Thanks to your support we are launching the Return of the Stuart’s exhibition at the West Highland Museum this Summer and are busy working with the Pininski Foundation to bring this iconic exhibition to Lochaber. The exhibition featuring rare portraiture of the Royal Stuarts in exile will open on Thursday 18th August 2022 with lectures and tours from Art Historian Peter Pininski and Professor Edward Corp. Details about this and other planned events will follow later in the year. Tickets to the opening event to be held at Highland Cinema are limited, so we plan to video stream the lecture to our YouTube channel and Facebook page. The exhibition will run until 11th November 2022.

In addition to the phenomenal amount raised through the Art Happens campaign, we are thrilled to announce that Museums Galleries Scotland's have supported our project and awarded us £31,000 from their Museums Development Fund to refurbish our Jacobite Gallery for our 100th anniversary, and in time for this year's Return of the Stuarts exhibition. In the long term these improvements will enable us to better care for our collection and bring more of our Jacobite collection onto public display. We are busy finalising designs for the gallery with our architect.

Lucy Casot, CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland said: “We are delighted to support the West Highland Museum through the Museum Development Fund. The team are taking a bold and positive step forward through the development of the Jacobite gallery and their exciting plans for the 100th anniversary of the museum in 2022. We congratulate the team on their work with local businesses to both achieve fundraising targets and engage the community in supporting the project. Through the fund we are pleased to support their efforts in creating a significant space in the Lochaber area to highlight Scotland’s history.”

Museums Galleries Scotland is the National Development Body for museums and galleries in Scotland and offers strategic development support to the sector.

A big thank you again for contributing to our campaign. If you selected one of our bespoke rewards as a thank you for your support, we hope to update you soon on how we are progressing with the production of these unique gifts.

We will continue to update you on the progress of our Art Happens crowdfunding campaign. However, if you would like to keep up-to-date with other news, events, and ways to support the West Highland Museum, please subscribe to our mailing list. Email us at info@westhighlandmuseum.org.uk to join.