Editing Lewis chessmen (section)

== Dispute over location ==
[[Image:Chess01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Lewis chessmen in the [[National Museum of Scotland]] in Edinburgh]]
In in late 2007, a dispute arose as to where the main resting place of the pieces should be.<ref>{{cite news |title=Moves to unite historic chessmen |work=[[BBC News]] |date=24 December 2007 |department = Scotland highlands and islands |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7159656.stm |access-date=5 January 2022 |lang=en-GB}}</ref> There were calls from [[Scottish National Party]] politicians in the Western Isles (notably Councillor Annie Macdonald, [[Alasdair Allan]] MSP and [[Angus MacNeil]] MP) for the return of the pieces to the place they were found. [[Linda Fabiani]], Scottish [[Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture]], stated that "it is unacceptable that only 11&nbsp;Lewis chessmen rest at the National Museum of Scotland while the other&nbsp;67 (as well as the 14&nbsp;tablemen) remain in the British Museum in London."

[[Richard Oram]], Professor of Medieval and Environmental History at the [[University of Stirling]], agreed, arguing that there was no reason for there to be more than "a sample" of the collection in London. These views were dismissed by [[Margaret Hodge]], the then UK [[Minister of State]] in the [[Department for Culture, Media and Sport]], writing "It's a lot of nonsense, isn't it?", noting that the law protects purchases and drawing comparisons to major artworks in Europe housed in major cities, with replicas often available ''in situ'' where tourism is sufficient.<ref name=Burnett-2008-02-03>{{cite news |last = Burnett |first = Allan |date = 3 February 2008 |title = Stalemate |place = Glasgow, UK |newspaper = [[The Sunday Herald]] }}</ref> The historical society in Uig, ''Comann Eachdraidh Ùig'', which operates its museum near the find site, features detailed information about the chessmen and Norse occupation in Lewis. It has published that it cannot claim to own the pieces and would allow the normal museum market to determine whether more originals should rest in Edinburgh. It welcomes short-term loans.<ref>{{citation |title = {{grey|[no title cited]}} |newspaper = [[Uig News]] |date = February 2008}}</ref>{{full citation|date=March 2024}}

In October&nbsp;2009, 24 of the pieces from London and 6 from Edinburgh began a 16&nbsp;month tour of Scotland, partly funded by the [[Scottish Government]], whose [[Michael Russell (Scottish politician)|Mike Russell]], [[Minister for Culture and External Affairs]], stated that the Government and the British Museum had "agreed to disagree" on their eventual fate. [[Bonnie Greer]], the museum's deputy chairman, said that she "absolutely" believed the main collection should remain in London.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cornwell |first=Tim |date=2 October 2009 |title=Chessmen will never come home |newspaper=[[The Scotsman]] |url=https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/chessmen-will-never-come-home-2465883 |access-date=5 January 2022}}</ref>

[[Neil MacGregor]], who at the time of the debate was director of the British Museum, was reported to say that it was Norway who was entitled to ask for them back, not Scotland.<ref name=Bunting-2016>{{cite book |last = Bunting |first = Madeleine |author-link = Madeleine Bunting |year = 2016 |title = Love of Country: A Hebridean journey |publisher = Granta |isbn = 9781847085184 }}</ref> [[Madeleine Bunting|M. Bunting]] writes that:
: "the British Museum has picked its way carefully and 6 of the figures were loaned long-term to Lewis's new museum in 2015".<ref name=Bunting-2016/>

<gallery>
File:NMSLewisChessmen29.jpg| Selection of chessmen at [[National Museum of Scotland|NMS]]
File:NMSLewisChessmen28.jpg| King and Queen at [[National Museum of Scotland|NMS]]
File:NMSLewisChessmen2.jpg| Face of a ‘[[berserker]]’ warder (rook) and profile of an ordinary warder at [[National Museum of Scotland|NMS]]
File:UigChessmen SelectionOfPieces.jpg| Row of bishops at the back and then knights, among a selection pieces on display at [[British Museum|BM]]
File:NMSLewisChessmen14.jpg| Knight on a [[Icelandic horse|stout pony]]
File:NMSLewisChessmen26.jpg| Decoration carved on back of a queen's throne at [[British Museum|BM]]
File:Lewis Chessmen.jpg| King and queen, with ‘[[berserker]]’ warder (rook) and knight behind them, at [[British Museum|BM]]
</gallery>