Galloway Viking hoard agreement 'no closer'

The treasure was unearthed in Dumfries and Galloway in 2014

A council has said it is no closer to reaching an agreement with National Museums Scotland over their bids to house a Viking treasure hoard.

The items were discovered by a metal detectorist in Galloway in 2014.

Dumfries and Galloway Council wants to house the artefacts in a new art gallery being built in Kirkcudbright but NMS is also bidding for the hoard.

Councillor Tom McAughtrie said the authority remained of the view it should remain in the region.

"Despite correspondence going to and forth with NMS, I cannot confidently say that we're anywhere closer to reaching an agreement with them," he said.

"Therefore, we'll press ahead with plans to submit a sole application for the Galloway Viking hoard.

"At the same time, we'll keep our commitment to work with NMS to reach something closer to a fairer arrangement than the one that is currently on the table.

"I wish to thank the campaign group for all their work and efforts to date, and hope we can come up with a plan of action to get the hoard home."

The Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP) is due to meet to discuss the hoard's future on 23 March.

NMS has said that if it acquires the treasure it would save it for the nation in the long-term and ensure it was seen by "people from Scotland, the rest of the UK and internationally".