Gairloch Museum
Local history museum in a converted Cold War bunker in Wester Ross, with galleries, a film, art exhibitions, a café and a shop.
Alleen afzonderlijke secties laten voorlezen
Over het museum
Gairloch Heritage Museum opened in 1977 in the Achtercairn Steading to house objects given by local people. In 2009 it was among the first independent Highland museums to gain national accreditation, and VisitScotland graded it four stars from 2014. Its logo is based on the fish symbol on a Pictish stone in the collection.
By the 2010s the steading was no longer suitable for the collection or for visitors. In 2011 the volunteers learned that Highland Council would move its roads depot out of a concrete building in the village. This turned out to be an anti-aircraft operations room built in the early 1950s as a Cold War bunker to help defend Britain against bomber attack. The council transferred it to the community, and more than twenty funders and local fundraising paid for a conversion costing about 2.4 million pounds.
The new Gairloch Museum opened in July 2019, sharing the building with a centre of West Highland College. It won the Art Fund Museum of the Year award in 2020. The galleries cover about 7,000 years of local history, from the earliest settlers to the lighthouse at Rubha Reidh, and include a replica croft house, a natural heritage gallery, a film about life in the 1940s and 1950s, and a gallery on the building's own story.
Hoogtepunten
- Museum in a converted Cold War nuclear bunker with views over the loch
- Original lens from the Rubha Reidh lighthouse and a replica croft house
- Interactive natural heritage gallery and a 25 minute film about life in the 1940s and 1950s
- Two art galleries with free entry and a rooftop terrace when the weather allows
- Am Bàrd Café on the first floor, open to the public without a museum ticket
- Achtercairn Archaeology Trail behind the museum
Vaste collectie
- Museum galleries on local history – Galleries on about 7,000 years of local history, including the lens from the Rubha Reidh lighthouse and a replica croft house.
- Natural world gallery – Interactive gallery about the natural heritage of the North West Highlands.
- Three Wars Gallery – Tells the story of the building, a Cold War anti-aircraft operations room, with a model of its original layout.
- Opgericht
- 1977
- Beheerder
- Gairloch Heritage Museum (Scottish charity SC010249)
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
| Volwassenen | £ 9 |
|---|---|
| Kinderen & jongeren | £ 2gratis t/m 4 jaar · Child ticket for ages 5 to 16. |
| Groepen | £ 8 p.p.Group and trade rate per adult, 2 pounds per child. Local school groups are free, and other school groups of 10 or more should ask for a price. |
| Gezinnen | £ 202 adults with accompanying children. |
| Behind-the-scenes store tour with museum admission | £ 25Advance notice needed. |
| Behind-the-scenes store tour on its own | £ 20Free for museum members. |
The day pass allows re-entry on the same day. The two art galleries and the café can be visited without a museum ticket. Annual membership costs 20 pounds for an individual and 40 pounds for a family. Genealogy and research help is free, and donations are welcome.
Toegankelijkheid
- Rolstoeltoegankelijk
- Lift
- Aangepast toilet
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
- Hulphonden welkom
- Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
- Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
- Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
- Audiodescriptie: geen informatie
Disabled parking is at the main entrance, with a dropped kerb to the paved area. A lift serves the first floor, where the café, toilets and some displays are, and stewards can help with it. Fully accessible toilets are on both floors. The museum offers an accessibility guide and sensory maps on its website. Dogs are not allowed inside except assistance dogs. Across the road a wheelchair-accessible viewpoint has information about the local geology.
Kinderen & gezin
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
| Toegang kinderen | gratis t/m 4 jaar |
|---|---|
| Gezinsticket | £ 20 · 2 adults with accompanying children. |
- Doe- en voelstations
The museum describes lots of hands-on interactive displays for younger visitors, offers a family ticket, and admits children under 5 free. The shop has a range of toys and children's books.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
Met de auto
Parkeerplaats aanwezig
There is disabled parking at the main entrance. The nearest electric vehicle charging point is at Gairloch Community Hall, less than five minutes' walk away.
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
The museum is in a central position in Gairloch, overlooking the loch.
Route plannenService & horeca
- Café
- Museumwinkel
Am Bàrd Café on the first floor serves soup, scones, coffee, home baking, breakfast and lunch dishes, with views over the loch to Skye, and a roof terrace opens in good weather. Afternoon tea can be booked with 48 hours notice. The shop on the ground floor sells local crafts, books and toys. A bike rack stands outside the front door.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
- Ruimtes te huur
- Privéfeesten
- Bruiloften / trouwceremonies
Tot 60 personen.
The ground-floor Activity Room seats up to 20 boardroom style or 50 theatre style and has a projector and a sink. The first-floor café can be hired for up to 60 people and has been used for a wedding reception.
Aanvragen & detailsJe bezoek plannen
| Rondleidingen | ja · duur ca. 2 uur |
|---|---|
| Goed om te weten | A visit usually takes one to two hours. A volunteer-led guided walk along the Achtercairn Archaeology Trail behind the museum runs most Saturdays at 13:30 and lasts about two hours; a good level of fitness is needed and visitors should check beforehand that it is running. A behind-the-scenes tour of the object store can be arranged in advance. The Overside Wool project demonstrates spinning in the museum on Wednesdays from 11:30 to 14:30. |
