History and heritage in safe hands at Arran museum
Arran’s history, heritage and the preservation of historical artefacts for future generations are in safe hands with the new team of volunteers who have just reopened the Arran Heritage Museum for the new season.
Sadly for the museum, vice chairman John Lauder has had to withdraw from his position to concentrate on his health, and secretary Tom Macleod, another stalwart of the institution, also vacated his position after many years of volunteering.
Thankfully, the impeccably run museum, and the custodian duties of the volunteer team, continues with a new batch of talent which will continue with the invaluable work of their predecessors.
The team may have a few new faces at the helm, but the 18-strong group can still rely on a core of existing volunteers, many of whom have been volunteering for decades.
Among the new exhibits this year is a permanent display of pottery by Hugh Purdey, the renowned ceramicist, who lived and worked on Arran.
Another is in the milk house, and is a celebration of the prize-winning Torrylinn Creamery, which closed its doors four years ago.
The fabric of the buildings will also be given an upgrade this year with some of the elderly storage heaters being replaced with air source heating.
Lighting in the smiddy and the shoeing shed will also be upgraded, providing visitors with a more comfortable visiting experience. In addition to all of the new projects, visitors can still enjoy all of the social history, archaeology, genealogy and geology displays, along with the time-honoured special events which include the popular children’s day, crafts’ day and the motorcycle and tractor days.
Another small change at the museum is an updated menu at Cafe Rosaburn, which now has an even larger selection of snacks, light meals, cakes, scones and biscuits, and a something-for-everyone children’s menu, along with the daily specials.
Arran Heritage Museum was opened in 1979 and it continues to offer visitors and researchers a wealth of local history, artefacts and information.
Its collection of paper-based material – including antiquarian books, photographs, maps, documents of all types, and a complete collection of the Arran Banner newspaper - is preserved in proper archival conditions of controlled temperature and humidity, and stored in acid-free containers.
The museum is open every day from 10.30am to 4.30pm and the archives room and research area are open throughout the year on Wednesdays only, from 10.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4.30pm, or by prior appointment.