Efforts to ensure that the new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, South Ayrshire, is completed later this year have been boosted by a further £1.1m of funding.

The Scottish Government has provided the additional commitment in order to help finish the £21m visitor attraction ahead of its scheduled opening on 1 December. The government has now contributed a total of £8.6m. Funding will also allow the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) to develop an "integrated Burns experience" in Alloway, which will include a footbridge to link proposed heritage trails to five other local Burns-related sites.

Scottish culture minister Fiona Hyslop said: "We are making this funding available to the Trust in recognition of the national and international significance of this project and the contribution it will make to Scotland's tourism offering. "Fundraising will of course continue apace. It should be recognised that the Trust and Burns enthusiasts have done a great fundraising job, especially given the current economic climate."

NTS chief executive Kate Mavor added: "The way in which the collections and artefacts have been brought together will encourage people to think of Burns and his legacy in novel ways. It represents an approach to interpretation which the Trust sees as vital in ensuring that local and international communities are able to engage with Scotland's heritage."