Applecross Heritage Centre

About the museum

Applecross Heritage Centre is run by volunteers from the Applecross Historical Society, which was set up in 1998 and incorporated in 2000. The centre opened in 2003 in a restored 19th-century outbuilding of the old manse and glebe at Clachan, beside the church and overlooking the bay.

The Gaelic name of the peninsula, A' Chomraich, means the Sanctuary. In 673 Saint Maelrubha of Bangor founded a monastery at Clachan, and the centre displays carved stone fragments from this early Christian period. Later the land passed to the Mackenzie lairds, and in the 19th and 20th centuries life centred on crofting, fishing and estate work.

Displays with interpretive panels and local objects trace the story from the earliest settlers, including the Mesolithic First Settlers excavation and the Iron Age broch, through the monastery, the Mackenzie estate, the clearances and the 20th century. Among the objects are a stone adze from Culduie, a fragment of a 9th-century Celtic cross, peat-cutting tools and a coffin bier. A gallery presents old photographs, and a reading room holds archive records, oral history recordings, digitised census records and a genealogical database for research.

Highlights

• Fragments of a 9th-century carved Celtic cross from the early monastery
• Neolithic stone adze found near Culduie
• Gallery of historic photographs of local people and places
• Displays on crofting, fishing, the Mackenzie estate and the clearances
• Reading room for genealogy and local history research

Permanent exhibition

• The story of Applecross – Interpretive panels and local objects tell the history of the peninsula from the earliest settlers to modern times, with a gallery of old photographs.

Founded

2003

Operated by

Applecross Historical Society

Admission & discounts

A nominal £3 entry fee; larger donations are welcome and all visitor income goes towards running and maintaining the centre. Membership of the society (£10 a year) includes free access to the centre.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The centre is at Clachan, beside the church, about a mile north of the village of Applecross.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

A small shop sells gifts, postcards, local crafts and booklets; profits support the centre.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit