Grantown Museum

About the museum

Grantown Museum is housed in Burnfield House, built in 1861 as a girls' school with money left by Captain John Grant, a factor of Strathspey. After the school closed in 1890 the house became a private home, a cafe and a bed and breakfast. The Grantown Museum and Heritage Trust bought it in 1995 with privately raised funds and later received a further grant that partly came from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The museum opened to the public in April 1999.

The permanent galleries follow the story of Grantown from its founding in 1775 by Sir James Grant through the Scottish Enlightenment, industry and invention to its days as a Victorian holiday resort, and introduce local people who made their mark. Visitors can also find mini museums, an adventures-in-costume section, a children's exhibit on inventions and the Cromdale Brooch, a brass shawl fastener from about the 1690s. A bell tower built in 2006 houses the restored town bell.

The Trust is a registered charity run by a manager, a curator and volunteers. The museum is the area's visitor information centre for the Cairngorms National Park, holds old parish registers and census records for genealogy, and offers a Clan Grant tour that also visits the Clan Grant Centre at Duthil.

Highlights

• Galleries on the story of Grantown since 1775
• Cromdale Brooch, a brass shawl fastener from about the 1690s
• Clan Grant displays and tour
• Mini museums and adventures in costume
• Genealogy records for Strathspey parishes

Permanent exhibitions

• The story of Grantown – Permanent galleries on the town from its founding in 1775 through industry and invention to its Victorian heyday, with the people who shaped it.
• Clan Grant – Material on the history of Clan Grant and its chiefs, with a guided tour to the Clan Grant Centre at Duthil.

Founded

1999

Operated by

Grantown Museum and Heritage Trust

Admission & discounts

The current website pages do not list an admission price.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• 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

All galleries are on one level. There is a fully accessible unisex toilet and disabled parking.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

Family-friendly features include a children's exhibit on great inventions, interactive displays and dressing up.

Getting there & parking

The museum is at the north end of town, behind the Town House on the Square.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Gift shop and a grassy picnic area with benches. Free Wi-Fi in the building.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

Up to 70 guests.

The exhibition hall can be hired for talks, events, workshops and classes in winter only (November to March), at £20 an hour including VAT, with projector, screen, seating and kitchen facilities.

Plan your visit