A hoard of treasure from the Viking age is set for a homecoming in Scotland.
The £2m Galloway Hoard - a treasure trove of gold and other artefacts - will go on show in Kirkcudbright after first appearing at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
It was originally intended to be put on display this year but that was cancelled due to coronavirus.
National Museums Scotland described it as "the richest collection of rare and unique Viking-age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland".
The hoard was discovered in 2014 in Galloway by metal detectorist Derek McLennan from Ayrshire.
It was acquired by National Museums Scotland in 2017 with the support of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and ArtFund, as well as a major public fundraising campaign.
It was intended to go on show in the capital this year but that will now take place between February and May 2021.
After that it will come "home" to Kirkcudbright between August 2021 and May 2022.
The hoard contained many unusual treasures
Chris Breward, director of National Museums Scotland, said: "The Galloway hoard embodies one of our core strengths as the global centre for Scottish history and archaeology."
The exhibition will reveal the detailed conservation work which has been carried out on the collection.
READ MORE: Name of Galloway Hoard item’s original owner discovered
It will also look at the research discoveries made so far and "some of the mysteries that scholars will keep working to solve now and for many years to come".
The National Museum of Scotland reopened its doors in mid-August after being closed for five months.
Safety measures in place amid the pandemic include pre-booked timed entry, face coverings, enhanced cleaning, sneeze screens, hand-sanitising stations and one-way routes.
The announcement about the Hoard comes as the National Museum revealed its programme for next year.
The museum in Edinburgh will also host the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, which is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.
This display, which will run from June 25 to October 3, will feature the recently announced winning entry by Russian photographer Sergey Gorshkov of a Siberian tiger scent-marking a fir tree.
Nearly 100 other shortlisted entries from 25 countries around the world will be shown in a series of large-scale prints.
Also on the programme for next year is the exhibition The Typewriter Revolution from May 28 to September 26, which will examine the social and technological impact of the typewriter over more than 100 years.
The display will showcase National Museums Scotland’s historically significant collection of typewriters, from an 1875 Sholes and Glidden typewriter, which was the first to have a QWERTY keyboard, to the 1970s design icon, the Olivetti Valentine.
Restoring the artefacts has been a painstaking process
Other exhibitions on the programme include Japanese Contemporary Design from March 5 to August 15 and Sea Change: Art and Environment in Oceania from October 29 2021 to April 17 2022, which will show contemporary responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists.
The show Scotland’s Climate Challenge from September 24 2021 to March 27 2022 will use National Museums’ collections to show the evidence for rapid, dramatic climate change and its potential consequences, while Inspiring Walter Scott from August 6 2021 to January 9 2022 will be held to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott.
READ MORE: The metal detectives aiming to unearth a fortune
Mr Breward added: “Having successfully reopened our museums, it’s wonderful now to be able to announce an exciting programme of special exhibitions and displays for the year ahead.
“The programme reflects the wonderful diversity of our collections and our work with several of the exhibitions covering important themes.
“It is important also for us as a national museum to engage with the challenges of climate change, a key issue for our times, and we do so directly in two exhibitions next year.”
He said: “It is, of course, strange to be announcing a programme for 2021 against the backdrop of the ongoing global pandemic.
“However, while there are difficult times ahead for us all, recent developments give us cause for optimism that things will be better next year.
“Assuming that is the case, I hope this programme of exhibitions will give people reason to visit and revisit their national museum in 2021.”
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