Cromarty Trip

The Cromarty trip went ahead with 20 members braving the atrocious rain. Although the incessant rain meant that walking round the idyllic wee town was not possible everyone enjoyed the trip. The day started with the group being totally surprised by the bus driver. He was 21 but looked about 16 and it was his first day on the job! He handled the day very well though even when we decided to leave an hour earlier due to the weather.
First port of call at Cromarty was the Courthouse where the group split into two to look around and enjoy the exhibits. The picture shows one of the jail cells at the Courthouse. After lunch the group then visited Hugh Miller's Cottage.
Congratulations to Joan for organising the trip. It's clear members enjoy trips away and hopefully we'll do more.

Bus Trip to Cromarty

Committee Member Joan Taylor has been hard at work arranging a bus trip to Cromarty on Saturday 18th August with the bus leaving Forres at 10:45am and returning at 4:00pm.

Hugh Miller was a world-renowned geologist, author, newspaper editor, human rights campaigner and a founder of the Free Church of Scotland. The visit will take in the elegant Georgian house that he moved to when he married and the cottage where he was born. The house holds a fascinating interactive exhibition and the cottage has an evocative audio tour taking you back to his early life in Cromarty in the 1800s.

After lunch (for which you should make your own arrangements at the many eateries in Cromarty) we will visit The Courthouse where you can meet the eccentric 17th century laird Sir Thomas Urquhart of Cromarty and see a trial from the 1770s in the original courtroom, with life-like animated models with voices of local people. The time is then your own until we return at 4:00pm.

The cost of this trip has been restricted to £5.00 per head for Friends and £10.00 for non-Friends. This includes admission to both venues.

If you are interested in going drop an email to the Friends at friends@falconermuseum.co.uk before 1st August.

Highland 2007 - Fonn’s Duthchas: Land and Legacy

To keep the interest going during the closure of our museum for major refurbishment a group of a dozen Friends went to Inverness Museum on St. Patrick’s Day to catch the second last day of the major new exhibition being held there to mark the reopening following their refurbishment. This exhibition now moves on tour to Glasgow, Edinburgh and finally Stornoway where it will run from 21 September till 2 December.

The entrance to the Museum has been much improved and a lift has been installed, which creates a lighter and more friendly atmosphere on arrival: we hope our alterations will prove as successful. However the Falconer Friends did not linger there for long as the main reason for the outing was to see the exhibition. It was well worth the visit for there was much to see with numerous items on loan from the National Museums Scotland, the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland: a fitting celebration of the country in the year of Highland 2007.

There was one serious criticism: the information panels on the individual cases were printed in white on a blue background in a small type that rendered them almost illegible, particularly where there was no direct light shining on them. That was a pity as the description of the items on display was essential if one was to appreciate what one was looking at.

The exhibition opens in Glasgow on 6th April and is warmly recommended to anyone reading this blog who has any interest in the history, geology, art and music of the Highlands.

Bus Trip To Inverness Museum 17th March

You may be aware that Inverness Museum has recently re-opened. The Friends of The Falconer Museum have organised a bus trip to visit the new museum on 17th March, leaving the Forres museum square at 2pm and returning home at 5pm.

After a £1.3 million refurbishment, the galleries have been completely redesigned to present the museum's magnificent collections in an innovative and fresh way. New graphics and display cases have increased both the range of subjects covered and the number of objects on display. There is a lift to the first floor and a new café, museum shop and toilets.

This is your chance to see a major new exhibition called Fonn ’s Duthchas : Land and Legacy before it moves to Glasgow, Edinburgh and finally Stornoway. The exhibition is designed to celebrate Highland 2007, using iconic objects, paintings and manuscripts to highlight the rich and diverse culture of the Highlands. It looks at the Highlands and Islands today as well as exploring clans, war, religion, land issues, music and language. By taking a new and innovative approach to well loved objects visitors will be able to find out who has some of the World’s oldest rocks, why Flora Macdonald emigrated to the Americas and the secret of Rob Roy’s sporran!
The bus trip is free to Friend’s members and will cost £5.00 for non-members. Anyone interested in going should let our secretary know by Friday 9th March and how many will be in your group. You can email the secretary at friends@falconermuseum.co.uk

There is a limited number of seats available so get your name in quick!