And the display of Viking treasures has become the most popular exhibition to be held in Kirkcudbright Galleries since the venue opened in 2018.
Described by experts as ‘one of the most important UK archaeological finds of the century’, it will finish its local run on July 10 and then move on to Aberdeen Art Gallery.
Buried around AD900, the Hoard brings together a stunning variety of objects and materials in one discovery.
The exhibition offers the chance to see details hidden for over a thousand years, revealed by expert conservation, painstaking cleaning and cutting-edge research.
Culture Minister Neil Gray MSP said: “We’re pleased to have assisted in funding the tour of this incredible treasure trove of items from the Viking Age. Exhibitions like this really bring history to life and I’m delighted that so many people have seen the Galloway Hoard while it’s been on display at the Kirkcudbright Galleries.
“I would urge anyone who hasn’t seen it yet to do so before it moves on to the Aberdeen Art Gallery.”
And Cllr Archie Dryburgh added: “This landmark figure of 30,000 visitors is a great yardstick for why our council worked so hard to host this wonderful exhibition. Despite the exhibition ‘coming home’ in the middle of a pandemic, the visitor numbers that the Hoard exhibition has attracted is a real positive for our fantastic Kirkcudbright Galleries facility, as well as the region as a whole.”
The Galloway Hoard was discovered in 2014 then acquired by National Museums Scotland (NMS) in 2017. Since then, it has been undergoing extensive conservation and research at the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh.
It will eventually go on long-term display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh with a significant portion also displayed long-term at Kirkcudbright Galleries.
Further research continues into the hoard. The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) awarded support for a £1m, three-year research project, which commenced in June 2021.
Meanwhile, Dr Adrián Maldonado, Galloway Hoard researcher at NMS, will be giving an online talk on 21 June in support of the exhibition. See the galleries website for more information.
