News

We are celebrating the award of 4-Star Accreditation by VisitScotland.  This covers areas such as the welcome you will receive, cleanliness, interpretation and presentation, all things of which we were already proud. Endorsement by a national scheme is gratifying but we do hope that you will visit to experience this for yourself!

We were very proud when local girl, Lorna Linfield from Banavie was selected to carry the Torch through Fort William.  She has very kindly loaned it to us, to allow as many people as possible to see it.We much appreciate her generous thought and wish her well in future.

As well as a range of excellent books,  we now have West Highland Museum tee shirts with a picture of the Museum and our logo at £15 each.  Big Ridge Chocolates who are based in Spean Bridge have produced a selection of hand-made chocolates, again with our logo.

Members of the Saturday Club should note that we will be restarting after the school holidays on Saturday 25th August.  The Club lasts from 11am – 12noon.

One of our larger ongoing expenses is illumination of the showcases, both electricity and replacement lamps.  We have a scheme whereby supporters of the Museum may ‘Adopt-a-Showcase’ to give us direct, practical and valuable help. This costs £30 annually and we acknowledge the donor in the specific showcase.If you would like to know which showcases would be available to support, please contact us on 01397 702169 or at info@westhighlandmuseum.org.uk.Payment may be through the drop-down menu buy-button at the foot of the Membership page or you could ensure ongoing support by direct debit.Please consider it!

All members should note that our Annual General Meeting will be held in St Andrew’s Church  Hall, Bank Street, Fort William at 5.00 pm on Thursday 31st May 2012.Potential new members will be welcome

After completing some alterations and making some changes, we are open for the rest of the year. The modified entrance and open retail area gives a very different, welcoming atmosphere  which which we know you will enjoy – come to visit us soon!

Well known in Lochaber, being married to Andrew Foggo and as Business Manager with the Fort William Branch of the Bank of Scotland for 25 years, she is actively involved in cycling.  She has competed in mountain biking races and on road and is a member of the West Highland Wheelers.She brings local knowledge combined with her enthusiasm and looks forward to the challenge of the job!

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.”