40th anniversary of heritage museum
Volunteers at the Arran Heritage Museum were this week hard at work preparing the museum for its summer opening next month and are looking forward to celebrating the 40th anniversary of the museum with a special day in July.
Volunteers at the Arran Heritage Museum are preparing for a very special summer season as they look forward to their 40th anniversary celebrations.
Having formulated the idea of a museum in 1976, the late Miss Bess MacMillan MBE of Brodick, and the Island Tourist Association formed a museum committee and oversaw the preparation before officially opening to visitors in 1979 at Rosaburn in Brodick.
The anniversary celebrations, on Sunday July 14, will give visitors and supporters the opportunity to learn more about the history of the museum and to have a look around the whole site, including volunteer guiding and explain all behind the scenes operations. There will be music performed by local musicians including the Isle of Arran Pipe Band and the Arran Café Jazz band, and a great deal more.
In addition to this, the summer itinerary will begin on Sunday May 19 with a visit by touring brass band Brass Fusion. On Sunday June 9 at the Crafts Day, traditional craft demonstrations will be on display along with the ever-popular Isle of Arran Pipe Band performing for the visitors.
Sunday June 23 visitors will be able to once again enjoy the music from the Isle of Arran Pipe Band along with the soothing sounds of the Arran Café Jazz Band while taking in the gleaming machines on display at the Vintage and Veteran Motorcycle Rally.
On Sunday July 28 it will be the chance for the children to have a day dedicated to them, the annual Children’s Day, which offers a wide variety of entertainment, music and fun activities all aimed at families and young ones.
Events for the season will finish on a high note on Sunday August 11 with the Classic Tractor Rally which attracts a fascinating array of tractors from through the ages, many of which have been meticulously restored to compete for the museum’s best turned-out vehicle award.
Sharing the idyllic location and manicured garden, Cafe Rosaburn will be open throughout the season for visitors to enjoy a range of mouth-watering meals and baking along with its tempting daily specials.
Opening on Wednesday March 27, it will be open every day of the week until Sunday October 20. The museum’s opening hours will be from 10.30am to 4.30pm.