Historylinks Museum, Dornoch

Dornoch Historylinks Museum

The Museum reception desk

Permanent Exhibitions

From the museum reception desk there is immediate access to the public access computer and our reference library.

To move down the ages in Dornoch history, the central achway leads to a successive permanent exhibition areas with side alcoves. This pathway terminates at the museum end wall where there is a geological display and cabinet containing ancient artefacts.

The museum side passageway leads back, through further display areas to the Childrens Room, the temporary exhibition room and areas for viewing films of the Dornoch Light Railway, Sutherland and Dornoch.

Reference Library and Public Access Computer Wall display of Dornoch 'Then and Now'
Tees & Tourism 1877 ~ 2000 Entrance to central pathway of Dornoch through time; Golf and development of tourism
Left side: Illustrated panels and uniform Seaforth Highlanders Tourism, Dornoch Light Railway, Dornoch War Memorial
Right side: Illustrated panels Golf; Donald Ross of Dornoch, golf course architect; shooting trophies Robert Mackay
Right side alcove Watchmaker A M Paul; Andrew Carnegie, Skibo Castle
Clan Feuds 1567 ~ 1877 Following the museum central timeline
Power struggles Conflict between Earls of Sutherland & Caithness, Glencairn's Rising 1653
Right side alcove Objects of 20th century; Meikle Ferry disaster; crossing the Dornoch Firth
The Cathedral & St Gilbert 1224 ~ 1567 The building of Dornoch Cathedral
St Gilbert's miracles Illustrated display panels
Right side alcove Seal matrix of James, Chaplain of Dornoch; Dornoch artefacts
Alcove display Dornoch from the air
Picts and Prows 850 ~ 1224 Monastic settlement 1136; Vikings
Right side alcove Viking battles around Dornoch
The Time Before 850 & beyond Archaeological finds, Geological evolution
Right side alcove Geological evolution of the Northern Highlands
Central display cabinet Local archaeological finds and the Ospisdale brooch
Return passageway Walls displays, The Mound, Highland Clearances, Crofting, Embo
The Children's Room Displays and dressing-up box
Temporary Exhibition Room Each year the museum has an external or in-house temporary exhibition
Golf Workshop ~ alcove to temporary exhibition room Reproduction of the type of golf workshop used by Donald Ross

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EasyRotator

Dornoch on Film

To overcome the physical limitations of our small museum, Historylinks is making increasing use of digital technology to provide access to additional images relevant to displays.

School parties are welcome with prior contact with the Museum Curator, Sue Higgins at : enquiries@historylinks.org.uk

Don't miss the Historylinks Trail. Starting from the museum the trail leads through 16 sites of particular historical interest.

There is a display board at each site but, if you wish to have more detail, illustrated guide books in English, Gaelic, French, German and Italian are available for purchase at the museum shop.

Left to right: Trustee Cllr Jim McGillivray, Trustee Christine Murray, Curator Peter Wild, Museum Manager Sue Higgins, Trust Chairman John Barnes, Trustee Cliff Reddin

Historylinks Museum in Dornoch was delighted to receive the prestigious VisitScotland 5 Star museum award in September 2009, the only such award in the Highlands and one of seven museum awards in Scotland.

The award cited Historylinks very high quality of displays and the ability to engage the attention of visitors from the very small to very senior with a wide range of subjects in an excellent standard of interpretation.

All past and present Historylinks Trustees, Heritage Society Officers, Members and volunteers share in this notable achievement, which marks a long term programme of development of the museum. Teamwork has been the key to innovation and enhancement in museum displays, exhibitions, publications, film production, the shop and web sites, plus the complementary 'back-room' activities of cataloguing acquisitions, the development of protocols and procedures, and routine administration.

Rather than resting on our laurels the Trust is actively seeking ideas and offers of individual skills for new developments and projects to consolidate the newly won position by further innovation.