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.”

All members and volunteers will shortly receive their invitation to an evening at the Museum for the “premiere” of a DVD made in 1997 at the time of the Museum’s 75th Anniversary. Three thousand people gathered in Fort William’s High Street on that occasion  and by courtesy of the families of the original producers we are able to revisit that memorable night  both for the Museum and the town of Fort William. The “Longest Strip theWillow in the West” DVD will be available for purchase @ £8.Cheese and wine will be served and we are very pleased that, after the DVD, Ian Abernethy will take us on a visual tour ofFortWilliam’s High Street in times past. Please pen the date in your diary – we all look forward to seeing you.The evening is free to Members and volunteers but non members are very welcome if accompanied by a small entrance fee or a large donation!

Our ‘splendidly idiosyncratic’ * Museum will start  2012 with a new Manager as  Mairi Mooney, our Curator/Manager,  will leave at the end of January to pursue new ideas – we will be wishing her well.  The closing date for applications has now passed and we are in the selection process.* ‘The Rough Guide to the Scottish Highlands & Islands’ – 2011

Receiving feedback on the Museum is always valuable. Better too when the reports are as good as those on TripAdvisor recently!October 2011: “Some of the best mementoes of the Jacobite era that I have seen. Also original documents relating to Culloden and the Glencoe massacre.”September 2011: “Because it was raining, we went into the museum. What a pleasant surprise!! Everything was so interesting and well laid out. We spent more than an hour going through all the rooms and reading about the history of the area. Well worth a visit.”September 2011: “Extremely well done to this nice little museum. A nice way to spend an hour or two looking at some of the local history. Free entry is such a nice touch these days in this money grabbing world!!!!!” (But we need donations too! – Webmaster)September 2011: “A great welcome with clear instructions of which way to go round the museum. No admission fee requested, but a request for a donation for the upkeep is well worth it. A small guide was provided. Although it is only a small museum, it has a great history to share with everyone. Very detailed information with all exhibits. Ten out of ten!!”September 2011: “We left it far too late in the day to visit and ran out of time so don’t make the same mistake! Staff are very pleasant and the exhibits interesting and informative and all for free.”August 2011: “I have been to Fort William on many occasions and never set foot in this venue. My mistake, as it is full of information, artefacts and heritage, all arranged in a logical order and more importantly it stimulates you to go and find out more. Don’t leave a trip to this Museum to the bottom of the list, or pencil it in as a wet weather ‘maybe’; make it a destination attraction. Well done to all.”

The museum is currently home to two motorbikes on loan from the Scottish Six Day Trials Association. It is expected that the motorbikes will remain in the museum over the summer season.  Some photographs and memorabilia are also on display.

On Saturday 13th May 1911 a Model T Ford, driven by Henry Alexander of Edinburgh, reached the summit of Ben Nevis.  That event was commemorated almost exactly 100 years later, on 18th May 2011, when  a 1911 Model T was carried to the summit by a party of over 60 volunteers, which included one of our Trustees.  That Model T, which has been kindly loaned by Neil Tuckett of the Model T Ford Register of Great Britain,  is now on display in the Museum and will remain here for a year.

The West Highland Museum will be re-opening at 10am on the 14th March 2011.
Admission to the museum is now FREE!
We have new ranges in the shop whic

The success of the recent Free Month, when we had over 1100 visitors, has reassured the Museum Trustees that we are on the right track in proposing a major change for the West Highland Museum in 2011.Thirty years ago 70,000 visitors a year passed through our Museum – but this peak has diminished dramatically, as it has for many museums nationwide.  Other museums have found that free entry has increased their footfall by 3 to 6 times.  From March 2011 entry to the West Highland Museum will be free and we anticipate around 35,000 visitors a year. Our aim is to offer a real change to the visitors experience and hope to encourage many more people to see the treasures within and for locals to engage with the Museum. When we re-open in March displays will be reorganised and we anticipate that there will be a different Museum experience.  There will be a much bigger shop, some new exhibits and a real opportunity for you to support the museum. We must also significantly reduce our costs.  There will only now be two paid posts in the museum which means that sadly we can no longer employ our five part time reception staff. They have given many years of dedicated service to the West Highland Museum and the community, some also acting in a voluntary capacity. This is very regrettable but inevitable in these challenging times. Applicants for a new paid part-time post of “Co-ordinator of Volunteers” are now being sought, together with support for our current team of experienced receptionists when we reopen in early March.Could you give some time here and there  – to be part of our team running and supporting the Museum – welcoming  visitors, answering queries and questions, helping with sales and all the other tasks which keep the museums doors open? Full training will be given and we expect to be able to offer an interesting and busy time for volunteers with the increased numbers coming into the free museum.Please phone 70 2886 or 07900 665 301 and speak to Chris Robinson or visit our website at www.westhighlandmuseum.org.uk and follow the volunteer link.Your Museum needs you!

The West Highland Museum is delighted to be the sole stockist for The George Scott Films.  These films capture a series of local events and celebrations during the early 1950s, and give a true sense of life as it was in Fort William and Lochaber 60 years ago.The DVD is available from the museum shop, priced at only £12, but be quick, they are selling like hot cakes!