Kirkcudbright gallery business case secures support

Councillors have approved the business case for plans for a gallery of "national significance" in Kirkcudbright.

It has been estimated the project could be worth nearly £750,000-a-year to the local economy.

Dumfries and Galloway Council also endorsed a bid for Heritage Lottery Fund support.

The overall cost of transforming Kirkcudbright Town Hall into an art gallery would be just over £3.1m.

The local authority has been asked to commit a little more than half the funding, with an application set to be made to the HLF to complete the financial package.

If funding is secured, work on the new gallery is earmarked to begin early next year with the opening in time for the 2017 visitor season.

It is hoped the building could also house one of the most important hoards of Viking treasure ever found in Scotland.