The National Theatre of Scotland will get �3.5m

The Edinburgh-based Scottish Arts Council has pledged to spend nearly �70m on projects.

Most of the extra cash is going to The National Theatre of Scotland in Glasgow, which has been awarded �3.5m.

The Youth Music Initiative - which provides primary school children with free music lessons - is to receive �2.5m.

As well as hundreds of local community-based projects, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish Ballet will benefit from significant increases this year, totalling more than �300,000.

Director of the Scottish Arts Council, Graham Berry, said: "Many organisations we support received significant uplifts in grants last year.

"We have tried to alleviate the standstill grants for the majority in the current year by planning a 3% increase to almost every organisation in 2005-06.

"Although working within a limited increase to our own funds, we have used this to support strategically significant organisations across the country."