Glenesk Folk Museum

About the museum

Glenesk Folk Museum was founded in 1955 by Greta Michie, a local schoolteacher and historian, to look after the rural heritage of Glen Esk in Angus. It is housed in a building called The Retreat, which was built in the 1840s as a retirement cottage and was later enlarged and used as a shooting lodge and summer house by the Earls of Dalhousie. The museum was set up there with the help of the Dalhousie family, and the building was refurbished and extended in 2007.

The collection now holds more than 30,000 objects. They include farming equipment, Victorian textiles and room settings that recreate family life in earlier times. The museum also keeps an archive of Scottish and family history, although parts of it are not yet fully open to visitors, and volunteers are working to record and photograph the collection.

The museum is an independent charity that relies on donations and volunteers. Besides the displays it runs a café, a shop with local crafts, craft workshops and events, and there is a short nature trail in the grounds, where old ploughs, millstones and a sundial are on show.

Highlights

• Collection of more than 30,000 objects on Scottish rural life
• Farming tools, Victorian textiles and recreated family rooms
• The Retreat Café and a shop with local crafts and books
• Nature trail, outdoor seating and grounds with historic ploughs and millstones
• Craft workshops and events through the year

Permanent exhibition

• Collections and displays on Scottish rural life – Farming equipment, Victorian textiles and recreated rooms of family life, drawn from a collection of more than 30,000 objects.

Founded

1955

Operated by

Glenesk Trust (Scottish charity SC035318)

Admission & discounts

The admission charge for 2026 is unchanged at 5 pounds per adult. Annual membership is available for individuals and families.

Accessibility

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

Visitors can be dropped off at the door, and the whole building is accessible by wheelchair, with a lift to the upper floor. The museum can lend a wheelchair, which should be reserved before the visit. There are bicycle stands. Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the museum, café, shop and grounds.

Kids & families

Visitors under 16 enter free. The grounds have a lawn, a short woodland walk and a nature trail of about a quarter of a mile, and the café has high chairs.

Getting there & parking

The museum lies 10 miles north of Edzell. Take the turn off the B966 Edzell to Fettercairn road by The Burn towards Tarfside and Loch Lee. The museum is 9 miles up the glen road, in a large white building on the right, a quarter of a mile before Tarfside.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Retreat Café serves lunches, afternoon teas and home baking, and is open from Friday to Sunday, from 12:00 to 16:00 in summer and from 12:00 to 15:00 in winter. It has high chairs, a wood-burning stove and outdoor seating with benches and picnic tables. Dogs are welcome in the café.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

The Community Room can be hired all year and has been used for yoga classes, parties, memorial services, meetings and pop-up displays. Use of the community kitchen is included, the museum chef can provide catering, and the hire rate is 25 pounds per hour with a discount for the local community.

Plan your visit