WESTERN ISLES MSP HAILS LEWIS CHESSMEN HOMECOMING

WESTERN ISLES MSP HAILS LEWIS CHESSMEN HOMECOMING

Western Isles SNP MSP, Alasdair Allan, has today hailed the news that a major exhibition of the famous Lewis Chessmen will tour Scotland from 2010.

The tour will include an extended visit to the Western Isles from April to September 2011, when 30 pieces of the Lewis chessmen collection, including 24 from the British Museum in London, will be displayed in Museum nan Eilean in Stornoway. The tour will start in the National Museum in Edinburgh and will also visit Shetland and Aberdeen.

Dr Allan commented:

“This is great news for Scotland and for the islands. The efforts of many campaigners are starting to pay off on this issue.

“Historical artefacts always mean a hundred times more in their local context, and the chessmen have long been a symbol for the Islands. I now look forward to seeing the chessmen in Lewis, where I know that today's news has already generated much interest and excitement.

"The Scottish Government have provided funding and support to allow this exhibition to happen, an event of huge cultural importance both to the Western Isles and to Scotland as a whole.

"I continue to argue that that London should give more of the chessmen back to Scotland permanently with exhibitions of pieces happening in Lewis on a longer term basis. They take on a whole new meaning when they are here.

"However, congratulations must go to the National Museum of Scotland and the Scottish Government for making possible an event which I believe will draw many visitors here to the islands in 2011."