Strathnaver Museum
Source: https://www.strathnavermuseum.org.uk/explore/whats-on
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:13
Strathnaver Museum
2026 Programme
National Lottery Open Week
Strathnaver Museum and Annex
Saturday 7th March | 11am to 4pm
Join us for our first Open Day of 2026 in what is our 50th Year as we give thanks to National Lottery Players.
Over the years the National Lottery has supported many of our projects and vitally our 2022 redevelopment. This year is no different as thanks to National Lottery Players we have two fantastic projects supported through National Lottery funding. These are:
At Home in Mackay Country exploring, celebrating and sharing our intangible cultural heritage connected to land and land use from stories, songs to crofting. The project has been made possible with funding from Protection through Connection funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Grace our community boat build has been supported through the National Lottery Awards for All to support the team to purchase vital safety equipment.
Join us to discover what’s new for 2026 as we celebrate what’s been achieved over the last 50 years and what the next might hold.
Gu’un the fish n’that by Beverley Carruthers
Strathnaver Museum Annex
4th April to 6th June | 10am to 5pm, Mon to Sat
Exhibition Launch 4th April | 7pm
Barbara Aliston gutting herring, Lerwick Harbour
Gu’un the fish n’that,
inspired by the cultural heritage of the women who worked as migrant workers in the herring industry, is an evocative sound installation by East Anglian based artist Beverley Carruthers.
Inspired by the story of her own Grandmother Barbara Aliston, Beverley compiled in depth interviews with the last generation of
Fesh Quines
exploring their stories through the labour and living conditions they endured alongside their enriching living history and cultural legacy of knitting and singing. Beverley has expertly woven these elements into this engaging and fascinating sound installation.
Beverley’s work resists the romanticised version of the herring girls history, which has often been marginalised anyway, instead celebrating the women’s migrant labour and their importance to the fishing industry.
Cycling in the Straths
Tongue Village Hall
Saturday 23rd May | 8am to 4.30pm
Our annual cycle sportive to raise funds for Strathnaver Museum projects returns for 2026.
Salt to Plate by Debasis Biswas
Strathnaver Museum Annex
12th June to 31st October
| 10am to 5pm, Mon to Sat
Spawning Salmon by Debasis Biswas
Join us as we explore the heritage and conservation of salmon fisheries along the north coast of Scotland and beyond with local wildlife artist and documentary filmmaker Debasis Biswas. DB’s fascinating co-curated exhibition incorporates paintings, sculptural pieces and a documentary film.
The story of the salmon fisheries is a human story of industry and resilience and DB has gathered a wealth of colourful and rich stories from those who worked these shores as part of what was once a thriving industry. DB’s engaging documentary incorporates these stories as he visits the buildings associated with the industry in the company of those who worked there.
DB also explores the global story of the wild Atlantic salmon through art and science. The students at Farr High School led by High Life Highland Ranger Paul Castle explored the impact of micro plastics and marine litter on our environment during a litter pick. The students creative responses can be seen as part of the exhibition through sculptural pieces created by the waste gathered during their litter pick.
Salt to Plate was developed as part of Strathnaver Museum’s 2024 Artist Residency Programme part funded by Museums Galleries Scotland, The William Syson Foundation, the Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, and which received £5,755 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
2027 Exhibitions
Forgotten Fleece Tales
Strathnaver Museum Annex
1st June to 31st August 2027
| 10am to 5pm, Mon to Sat
Forgotten Fleece Tales is a celebration of the space where art, craft, story and ecology come together. The exhibition features a curated collection of works made using “waste” or “unwanted” organic Scottish fleece, and byproducts of industrial fleece processing.
With a combination of wearables, wall hangings, home textiles, sculptural pieces and interactive experiences, Forgotten Fleece Tales provides an immersive and in-depth exploration of the enduring value of Scottish fleece, both in terms of farming and textiles heritage, and hopes for a sustainable future.
The theme of “forgotten” fleece will bind the pieces together in the form of a unique piece of short fiction written for each creation. These tales will draw on aspects of Scottish folklore, history, and landscapes. They will invite readers to connect more closely with the story of wool – both in the pieces on display, and in their everyday lives. Visitors can engage with these stories in their written format, or follow QR codes to discover video recordings.
This exploration of fleece in folklore will be further drawn upon by a featured panel funded by the Scottish Government, exploring the role of textiles in our country’s lore and legend, and including traditional stories retold by a renowned folklore expert.
Forgotten Fleece Tales aims to engage visitors with sensory experiences, challenging them to honour wool’s place in our heritage, and to rethink it as a sustainable and versatile material for our future.
Useful Links for other events:
Visit Sutherland
Venture North
Doors Open Days
Highland Archaeology Festival
Forgotten Fleece Tales
2026 Programme
National Lottery Open Week
Strathnaver Museum and Annex
Saturday 7th March | 11am to 4pm
Join us for our first Open Day of 2026 in what is our 50th Year as we give thanks to National Lottery Players.
Over the years the National Lottery has supported many of our projects and vitally our 2022 redevelopment. This year is no different as thanks to National Lottery Players we have two fantastic projects supported through National Lottery funding. These are:
At Home in Mackay Country exploring, celebrating and sharing our intangible cultural heritage connected to land and land use from stories, songs to crofting. The project has been made possible with funding from Protection through Connection funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Grace our community boat build has been supported through the National Lottery Awards for All to support the team to purchase vital safety equipment.
Join us to discover what’s new for 2026 as we celebrate what’s been achieved over the last 50 years and what the next might hold.
Gu’un the fish n’that by Beverley Carruthers
Strathnaver Museum Annex
4th April to 6th June | 10am to 5pm, Mon to Sat
Exhibition Launch 4th April | 7pm
Barbara Aliston gutting herring, Lerwick Harbour
Gu’un the fish n’that,
inspired by the cultural heritage of the women who worked as migrant workers in the herring industry, is an evocative sound installation by East Anglian based artist Beverley Carruthers.
Inspired by the story of her own Grandmother Barbara Aliston, Beverley compiled in depth interviews with the last generation of
Fesh Quines
exploring their stories through the labour and living conditions they endured alongside their enriching living history and cultural legacy of knitting and singing. Beverley has expertly woven these elements into this engaging and fascinating sound installation.
Beverley’s work resists the romanticised version of the herring girls history, which has often been marginalised anyway, instead celebrating the women’s migrant labour and their importance to the fishing industry.
Cycling in the Straths
Tongue Village Hall
Saturday 23rd May | 8am to 4.30pm
Our annual cycle sportive to raise funds for Strathnaver Museum projects returns for 2026.
Salt to Plate by Debasis Biswas
Strathnaver Museum Annex
12th June to 31st October
| 10am to 5pm, Mon to Sat
Spawning Salmon by Debasis Biswas
Join us as we explore the heritage and conservation of salmon fisheries along the north coast of Scotland and beyond with local wildlife artist and documentary filmmaker Debasis Biswas. DB’s fascinating co-curated exhibition incorporates paintings, sculptural pieces and a documentary film.
The story of the salmon fisheries is a human story of industry and resilience and DB has gathered a wealth of colourful and rich stories from those who worked these shores as part of what was once a thriving industry. DB’s engaging documentary incorporates these stories as he visits the buildings associated with the industry in the company of those who worked there.
DB also explores the global story of the wild Atlantic salmon through art and science. The students at Farr High School led by High Life Highland Ranger Paul Castle explored the impact of micro plastics and marine litter on our environment during a litter pick. The students creative responses can be seen as part of the exhibition through sculptural pieces created by the waste gathered during their litter pick.
Salt to Plate was developed as part of Strathnaver Museum’s 2024 Artist Residency Programme part funded by Museums Galleries Scotland, The William Syson Foundation, the Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, and which received £5,755 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
2027 Exhibitions
Forgotten Fleece Tales
Strathnaver Museum Annex
1st June to 31st August 2027
| 10am to 5pm, Mon to Sat
Forgotten Fleece Tales is a celebration of the space where art, craft, story and ecology come together. The exhibition features a curated collection of works made using “waste” or “unwanted” organic Scottish fleece, and byproducts of industrial fleece processing.
With a combination of wearables, wall hangings, home textiles, sculptural pieces and interactive experiences, Forgotten Fleece Tales provides an immersive and in-depth exploration of the enduring value of Scottish fleece, both in terms of farming and textiles heritage, and hopes for a sustainable future.
The theme of “forgotten” fleece will bind the pieces together in the form of a unique piece of short fiction written for each creation. These tales will draw on aspects of Scottish folklore, history, and landscapes. They will invite readers to connect more closely with the story of wool – both in the pieces on display, and in their everyday lives. Visitors can engage with these stories in their written format, or follow QR codes to discover video recordings.
This exploration of fleece in folklore will be further drawn upon by a featured panel funded by the Scottish Government, exploring the role of textiles in our country’s lore and legend, and including traditional stories retold by a renowned folklore expert.
Forgotten Fleece Tales aims to engage visitors with sensory experiences, challenging them to honour wool’s place in our heritage, and to rethink it as a sustainable and versatile material for our future.
Useful Links for other events:
Visit Sutherland
Venture North
Doors Open Days
Highland Archaeology Festival
Forgotten Fleece Tales