Gairloch Museum

A new hub for the community

In 2019 Gairloch Museum in the north-west Highlands moved to a new building – a repurposed nuclear bunker. Through the journey of its redevelopment this museum has successfully won the support of the community, raised the profile of the area nationally and attracted enthusiastic new visitor audiences.

The museum’s previous home was an increasingly decrepit farmstead. The lease was running out and the rain was running down the walls. With core funding slashed and limited opportunities for revenue generation in the confined premises, the museum needed a new home and a new business model in order to survive.

The new Gairloch Museum consists of five galleries over two floors, telling the story of Gairloch and the surrounding area from its earliest geology to the modern day.

After being officially opened in July 2019, the museum more than doubled its visitor numbers over the next six months. Plans for 2020 were unfortunately scuppered by Covid just as the visitor season was about
to get underway.

The visual impact of the transformation of the building has been astounding. As one local donor wrote: “This project has transformed the ugliest and most neglected building in Gairloch into its greatest attraction.”

Whereas the museum previous only had one full-time employee, it now provides employment for a further four part-time staff, in addition to the cafe staff.