The Best Museums In The Scottish Highlands

Each year, the Scottish Highlands draw more and more visitors, eager to learn about the history, culture, geography, natural history, and folklore of the area. There are many different museums in which to do this, ranging from the tiny to the truly giant, with all manner of artefacts and information contained within. Here is our handy guide to eight of the best.

1. West Highland Museum

Museum

Right in the middle of Fort William sits the West Highland Museum, home to a diverse collection of items that help illustrate life in the region, from archaeological remains of early inhabitants right up to the role the area played in the foundation of the commando movement in the Second World War. Their Jacobite and Bonnie Prince Charlie exhibits are remarkable and anyone who loves Outlander will find themselves enthralled.

2. Strathnaver Museum

Church, Museum

Found near the wonderfully named and beautifully set Bettyhill, a short distance from the stunning Farr beach, this museum is housed within the former parish church of St. Columba. With a strong emphasis on local social history, if you are at all interested in the brutal and deeply poignant Highland Clearances, this is a good place to learn about them. Being set in the heartland of the Clan Mackay, it also tells the story of this clan and, as such, will be especially pertinent to visitors who have any Mackay blood. https://www.instagram.com/p/BWi3Zsin-Tn/?taken-by=strathnaver_museum

3. Highland Folk Museum

Museum

Britain’s first open-air museum, the Highland Folk Museum covers a huge area and showcases life in the Highlands, from the 18th century up until the 1960s. With live actors, over thirty whole buildings to explore, and a range of crafts and activities to try, visitors really should allow several hours to get the full experience and, even then, they may find themselves coming back again. There is an on-site café and plenty of picnic spots to eat a packed lunch, should you need an energy boost. With so much to see and do, it is remarkable that the museum remains free to enter.