The West Highland Museum has received initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for its plans to transform the Museum and secure the future of one of the Highlands’ most important heritage collections. Made possible thanks to National Lottery players, development funding of £263,163 has been awarded to help the Museum progress its plans. […]
West Highland Museum wins lottery backing Read More »
West Highland Museum has recently obtained on long term loan a distinctive snuff box that was present during the Battle of Culloden. This item is a ram’s horn snuff mull – taking snuff was the fashionable means of inhaling Nicotine before cigarettes. The object has a silver lid inscribed with the motto of Clan Chattan:
A Grim Relic from the Battle of Culloden Read More »
The West Highland Museum, founded in 1922 and located in Fort William, is dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich history and culture of the West Highlands. Our mission is to inspire, educate and engage visitors through diverse collections, including Jacobite artefacts, Gaelic heritage and WWII Commando history. Housed in a historic former bank building,
A drover’s flintlock pistol and walking stick that once belonged to the Brae Lochaber drover Alexander MacArthur (1774 – approximately1844) was gifted to the Museum recently. This blog has been written for us by the donor. Droving cattle was an important part of the Highland economy up to and including the 19th century. The droves
Alexander MacArthur: The Brae Lochaber Drover Read More »
One cannot properly understand the exiled Stuarts in Rome, and the importance of their relationship with Poland, without understanding the role played by one extraordinary individual. That man was the Stuarts’ most trusted confidant. He was also an intimate friend of the Stuarts’ closest Polish cousins, Prince Michał Radziwiłł and his eldest son Prince
BISHOP GIORGIO LASCARIS AND THE STUART – RADZIWILL CIRCLE BY PETER PININSKI Read More »
This year West Highland Museum in Fort William celebrates 100 years since it held its very first Jacobite exhibition, Prince Charles Edward & the ’45 Campaign Exhibition. Over the past century the organisation has accumulated one of the best collections of Jacobite material culture in Scotland. To acknowledge this milestone in its history the Museum successfully
West Highland Museum celebrates 100 years of Jacobite collecting with new acquisitions Read More »
The museum was delighted to be recently gifted military service awards that once belonged to Fort William soldier, Alexander Finlayson Beaton. The medals were donated by his daughter Maggie Hardy (nee Beaton) and granddaughter Tracy Anderson. The World War II military service medals and badge were awarded to most servicing military personnel, but what makes
Treasured World War II Medals with a Fascinating Story Gifted to the Museum Read More »
In 2025 the museum were gifted Alexander Finlayson Beaton’s wartime medals by his daughter Maggie Hardy (nee Beaton) and granddaughter Tracy Anderson. This fascinating account of Grandpa Beaton’s wartime experiences was written by his granddaughter and has also been gifted to the museum. It is published here by kind permission of Tracy Anderson. Alexander Finlayson
Grandpa Beaton’s World War II Story Read More »
To mark the return of the Royal National Mòd to Fort William this October the West Highland Museum plans to hold an exhibition to celebrate the eight occasions in which Lochaber has previously hosted the event. The museum would like to invite anyone with memorabilia associated with these occasions which they would be willing to
West Highland Museum appeals for public help with their Lochaber and the Mòd exhibition Read More »
This is the fascinating story of a Victorian oil painting that was bequeathed to the West Highland Museum in 1999, but an object that has never been inside the museum building. Letters and News at the Loch Side was given as a wedding gift to Gertrude Astley (1849 – 1920) from her sisters, Constance (1851
Letters and News at the Loch Side Read More »