An international centre of excellence in creative glass has been established in Caithness, with the support of £100,000 of Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Funding. The new centre, housed in a former schoolhouse in Lybster, will provide a state-of-the-art glass workshop and studio, providing a wide range of facilities for hot and cold glass working. North Lands Creative Glass, founded in 1995 to further develop the UK’s reputation for high-quality artistic glass work, has established the studio with the aim of expanding facilities for artists, designers and architects. Director of the Scottish Arts Council, Graham Berry, has commented that the work produced by North Lands is both 'pioneering and ambitious,' and remarks that Scotland is leading Europe in developing such facilities; 'which not only allow established artists the opportunity to create new work, but also provides younger artists with the chance to work alongside international masters in their craft,' he said. Helen Bennett, Head of Crafts at the Scottish Arts Council has noted that 'no solitary artist could afford the risk of investing in such a workshop. By establishing such a high-quality centre, North Lands Creative Glass has revived international interest in Scottish glass.' The new studio building was acquired from the proceeds of the sale of Sir Alastair Pilkington's collection of contemporary glass, donated by Lady Pilkington. Additional funding was secured from the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund, Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise, the Foundation for Sports and the Arts and other charitable trusts.