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With effect from 1st April 2018, the organisation running the Museum will be the West Highland Museum Trust.  As was intimated at the 2017 AGM, the Museum Trustees unanimously decided to seek consent from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) to wind up the trust deed governed body, the West Highland Museum and transfer assets to the new WHMT, a charitable company limited by guarantee.  The new WHMT is company number SC581556 and Scottish Charity number SC047954.  OSCR has now given consent and the transfer is in progress.    This is a significant move by the Museum and follows the route taken by many long-established charities that desire to modernise their governance.Responsibility for oversight of the operation of the Museum will now sit with the board of directors, rather than be shared with a Management Committee.  While the Trustees must remain in place until the entire assets are transferred, the Management Committee has ceased to function.  The Chairman of Trustees attended the last meeting of the Management Committee on 28th March and expressed thanks on behalf of Trustees for their sterling work over many years.

In 2016 when we reached 48,333 visitors we wondered whether we might be able to top 50,000 the next year but we were delighted when 2017 saw a 14% increase to 55,013!  The 55,000th visitor was Gary Elder from Caol who had not been in the Museum since a school visit in 1979.Our thanks go to kind local photographer, Iain Ferguson, who was able to record the moment and gain some useful publicity.

Over the busy Summer months of July and August, the Museum will be open from 11am till 3pm each Sunday. We’re not only one of the best independent Museums in the country but we have an excellent bookshop and gift-shop too, which you’ll find of interest!

We are now stocking ‘The Commandos in Training, at War and at Achnacarry Castle’ DVD under licence.The price is £12.00 in the Museum shop or by mail order, £13.50 incl P & P. 

Fans of the Outlander books and TV series are making our Museum a ‘must see’ destination to learn more about the world of the Jacobites that Claire Randall found herself sharing with Jamie Fraser in 1743.  We are pleased about that and know we can give them an excellent insight.  As a guide we have  produced this Outlander leaflet.

We will be holding a coffee morning on Thursday 9th June 2016 from 10am to 12 noon, so please come and enjoy a morning break alongside the fascinating Commando Room exhibits.Coffee, tea, cakes and other sweet treats will be available for just a donation.  Everyone is welcome.

During our AGM on 26th May, volunteer and Trustee, Betty Bruce, was presented with a gift by Donald Cameron of Lochiel, our President, to mark her dedicated service to the Museum over the 20 years that she has been running the Saturday Club for young folk, special Museum tours and other community outreach.  Well done, Betty!

After a busy winter closure when our army of volunteers has been completing a number of tasks and making things spick-and-span, we are now open until the end of the year.  We look forward to welcoming you to our celebrated Museum.  As well as unusual gifts, we have an impressive selection in our bookshop.

On Thursday 17th November at 7pm, Professor James Hunter will discuss his new book on the Sutherland Clearances, “Set Adrift  upon the World”.  Books will be available for sale and refreshments will be provided.  Please contact us at info@westhighlandmuseum.org.uk if you would like to attend.

This year marks the 300th anniversary of the 1715 Jacobite Uprising.To commemorate this event and to announce their May auction of Jacobite, Stuart and Scottish Applied Arts, Lyon & Turnbull has joined with the Highland historian Professor Hugh Cheape to arrange a weekend of events to benefit the West Highland Museum.The first of these is a lecture entitled, “This is the time the prophesy has been proven” by Professor Hugh Cheape, Research Chair at the University of the Highlands & Islands.7pm on Friday 20th February at the Alexandra Hotel, The Parade, Fort William PH33 6AZ.Tickets on the door £3.50 members or £5 non-members (all proceeds go to the Museum).To pre-book or for more information please contact Colleen Foggo on 01397 702169 or email colleen@westhighlandmuseum.org.uk