Canna House

About the museum

Canna House on the Isle of Canna in the Inner Hebrides was the home of the Gaelic scholars John Lorne Campbell and Margaret Fay Shaw. Together they collected and studied an extensive archive of Gaelic and Celtic songs, stories and poetry, as well as a collection of butterflies and moths. In 1981 Campbell gave the island, along with the couple's library, archive and sound recordings, to the National Trust for Scotland.

The archive includes about 1,500 Gaelic folk songs and 350 folk tales, the first recordings of members of the Mi'kmaq nation, more than 5,000 photographic negatives and 25 reels of film recording Gaelic life on Canna, Barra, the Uists and Mingulay over fifty years.

The National Trust for Scotland spent nine years on repair and restoration of the house, which reopened to visitors in June 2025. Rooms have been arranged to look as they did in the mid-twentieth century, soon after the Second World War, so that visitors feel that someone has just left the room, and Gaelic songs and speech play as visitors move from room to room. The collection includes a dictaphone used to record Gaelic speakers, Margaret's Graflex camera and the Book of Pooni. The house also has conservation-standard archive stores and a reading room.

Highlights

• Rooms kept as in the mid-20th century, with Gaelic audio in each room
• Archive of Gaelic songs, folk tales, photographs and film
• Dictaphone and Graflex camera used to record Gaelic life
• The Book of Pooni, dedicated to the couple's cat
• Island setting with ferry from Mallaig

Permanent exhibition

• Canna House – The restored house of John Lorne Campbell and Margaret Fay Shaw, shown as it was in the mid-20th century with Gaelic audio in the rooms, and the archive of Gaelic music, folklore and photographs.

Founded

2009

Operated by

National Trust for Scotland

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

The National Trust for Scotland lists adult, family and concession entry to Canna as free, and admission is free for members. Visitors travelling by ferry or boat pay the carrier's fare or harbour dues separately.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• 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

Wheelchair users can reach Canna by ferry, but it is described as challenging, and the island roads are hard gravel so help may be needed. Access inside the house is not described; contact the Trust before visiting.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

All ferry passengers must pre-book, no later than 4pm on the previous working day (CalMac, tel. 01687 310240, option 2). Only residents and contractors can book a vehicle on the ferry. Visitors with their own boats can use ten visitor moorings in Canna Harbour, subject to harbour dues.

Amenities & dining

The Trust's page lists a café, shop and toilet for the island, and notes that the community shop runs as a 24-hour honesty shop with limited basic stock.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit