Fife banged the drum to mark a special moment for the planned Dunfermline’s museum and art gallery.
The final piece in the funding jigsaw has been put in place with the Heritage Lottery Fund’s announcement that it would be granting £2.8 million to the ambitious project in the heart of the ancient capital’s heritage quarter.
This is the only major initiative to receive funding in Scotland in this round.
Fife Council has already allocated £6.8m and, together with capital support from the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust and the announcement from the lottery fund, work on the site a former bank next to the world’s first Carnegie Library can now start.
While the plan is to create a 21st century showcase for Dunfermline’s jewels, there was an event that harked back to the past.
Modern Fifers are used to hearing all the news thanks to tweets, texts and emails from the local authority but yesterday a older method of communication formed the centrepiece of the celebrations.
The town drum is one of the objects which will be displayed in the new museum. It was played round the town to mark the time and draw attention to the council’s proclamations in the days before printed notices.
Lisa Meikle, a drummer with Dunfermline District and Scottish Transport Regiment Pipe Band, took up her drumsticks, while Adam Drew played the role of bellman, who often accompanied the town drummer.
Area committee chairman Mike Rumney said: “This is fantastic news for Dunfermline and for the whole of Fife and it is fitting that the occasion was marked using the town drum and bellman.
“We will use this modern, purpose-built, integrated centre to tell the story of the city’s unique place in Scottish history.
“Dunfermline already boasts King Robert the Bruce’s tomb, the birthplace of Charles I and Andrew Carnegie’s home.
“The new museum will offer an insight into social and industrial history and host an ambitious temporary exhibition programme and will showcase the past in a building fit for the future and give young and old a chance to access first-class cultural facilities.”
Richard Murphy Architects has created a design for the new building that complements the wealth of other buildings from different eras Abbot House, Dunfermline Abbey and a 19th-century bank.
The first stage in the plans will be to gather the design team together to begin the detailed work that will have the building ready for business in 2016.
Also on the immediate agenda is to organise a full archaeological dig on the car parks behind the library and former bank.
Stuart Cross, chairman of the Fife Cultural Trust, which will operate and manage the facility on behalf of Fife Council, added: “This is great news for culture in the kingdom and we’re looking forward to delivering a wealth of new services from this spectacular new facility.
“Inside, it will showcase never-before-seen objects from Dunfermline’s rich history and all the stories will be told through the objects handed down to us from previous generations of Dunfermline people.
“It’s also important individuals and community groups play a big part in the project and lots of people have already been involved in developing themes for the displays, with more consultation and opportunities to get involved in the project planned.”
Robin Watson, chairman of the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, added: “This new museum will complement and provide context for the specific histories displayed in the Carnegie Birthplace Museum and Abbot House and help further develop the heritage quarter of the city.”