Collection: Isle of Arran Heritage Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection history (Collection development policy)

  The Isle of Arran’s policy, since its beginning in 1976, is to collect items which have a definable connection with the island’s heritage and are pertinent to its preservation. In the beginning, collections were limited due to lack of space but by the time the museum opened fully to the public in 1979, other buildings on the site were acquired and collections developed as islanders offered items, by donation, to the museum.

  The donated items pointed to what would be core themes for the museum, namely, social history, archaeology, geology and genealogy. These themes have been developed over the years and continue to be expanded, this being driven by the generous donations of island people.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2015

  Licence: CC BY-NC

• Collection overview (Collection development policy)

  Archaeology

  A comprehensive collection of artefacts including a cist grave with burial urn and standing stone, spanning Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages.

  Archival Books

  Covering pre-history to modern times, and all aspects of social, educational, and business activity on Arran.

  Arran’s Gaelic Past

  Personal letters, bibles, songs, music and poetry from early 19th century to the present day.

  Art

  Paintings and pictures in various mediums, and items from Arran’s potters Poetry and Music; Comprehensive collection of music, poems and songs written on and inspired by Arran.

  First and Second World Wars

  A wide collection of written and photographic material relating to Arran’s part in both wars, with particular reference to the Navy’s use of Lamlash Bay as a safe harbour and of Arran as a training base; oral tapes and written stories of wartime experiences on Arran.

  Furniture and Domestic

  19th and 20th century furniture, clothing, and household artefacts, with a fully furnished 1900 cottage.

  Genealogy

  Archival material from the 17th Century onwards including parish records, censuses on micro film, and microfiche, Monumental Inscriptions book, many family records researched by our resident genealogists, and copies of other research with which they have assisted, or which has been donated by Arran families.

  Geology

  A comprehensive collection of specimens, illustrated, to reflect Arran’s extraordinary range of geological sites of interest, as befits its place in the discovery of geology by James Hutton.

  Industry

  A wide range of agricultural machinery, including two working tractors, an original smiddy with all tools and equipment as left by the last blacksmith, used for demonstrations; artefacts covering mining (for barytes); weaving, including demonstrations and workshops throughout the summer; fishing, with the Mckee Collection of photographs giving an insight into the herring fleet at Lochranza from 1902 – 1906; shipping, with scale models, and the last rowing boat made on Arran.

  Maps

  Ranging from the Bauchop map collection dating from 1812 onward to current Ordinance Survey maps of Arran.

  Oral History Tapes

  Vocal records of lives and events on Arran.

  Photography

  Extensive photographic archive from the late 19th century onward, featuring the Anderson Collection, with numerous plates of life in the North End , taken in the early 1900’s, people, places social events, school classes, family snaps and professional pictures.

  Schooling

  Archival material, including copies of school registers, reminiscences, records of “Gatherings” held with Secondary school pupils studying Arran’s past, material written by pupils involved with the “Gatherings’.

  Religion

  Archival material covering all Arran’s religious phases, information on “vanished churches”.

  Visual media

  Film, Video, and DVD recordings of events, Museum History, and DVD’s made for exhibition.

  Source: Collection development policy

  Date: 2015

  Licence: CC BY-NC