Glencoe Museum

GLENCOE FOLK MuSEuM - eDucationaL anD Fun For aLL aGes

It has been an exciting time for Glencoe Folk Museum recently as it is in the midst of a redevelopment project with design work rapidly advancing behind the scenes on its £1.3m lottery-funded redevelopment.

This is scheduled to open in 2023 and will be a vibrant attraction fi t for the 21st century, while still retaining the traditional look and much-loved charm of the original.

As part of the overall project, a new role, Learning and Engagement Offi cer, was established to engage with the community and visitors to the museum, Parris Joyce being appointed at the end of last year.

A museum education professional who previously worked in a similar role at Robert Burns’ Birthplace Museum, she has been visiting schools to do talks with classes of all ages and showing them interesting objects. A Lochaber axe, Targe shield, chamber pot and rabbit foot brooch are some of the items children have seen and been allowed to handle. So far she has connected with teachers and pupils at Glencoe primary, St Bride’s primary and Kinlochleven primary, with both classes at Glencoe following this up with a visit to the museum for a tour and various activities.

Big hits among the children included the gas mask within the confl ict display case; the coffi n boat used to ferry the dead to Eilean Munde in Loch Leven and the taxidermy, especially the wildcat.

She would love to involve even more schools across Lochaber, especially before the museum shuts to undergo big changes, so is urging schools throughout the area to get in touch in the new school year.

All pupils and teachers have thoroughly enjoyed the museum ‘experience’, both for the educational value and fun, not to mention taking the opportunity to explore a little gem on their doorsteps.

Other local groups and organisations are also welcome to take part as it is not limited to children as Parris is able and willing to tailor activities for adults, to encourage lifelong learning through the museum’s objects and stories which can provide endless amounts of inspiration for creative activities.

To fi nd out more, email learning@glencoemuseum.com as Parris is enthusiastic to get as many local people connected with their local heritage and would love to hear from you.

A DIGITAL ARCHIVE

An exciting new project for GLENGARRY HERITAGE CENTRE

Archie Macdonald, head stalker at Glenquoich, 1840-1863 Engineers in one of the tunnels working on the 1950s Hydro schemes, Glengarry-Glenquoich. Looking west from Tornacarry, upper Glengarry, Ellice sketch late 19th century.

Our original heritage group in Invergarry was set up as a pilot visitor centre in 1999. Operating from a large garden shed next to the Invergarry Hotel, we were supported by grants, local donations and generous support from America and Canada. Our aim was to tell ‘the Story of the Glen’, with an exhibition in three themes: the MacDonells of Glengarry, the emigrations to Glengarry County and how the Ellice family built an ‘estate village’ after buying the Glengarry and Glenquoich estates from the departing MacDonell chief.

While collecting a local history archive as a resource for the community, for visitors and Glengarry people looking for their ‘roots’, we were also a useful ‘hub’ for information on hillwalking, fi shing, old Glengarry settlements and wildlife. Hosting several MacDonell clan gatherings, we know how important the memories of those emigrations from their homeland are to those families who sailed to unknown territory in the 18th and 19th centuries.

In 2007, we moved into a dedicated room in the new Glengarry Community Hall. As the

Glengarry Heritage Centre, with support from Glengarry friends at home and overseas, we have become a useful resource for our local history society, for students, including our local primary school, and for the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Due to covid restrictions, we have been closed for two years, with a complete loss of visitors, so we are delighted that in 2022, the heritage centre is open again. We have always depended on the stalwart support of volunteers, diffi cult to

sustain now for small Highland communities. With the possibility of further ‘lockdowns’, loss of volunteers and reduced opening hours, we had to make a plan to ensure the future of our collection. Since 2000, Am Baile, the English/ Gaelic Archive based in Inverness, and now part of the High Life Glengarry Heritage Centre, with support from Glengarry friends at Highland archive, has supported local groups having diffi culties home and overseas, providing access to their material. we have become Am Baile uses collections of images, a useful resource maps, documents and audio/video for our local history to explore local history and is now society, for students, including our local primary school, and a unique resource in the Highlands. Together we are working out how Shepherds and Ellice family at Munerigie, Glengarry for the University of the Highlands and best to keep our Glengarry Heritage Room open as a special asset for visitors to the Highlands and to reach a wider audience with our digital archive. We would like to thank the Beinneun Community Fund and the Glengarry Trust for their generous support for this project.