Colin Smyth believes the Viking-age treasure unearthed by a metal detectorist in south west Scotland should stay here, following a very successful exhibition in Kirkcudbright Galleries, visited by over 30,000 people.
He said: “The sheer number of visitors is yet another argument why the hoard should have a meaningful permanent home in the region, rather than the majority of the collection being displayed in the national museum in Edinburgh, where it is likely to be bypassed by most visitors.
“This find was a huge deal for the area and it is clearly something that people are willing to travel to see. Whether it is displayed in Edinburgh will make no difference whatsoever to visitor numbers at the national museum and have no effect on the economy in the capital, but displaying it in Kirkcudbright clearly does.”
