The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) has been awarded a £2.7m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The grant will see the museum be given a new lease of life.

It is the UK's largest and most historic collection of surgical pathology artifacts and includes anatomical specimens and surgical instruments.

Originally developed as a teaching museum for students of medicine, it has been open to the public since 1832 and is Scotland's oldest medical museum.

The grant means this will be the first time the building has been radically transformed since 1908 and the funding will allow redevelopment work to create new displays and galleries, doubling the number of items which can be put on display, as well as showcasing innovative audiovisual and interactive elements.

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The Playfair-designed building will also be conserved and transformed with contemporary additions such as a new glass atrium, providing the public with easier access, while the enhanced museum will also boast a 17th century dissecting theatre while a new, dedicated education suite will increase opportunities for learning for schools, families and special interest groups.

Commenting on the award, President of the RCSEd, Ian Ritchie said: "We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has chosen to support this exciting and important project. The promotion of patient safety and care has been at the heart of our College and its activities for over 500 years, inspiring advances in our profession and across healthcare.

"Our Museum and Library lie at the core of this heritage; through them we are able to highlight the achievements of the past, educate surgeons and the public about the development of our profession and inspire generations of future surgeons."

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, added: "The Lister project will take the Surgeons' Hall Museum to a world-class level commensurate with its outstanding collections.

"Scotland's pioneering history of surgery will soon be a source of education and inspiration for visitors from home and abroad while making an important contribution to our tourist economy. The Heritage Lottery Fund is delighted to be helping make that happen."

(JP/CD)