Part of the Viking hoard of Uig chessmen will come home to be displayed on Lewis within the next two years it has emerged.
Agreement has been reached to temporarily release over 20 or so of the 12th Century figures from the two museum which hold the collections.
An touring exhibition to celebrate Scottish history is being organised to start next year which would allow the Uig figures to be displayed in Stornoway as well as Edinburgh.
Insurance cover at Museum nan Eilean in the town centre is likely to be ramped up to the tune of several million pounds in addition to beefed up security to ensure the safety of the visiting chessmen.
Hidden on the Uig machair for centuries, the walrus ivory chessmen were discovered by Ardroil in 1831 by an islander. They are known as the Lewis Chessmen by southern historians but on Lewis they are called after the district of Uig where they were found.
It is said a cow scratching its back on a raised sandbank revealed the treasures.
It is very unlikely they were locally manufactured: rather made by a craftsman in Trondheim, Norway during the Viking period and imported via ship on one of the Norse’ expeditions to the Hebrides.
They were dispersed to private collectors but most of the 93 pieces were eventually purchased by the British Museum. The remaining 11 belong to the National Museum of Scotland.
Two years ago, the British Museum suggested that they could return to Lewis temporarily after six of the chessmen were earlier put on display at Museum nan Eilean in 2000.
Amid high security and an insurance package of £3 million, the world famous chess pieces were exhibited close to where they were found in Uig community centre.
A giant carving of one of the Kings in the chessmen collection stands guard at the approach to Camas Uig where the ivory pieces were discovered.
Homecoming visit planned for Uig chessmen 27/3/09