Gairloch Museum
With a National Art Pass you get
Proudly placed on the shores of Loch Gairloch, the museum celebrates Scottish life and culture with a growing collection of local and national significance.
Originally opened in 1977 at Achtercairn Steading, the museum was built to house the growing collection donated by local people. The museum relocated to a newly-transformed nuclear bunker in 2011, turning it into a thriving hub of history, culture, art and national heritage in the North West Highlands.
A fine example of a conservation project that helped improve the landscape of a town, one donor remarks of it: "This unique project has transformed the ugliest and most neglected building in Gairloch to its greatest attraction".
Spoilt with gorgeous views across the loch and towards the Isle of Skye, the museum presents a rolling programme of events and exhibitions exploring art of local and national significance, with a focus on art by contemporary Scottish artists.
The permanent collection includes fascinating local objects such as the original lens from the Rubh Re lighthouse, an interactive gallery dedicated to the natural world and the precious Pictish Symbol Stone; forming the basis for the museum's logo, this rare find (one of only two ever found on the west coast mainland) is a particular highlight in the collection.
Gairloch Museum was a joint winner of the Art Fund Museum of the Year prize in 2020.
Look out for The Wild Escape at museums and galleries in the next few months. Many have special events, or you can use our audio introduction to help children get involved at any cultural venue.
Visiting with children?
The more you see, the more we do.
The National Art Pass lets you enjoy free entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, while raising money to support them.