Banchory Museum

About the museum

Banchory Museum is part of the Aberdeenshire Museums Service and sits inside Banchory Library and Cultural Centre on Bridge Street, just off Scott Skinner Square in the town centre. Visitors enter the museum through the library.

The museum was redesigned in a recent refurbishment and reopened in June 2023, after the library had been renewed in 2021. Both floors were reorganised, and a lift and a wide internal staircase now link the spaces. The aim was a more joined-up experience for library and museum users.

The displays tell the story of Royal Deeside and Banchory. They include archaeological finds, among them Mesolithic flints identified by local archaeologist Hilda Paterson, the area’s development as a leisure destination from Victorian times, and local wildlife. Traditional music has a central place: it is linked to the Banchory fiddler James Scott Skinner and to recordings of local musicians from the 1940s to the 1980s, donated from the John Junner estate. The Banks o’ Dee, believed to be the town’s first fire appliance, is on loan from the local Rotary Club. An interactive room lets visitors act as curators and design their own museum exhibit.

Highlights

• Royal Deeside archaeology, including Mesolithic flints
• Violins and the musical heritage of fiddler James Scott Skinner
• Recordings of local traditional musicians
• Victorian leisure history of Royal Deeside
• Interactive room where visitors design their own display

Permanent exhibition

• Royal Deeside, Banchory and its music – Archaeology of Royal Deeside, the area’s rise as a Victorian leisure destination, local wildlife, and the traditional music of Banchory with the fiddler James Scott Skinner.

Operated by

Live Life Aberdeenshire (Aberdeenshire Museums Service)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum states that there is disabled access throughout. A lift and a wide internal staircase link the floors.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

An interactive room lets visitors act as curators and design their own museum exhibit. The museum says there is plenty to see and do for all ages.

Getting there & parking

In the town centre on Bridge Street, just off Scott Skinner Square.

Amenities & dining

• Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi and toilets are listed by the museum. The building also houses Banchory Library.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit