Clan Donald Magazine No 7 (1977) Online
The Glencoe & North Lorne Folk Museum Report
by Barbara Fairweather FSA Scot.
The Museum opened in May and between then and the end of September we were happy to welcome some 30,000 visitors. Many of these were MacDonalds both from this country and from overseas.
For the start of this season we had three new publicatins: "Highland Livestock", "Highland Wildlife", and a "Short History of Strath of Appin, Duror and Lismore". We added 7 new slides to the sales table making 20 in all. In dull and wet weather visitors are disappointed not to be able to use their cameras and they are pleased to buy slides. Some of our new exhibits included a leech jar where the doctor kept his leeches, a pill silverer, where pills after being made were coated, a model drover, two of his cattle and his dog, a mangle and an old sewing machine and many other smaller items.
In the Museum we have a number of made up books which hold mounted photographs. Each page is in a plastic pocket to prevent damage from sticky fingers etc. Last summer we had some new books on display and the one on poetry of the North Lorne area proved very popular, some of the poetry being in English and some in Gaelic with English translation. Besides the poetry we have books on transport, costume, shipping in the old days and photos of the area, etc.
Towards the end of September, the new Slate Quarry display was finished. This shows a clay figure of a Slate Quarry worker at his work surrounded by his tools. In this same building we have the archaeological and geology display.
Sadly I must report stealing. In the Agricultural building we had a display of tools shown wired to a wooden board. This year we had a nice display of old joiners' tools displayed in this way. The wires were cut and items removed. The wire round the peat cutter and other bigger tools was also cut but no tools removed. We are sorry that all tools will need to be behind glass. It is a pity, as they won't look so well thus; nor can they be viewed as clearly but we can't afford to lose exhibits in this way. In "Clan Donald Magazine" I am always asked to report some of the amusing or startling remarks of visitors. This year I was asked, "Was Bonnie Prince Charlie the head of the Campbells?" Another visitor asked "Was it Bruce who signed the order for the Massacre?" When told, "No, it was William of Orange", the visitor said "Oh I am relieved. Was Bruce quite a good guy then?" Readers of the previous "Clan Donald Magazine" will be glad to know that a four poster bed and a cradle have been ordered for the dolls house thus relieving small children who worry about the number of dolls for one bed.
May I say how happy I shall be to see Clan members at the Museum? If you introduce yourself and I am on duty, it may be possible to let you see Invercoe House where I live, which was the home of the Chief of the MacDonalds of Glencoe.
Advertisement:
GLENCOE AND NORTH LORNE FOLK MUSEUM
Heather Thatched Cruck Cottage in the Main Village Street.
Open 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. - early May till end of September.
Adults 10p: children with adult 5p : unaccompanied 10p
Contains: Domestic Bygones, Costume, Clan Relics,
Agricultural exhibits, Slate Quarry display etc.
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