West Highland Museum enjoys 40-year visitor high

The West Highland Museum in Fort William welcomed its 56,000th visitor of 2018 on Hogmanay, exceeding a footfall not seen for nearly 40 years.

The special visitor was Sarah Dungey, who was visiting the area from Cornwall with her husband Mark.

The couple have been visitors to Scotland over the festive period for the last decade, but this was the first time they had ventured north to Fort William.

They were impressed by the town’s museum and its contents, with Mr Dungey especially interested in the exhibits on slate as he managed a quarry and since his retirement continues to cut slate part-time.

Mrs Dungey commented: ‘I was amazed to be told I was the 56,000th visitor this year. It is quite an honour.

‘We both loved the museum as there are so many different things to see and find out about. What a great asset to let people know about the history of the area. We will be back.’

Since the museum started offering free entry in 2011, visitor numbers have soared from that year’s tally of 9,000 to the 2018 total of 56,111.

In the past year, the museum has hosted book launches and many visiting parties from home and abroad, including a group of Dutch commandos, fans of the Outlander television series, French schoolchildren, the Clan Society and an increasing number of visitors from the Far East.

The museum also organised a trip to the new V & A museum in Dundee to thank its volunteers, which was well supported.

Manager Colleen Barker said: ‘We find ourselves the most popular indoor attraction about Fort William on Trip Advisor – but realise it's difficult to compete against Ben Nevis and Steall Waterfall, which occupy first and second slots. But we think we can claim to be the second jewel in Lochaber’s crown.’

She added that excellent reports about the museum and its volunteers abound on social media.

‘The museum receives so much support from the community and personal recommendation, but no more so than from our team of 40 volunteers. We remain financially vulnerable, however, with income from the Highland Council reduced by two thirds and we may not receive anything from it this year. So we are now almost entirely dependent on local support and goodwill, visitor donations and purchases in the shop.’

Photograph: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos West Highland Museum manager Colleen Barker, left, presents a gift of museum mementos to Sarah Dungey, who became the museum’s 56,000th visitor in 2018. She was accompanied by her husband Mark, who became visitor 56,001.