Scotland's Museums: Unaccounted for - Lost or Stolen Treasures

Scotland's galleries and museums hold millions of items in their collections, but thousands of them are currently missing. BBC Scotland News requested information from popular institutions about lost, stolen, and missing objects, and the responses revealed a wide range of unaccounted artifacts, including ancient relics and valuable artwork. This investigation follows the recent disappearance of 2,000 items from the British Museum in London. While some missing items are suspected to be the result of criminal activities, many Scottish institutions believe that poor record-keeping is to blame. Examples of missing items include a Japanese man figurine, stolen dolphin skull, iron knuckle dusters, and a large bottle marked "Poison". Notably, the official residence of the first minister reported a missing brass lamp and Georgian mahogany armchair in 2016 and 2020, respectively. The National Library of Scotland has reported over 4,000 lost, stolen, or missing items, including books with titles like "Among Thieves" and "To Catch a Thief". Intriguingly, titles like "The Irish Kama Sutra" and "Sexual Anomalies and Perversions" are also missing. In terms of artworks, a flying suit, goggles, and flight jacket were stolen from the National Museum of Scotland in 1986, likely influenced by the release of the first Top Gun film. Perhaps the most valuable missing item is a £3 million sculpture by renowned artist Auguste Rodin. Glasgow Museums cannot currently locate a plaster version of Les Bourgeois de Calais, which was purchased in 1901. Additionally, part of a painting featuring Sir Billy Connolly's banjo by John Byrne went missing in 2005, but the artist created a replacement section and gifted it to the city in 2017. Notable missing artworks in Glasgow include works by Thomas Gainsborough, Carlo Maratti, Sebastien Vrancx, and Cornelis Vroom. In Aberdeen, the council collection is missing 1,330 artifacts and artworks valued at nearly £200,000. This includes items such as old coins, books, clothing, photographs, and drawings. The National Museum of Scotland reported the 2015 theft of two gold coins from the James VI era and a gold three-pound piece dating from 1555, which were estimated to be worth around £20,000 at the time. The Hunterian museum in Glasgow experienced a heist in 1962 involving around 200 gemstones valued at approximately £130,000. A rare 18th-century yellow diamond ring belonging to the museum's founder was also stolen. Thieves have targeted not only museums and galleries but also the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. The garden had to install CCTV after rare plants were stolen and sold on eBay. However, there is some good news amid the missing items. Glasgow Life recently had a painting, "Children Wading" by Robert Gemmell Hutchison, returned to them after it went missing for over 30 years. The artwork, stolen in 1989, resurfaced when an unsuspecting seller put it up for auction.