Biggar & Upper Clydesdale Museum - official site

Museums and Art Galleries of Scotland

National Museums of Scotland	National Museum of Scotland National Museum of Costume National Museum of Flight National Museum of Rural Life National Museums Collection Centre National War Museum

National Galleries of Scotland	Dean Gallery Duff House Paxton House Royal Scottish Academy Building Scottish National Gallery Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Scottish National Portrait Gallery

Art galleries and collections	Aberdeen Art Gallery Burrell Collection Dick Institute Dundee Contemporary Arts Fruitmarket Gallery Gallery of Modern Art Georgian House Gracefield Arts Centre Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery Inverness Museum and Art Gallery Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum McManus Galleries McLellan Galleries Montrose Museum Perth Museum and Art Gallery Pier Arts Centre Stirling Smith Museum and Art Gallery Queen's Gallery Talbot Rice Gallery Tramway

History	Alloa Tower Broughty Castle Museum David Livingstone Centre Museum of Childhood Provand's Lordship St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art Surgeons' Hall Writers' Museum

Local history	Aberdeenshire Farming Museum Angus Folk Museum Biggar Museum Trust Campbeltown Heritage Centre Dumfries Museum Fife Folk Museum Gladstone's Land Highland Folk Museum Highland Museum of Childhood Inveraray Jail John Knox House King's Museum Montrose Museum Museum of Ayrshire Country Life and Costume Museum of Edinburgh Museum of the University of St Andrews New Lanark Newhaven Heritage Museum North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre People's Palace People's Story Museum Provost Skene's House Scotland Street School Museum Signal Tower Museum St Andrews Museum Stewartry Museum The Tolbooth

Maritime	Aberdeen Maritime Museum Discovery Point HMS Unicorn Museum of Scottish Lighthouses Scottish Fisheries Museum Scottish Maritime Museum

Military	Black Watch Museum Gordon Highlanders Museum Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre

Natural history	Dick Institute Marischal Museum McManus Galleries

Science and Industry	Mills Observatory Museum of the University of St Andrews Museum on the Mound Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum Scotland’s Jute Museum @ Verdant Works Summerlee, Museum of Scottish Industrial Life

Sport	British Golf Museum Scottish Football Museum

Transport	Dundee Museum of Transport Glasgow Museum of Transport Grampian Transport Museum Myreton Motor Museum Scottish Industrial Railway Centre Scottish Railway Museum

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