Visitors at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum have been greeted by empty cabinets after ancient Egyptian remains were taken off display under controversial council guidance.
A painted coffin containing a priest’s remains, a mummified male head, and mummified limbs up to 5,000 years old have been quietly pulled from public view in Glasgow.
The historical artefacts were cleared from display cases at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, leaving visitors facing notices about respect instead of ancient history.
Museum guest Jonny McFarlane discovered the empty glass cabinets when taking his young daughter to see the Egyptian exhibits she had been reading about in a book.
Notice cards placed inside the stripped cases read: “We have removed human remains from this display as a mark of respect.”
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The policy has drawn sharp criticism from elected representatives and educational campaigners across the country.
This is woke madness at its most ridiculous.
Murdo Fraser, Scottish Tory MSP
Scottish Tory MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Murdo Fraser warned that history was being hidden from the public to satisfy modern political trends.
Even Egyptian mummies are now being cancelled by a society so obsessed with modern sensibilities that it has lost all sense of perspective. People visit museums to learn about ancient civilisations, not to see history hidden away because it fails to meet today’s ideological standards.
Mr Fraser added that local heritage should be celebrated rather than hidden.
Glasgow’s museums should be showcasing our history, not quietly removing it to appease the latest trend in political correctness.
Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education and former adviser to the 10 Downing Street Policy Unit, also attacked the decision as virtue-signalling nonsense.
It represents the triumph of educational stupidity and ignorance. It is not possible to seek permission from those who died thousands of years ago.
Mr McGovern suggested that Scottish authorities should instead follow the lead of Egyptian museums by keeping human remains on respectful public display.
Consent policy targets ancient remains
The venue is managed by Glasgow Life, a charitable body funded by the SNP-led Glasgow City Council.
According to draft policy documents produced by the organisation, human remains may only be kept on show if documented consent exists from the deceased person or their descendants.
Obtaining individual permission presents obvious practical hurdles, as the items in question date back between 2,000 and 5,000 years.
Among the removed objects is a mummified right hand recovered from the Valley of Kings in Luxor, along with a mummified right foot.
Further exhibits facing clearance
Glasgow Life confirmed it is currently taking archaeological human remains out of the History Discovery Centre and the Scotland’s Early People gallery at Kelvingrove.
Once cleared from Kelvingrove, officials intend to extend the clearance to St Mungo Museum to remove a coffin and mummified remains on display.
Defending the move, a spokesperson for Glasgow Life claimed that withdrawing remains aligns with contemporary museum practice.
The body cited ethics guidelines alongside a 2025 report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Afrikan Reparations titled “Laying Ancestors to Rest”, which raised concerns over displaying ancient Egyptian remains without knowing the deceased person’s wishes.
Glasgow Life maintained that in the absence of written consent, removing the ancient Egyptian mummies was the most respectful approach to the deceased.