He died the richest man in the world.. but his museum can't afford to

A MUSEUM opened to honour Scots tycoon Andrew Carnegie, who gave away pounds 200 million, is being forced to close in a bid to save pounds 20,000.

The Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum, which is at a weaver's cottage in Dunfermline where the tycoon was born, will tomorrow shut for five months to cut its losses.

The museum's curator of the last 15 years has been laid off, and its two attendants will not return until April.

Bill Runciman, secretary of the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, said although the museum's trustees took the decision with "great sadness" there was little choice.

He said: "The museum has been losing money on and off for a couple of decades now. In recent years we have been losing around pounds 20,000 a year.

"It has always been assisted with grants from the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust.

"But the trust has its own particular remit which is to benefit the people of Dunfermline, not the museum."

Legendary King of Steel Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1835, but emigrated to America as a child where he worked his way up from a bobbin boy to forge a vast steel empire. By the time he retired in 1901 he was known as the richest man in the world. He gave away more than pounds 210 million before his death in 1919.

Carnegie believed in educational access for all, and among his many gifts to Scotland and the English-speaking world were nearly 3,000 libraries.

And during his life he showered his home town with gifts including a library, concert hall, park and even a bowling green.

After his death his American widow Louise bought the cottage where he was born and turned it into a museum in his memory.

The tycoon and philanthropist set up trusts in his name to distribute his huge private endowment after his death, including the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust.

Douglas Scott, a trustee of both the museum and the trust, believes Carnegie would have approved of the closure.

He said: "The trust has been putting an immense amount of money into the museum even though it was not set up to do so.

"When Mrs Carnegie opened the museum she said the building was not to become a burden to the people - and I think her husband would have wanted the money spent on the community rather than a memorial to him."

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