Museum is set to display its rarest artefacts

A special exhibition at Museum & Tasglann nan Eilean in Stornoway will feature never-before-displayed artefacts and archives.

The 32 photographs selected as winners in a recent photography competition, held as part of the Scotland’s Photograph Album exhibition programme, are to form one section of the Collections Revealed exhibition.

Entries covered the themes of people, landscape, architecture, and community, with judges looking for originality, creativity, impact, composition, and technical ability.

The pictures highlight the depth of local talent and will become part of the museum’s permanent collection.

Caitriona MacCuish, museums development officer, said: “Like all museums and archives, we are only able to display a small percentage of our collection at any one time. The majority of the collection is kept at our stores in Stornoway and Benbecula, and used for research, temporary exhibitions and online display.

“We are therefore really pleased to have this opportunity to showcase some of the interesting and varied items recently donated.”

Other items on display include artefacts catalogued as part of the Archaeology Awakened project from the sites of Loch na Beirgh and Dun Bharabhat, Lewis, and Dunan Ruadh, Pabbay, Barra; the Jo Macdonald wedding collection – a valuable addition to the museum’s textile collections; the Colin Macleod collection – associated with the swimmer’s remarkable achievements; and a number of artworks by Will Maclean and Arthur Watson.

The exhibition at Lews Castle runs until January 7, though is closed December 25 to January 3.