News

At the end of January we will say goodbye to our Curator/Manager Mairi – who has overseen the major changes in the Museum over the last year. Mairi is taking off travelling and we wish her all the very best.We are presently in the recruitment process for her replacement.

At a meeting of the Trustees on 24 November 2011, the painting by Henry Tanworth Wells, “Letters and News at the Lochside”, was discussed. Last year the Trustees had considered the sale of the painting, which currently hangs in Arisaig House, to raise funds for the Museum – to acquire land for access to build an extension.Richard Sidgwick, Chairman of the Trustees reported that “when the decision to sell was made at the end of last year, we were unaware both of the strength of local feeling and the perception of its importance as part of the Museum’s collection, for which we can only apologise”. For those reasons, we have decided to reverse the decision to sell and are looking again at our long held view that we do not wish to displace existing exhibits to make the necessary space available.Display of the painting in the Museum, or in a planned extension, will secure its long term future and it will be appreciated by the thirty thousand visitors that we are now able to anticipate annually.We have been in touch with the secretary of the Community Council and the owner of Arisaig House. There are no immediate plans to remove the painting and, as previously promised, nothing will change until we fully discuss the position with Arisaig Community Council.”

The Museum will be closing for some essential works for the months of January and February. We will reopen in March next year and anticipate an embryonic Commando Exhibition. More information to followhellip;hellip;

Our 1997 “Longest Strip the Willow in the West” DVD is now available!The “Strip theWillow” was organised to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Museum, just as we reopened after a major refurbishment.Were you one of the 3,000 on the High Street on 23rd May 1997 when Fort William danced the night away on a perfect May evening?Did you hear the kilted gentleman in Cameron Square, who should know, proudly observe “This is the best band to have played in this Square for one hundred years”?Did you see the two grinning Japanese girls who asked “Is it like this every night inFortWilliam”?For all those who were there – and for many who wish they had been – this is a must – and this years DVD is available for purchase at the Museum for £8.