Public appointment: Trustees appointed to the Board of National Museum Scotland

The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic Màiri McAllan MSP today, announced the appointment of Doctor Catherine Eagleton and Colin MacNeill to the Board of National Museum Scotland.

 

Trustees

Doctor Catherine Eagleton is University Librarian and Director of Collections and Museums at the University of St Andrews. She is passionate about opening up collections to the widest possible audiences, and the potential for digital tools and technologies to advance the purpose and mission of cultural and collections organisations. Catherine has held a number of senior curatorial and collections positions at the Smithsonian Institution, the British Library and British Museum, and began her career with a PhD in the History of Science and a traineeship at the Science Museum. Her other board and advisory appointments include membership of the Designation Panel for Arts Council England, as a board member for Research Libraries UK, and as inaugural Chair of the Board of the Museum Data Service.

Colin MacNeill had a 30 years career as corporate lawyer with Dickson Minto WS, retiring in 2023. Since then he has served as trustee of the National Piping Centre, Bethany Christian Trust and Newhaven Church. Mr. MacNeill has experience of governance, board affairs and legal matters.

 

Appointment

The appointments will be for 4 years from 1 October 2026 until 30 September 2030.

The appointments are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

 

Remuneration

The appointments are part-time with a time commitment of up to 12 days per year. Appointments to the Board of National Museums Scotland are not remunerated.

 

Other ministerial appointments

Dr. Catherine Eagleton and Colin MacNeill do not hold any other public appointments.

 

Political activity

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.

Dr. Catherine Eagleton and Colin MacNeill have had no political activity within the last five years.

 

Background

National Museums Scotland is one of the leading museums groups in Europe. It cares for a multi-disciplinary collection of over 12 million objects, bringing together the arts and sciences, and the cultures of Scotland and the world, alongside the diversity of the natural world. The organisation has approximately 460 staff across five sites. It is a Scottish Charity (no. SC 011130) and a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) sponsored and supported through Grant-in-Aid by the Scottish Government, and governed by an independent Board of Trustees. It receives around £25 million of Scottish Government funding annually. National Museums Scotland’s priorities reflect its statutory duties to care for the items it holds, and to make them accessible through providing education, encouraging research, and promoting public awareness. Its four museums (the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street in Edinburgh, the National War Museum in Edinburgh Castle, the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian and the National Museum of Rural Life near East Kilbride) are enjoyed by millions of local and international visitors each year.

As a national centre of excellence, the organisation is committed to widening access to and participation with its collections, reaching out across Scotland, the UK and internationally. This includes an extensive programme of: touring exhibitions; loans; community-based partnership projects, often within disadvantaged areas; training and skills development, including developing young people; the provision of advice and support to the museum sector; administering the National Fund for Acquisitions; and operating the Treasure Trove scheme. The cultural, social, educational and economic value of its work is wide-reaching, creating impact on people’s lives through sharing the fascinating stories of the millions of remarkable objects it cares for in Scotland’s National Collection.

National Museums Scotland operates within the context of the Scottish Government’s national outcomes and strategic objectives.

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