Strathnaver Museum undertakes many projects. Some are linked to the Clan Mackay and Museum and Galleries others are to raise awareness and increase knowledge of the Museum. All are fun days and result in new exhibitions and assets. Invite people to participate and add to the wealth resources we have at Strathnaver.
Recent News
Threading Donn: stitching the Gaelic bard
July 4, 2017
The partnership behind Donn Country, a two-year programme to celebrate the life and times of renowned Gaelic bard Rob Donn (pronounced down), has launched an exciting community wall-hanging project called Threading Donn. Last Saturday Threading Donn participants meet in Durness to discuss the creation of the special wall-hanging commemorating the Gaelic bard. The project received […]
Threading Donn: Mackay Country community to create unique wall-hanging
May 16, 2017
As part of a two-year programme to celebrate the life and times of renowned Gaelic bard Rob Donn, Strathnaver Museum has been awarded £5,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Stories, Stones and Bones programme, to create a community created wall hanging. Working in association with the Mackay Country Community Trust the project team will […]
The Mystery of the missing trousers
April 25, 2017
The Mackay Country Trust and Strathnaver Museum are embarking on an exciting art project to raise the profile of renowned Gaelic bard Rob Donn. The project will engage 8 diverse artists working in a range of media to celebrate the life and times of this talented poet. The artists involved are ceramicist Lotte Glob, artist-blacksmith […]
Retiral of longstanding volunteer
April 10, 2017
By Jim A. Johnston Strathnaver Museum, located in the former Church of St Columba in Clachan Cemetery, Bettyhill, has relied heavily since its inception on the work of volunteers and has had many long serving and dedicated unpaid assistants during that time. These include Elliot Rudie, of Arken, Bettyhill who, having started his volunteering […]
We are looking for a volunteer coordinator
January 25, 2017
We require a Volunteer Coordinator to be responsible for several aspects of volunteering outlined in the job brief. Strathnaver Museum needs volunteer help to function. There is a need for a more coordinated management of the day to day running of the museum, better communication systems between volunteers as well as a more structured training programme. This […]
Sergeant John Macdonald
November 18, 2016
By Jim Johnston John Macdonald was born at Aird in the parish of Farr in 1887. His father, a fisherman, followed the herring as successful skipper of the Peterhead registered drifter Confidence. John preferred the ways of the land and found employment at Syre in Strathnaver on the sporting estate then in the possession of […]
Blockade
November 18, 2016
By Jim A Johnston Book Review Blockade by Steve Dunn Published in hardback by Seaforth @ £19.99 208 pp ISBN 978-1-84832-340-7 It’s Friday the 16th March 1917 and the heavily armed but near obsolete cruiser Achilles, together with her consort Dundee, an Armed Boarding Steamer, are ploughing the leaden waters of the North Atlantic along […]
Moulding the Past
October 14, 2016
Strathnaver Museum may be best known for its exhibits relating to the Sutherland Clearances of the early 19th Century but, given that the great valley from which it take its name has a history stretching back to the Mesolithic, the museum is also home to some more ancient artefacts. Prime among these is the Chealamy […]
Karen renews vows in Strathnaver Museum
July 15, 2016
By Jim A Johnston Strathnaver Museum, Bettyhill, is housed in what was once St Columba’s Church, central to the ancient churchyard of Clachan. The presence of the famous Farr Stone, a Christianised Pictish monument, near its western wall testifies to religious connections going back to the eighth century and a church has existed on the […]
Last Footsteps of Home
July 12, 2016
By Jim A Johnson Strathnaver Museum hosted an unusual and well attended event in Bettyhill Public Hall last Tuesday evening which centred round the topic of migration to and from the Highlands and Islands, a hot issue nationwide given the wave of zenophobia rippling outwards from England in the wake of the Brexit vote […]