Hidden Treasures
Timespan Heritage and Arts Society in Helmsdale is a champion of local history and culture, with one eye on the future
MANY villages and towns in Scotland have a wee museum to exhibit their local history. These small, often volunteer-run museums play a crucial part in preserving Scotland’s past, but Timespan Heritage and Arts Society in Helmsdale does even more than that.
You just need to take a look at their website to realise Timespan is quite different; forward-thinking, modern and creative, Timespan celebrates local history, arts and culture.
Timespan first opened in 1987 and since that first year they have constantly been expanding their collection. From
Viking invasions and historic scandals, to the herring boom and gold rush, not one of the captivating local stories is left untold.
And there are plenty of Helmsdale stories to be told. Discover the story of Sutherland’s last witch burning, learn the tale of the Helmsdale Castle poisoning, and meet their 320-year-old wolf – the last to have been shot in the area and now immortalised in rather suspect taxidermy.
Through their reconstructed 19th-century high street, visitors will be able to relive the town’s history. Pop into the authentic smiddy, the village shop and the Gartymore croft house to experience life in this bustling village.
The level of detail is impressive. The original blacksmith’s tools line the walls of the smiddy, and you won’t quickly forget the stories of when they were employed for haircuts and emergency dental care!
In the virtual reality room visitors can be transported to the town of Caen, 200 years in the past. The town was found just north of Helmsdale, an excavation carried out in 2013 has allowed this accurate digital recreation. As soon as you put the headset on, you will be immersed in the town – every longhouse, street corner and building, exactly as it would have been two centuries prior.
Timespan is not just a museum, but also an arts society, and their support of the local arts is evident throughout the museum. Local artists often exhibit work at Timespan, as well as offering their beautiful designs for
exhibit posters. Their eye for design is also shown through the creativity of their exhibits, opting for bold engaging colours and striking designs in each display.
Visitors just need to take a look at Timespan’s calendar of events to understand what a cutting-edge attraction it is. Their incredible selection of diverse and innovative events would not look out of place in the capital, never mind in a community of just over 700.
Just a taster of some of Timespan’s past events include: Scotland’s Empire, Slavery and the Industrial Revolution; Hip-hop, Grime and Political Education; the Helmsdale Climate Revolution and a Barbara Cartland-themed pop-up restaurant. The scope of their events is phenomenal – covering everything from art and music to food and science, there is something to interest everyone.
Over lockdown, the museum has been continuing its fantastic work in preserving and celebrating local history. They have launched Timespan TV on their website, streaming online exhibits and events such as Recipe for a Disaster, a “quarantine cooking show”.
They also launched their Real Rights campaign earlier this year, with the aim of “digitising the past for a sustainable future”. They are striving to ensure that stories from rural places such as Helmsdale are never forgotten, and can be learned from to aid grassroots sustainable change in future generations.
It is not easy to do Timespan justice through words alone – the incredible design, animation and innovation of their website really bring to life the true individuality of this museum. Local museums throughout Scotland do very important work in preserving often overlooked history, but Timespan really takes it that one step further. The museum is an engaging and informative day out, but the team at Timespan also bring to life the reason for this history’s importance.
By exhibiting the culture and diversity of the area, and the impact of its history, it allows visitors and locals alike to learn from it and improve our world and future. If you are visiting the North East, a visit to Timespan is not just recommended but imperative.
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