Call to reopen EA Hornel's historic home in Kirkcudbright
- Published
The house has been closed to visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic
Campaigners have called for the immediate reopening of an artist's historic home in southern Scotland.
Broughton House in Kirkcudbright was home to EA Hornel - one of the group known as the Glasgow Boys, external - from 1901.
The Friends of Broughton House have urged the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) to reopen the site and safeguard the jobs of the staff who work there.
The NTS said it understood the concerns but its "first priority" was the survival of the trust itself.
Campaigners want to see the house and gardens reopened immediately
Hornel was one of many painters who were drawn to Kirkcudbright, cementing its reputation as an artists' town.
The Friends of Broughton House fear the five staff at the site could be made redundant and the house - closed due to the coronavirus pandemic - remain shut until 2021 or possibly a year later.
They said the property had gone into NTS care with sizeable endowments which should be used to reopen the house and safeguard employees.
Mike Duguid, who chairs the group, said the house and gardens were "absolute gems".
Mike Duguid said it would be "deeply ironic" if the artist's home did not reopen
"They are also one of the prime visitor attractions of Kirkcudbright, which was loved by generations of artists for its wonderful light and the presence of other creative talents," he said.
"Kirkcudbright is now Scotland's artists' town and it seems deeply ironic if the home of undoubtedly the most successful artist to live there is not reopened by the NTS."
An NTS statement said it sympathised with the group's concerns over the future of the "much-loved and significant property and the team who care for it".
"Unfortunately, our charity is facing its worst-ever crisis as a result of a situation that is not of our making," it said.
NTS is currently considering responses to consultation over proposed emergency measures
It said it had lost £30m in income this year with future months likely to be difficult too.
"If we are to ensure that Broughton House and other properties remain cared for and can open again, our first priority has to be to ensure the trust's survival," it added.
"We are faced with very difficult decisions we never thought we would have to make."
A consultation on emergency measures - including redundancies and delaying the reopening of some properties - ended on 31 July.
NTS said it was reviewing submissions to that and hoped to confirm the outcome and final decisions soon.