National Museums Scotland (NMS) has secured a further £32m to help fund its proposed revamp of the Royal Museum on Chambers Street in Edinburgh.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded £16.7m and the Scottish Executive will invest £15.2m, bringing their respective total investments to £17.8m and £16m. Private sources have already pledged £3m, which the NMS hopes to increase to £12m in order to fund the £46.4m refurbishment.

Sir Angus Grossart, chair of the NMS board of trustees, said: “We are extremely grateful for such generous grants. We are now in a position to progress our plans for the transformation of the museum to create a cultural flagship for current and future generations.”

The plans include 16 new exhibition galleries – to be completed in 2011 – to house double the number of international cultural and natural heritage objects currently on display, including Darwin’s birds, the oldest rock in the world, Chinese lacquer work and Tibetan horse armour.

In addition, new learning zones will be built and existing public spaces, restaurants, shopping and cloakroom facilities will be refurbished. Improved street-level entrances, lifts and escalators will also provide better access.

Brian Lang, chair of the HLF committee for Scotland, said: “New life will be breathed into this remarkable building and treasures that have been stored away for years will now be brought out for people to enjoy.

“We are delighted to be part of a project which will showcase Scotland’s outstanding national collections for visitors from home and overseas to learn from and enjoy.” Details: www.nms.ac.uk