Highland Objects Podcasts

This enigmatic object forms part of Strathnaver Museum’s fishing display and has been an important part of the collection for decades. A fishing float made form the skin of dog. Gruesome and fascinating in equal part.

Location: Strathnaver Museum, Clachan, Bettyhill KW14 7SS

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A small hoard of silver coins found near the site of the Battle of Carbisdale and how they connect Tain to Marilyn Monroe

Location: Tain Through Time, Tain & District Museum, Tower St, Tain IV19 1DZ

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Compiled in 1814 by John Brown this genealogical tree charts the various branches of Clan Donald from Somerled, to the Lords of the Isles and onwards. It is beautifully illustrated and features famous names such as Robert the Bruce and MacIain, the 12th Chief of Glencoe who was murdered during the infamous Massacre of 1692

Location: Glencoe, Ballachulish PH49 4HS

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This whalebone figurine dates from circa 2900 – 2400 BC and was originally discovered at Skara Brae in Orkney 1850s. It was found in a stone bed compartment. It was illustrated by the antiquarian George Petrie in the 1860s, but until recently it was thought that his drawing was all that survived of this fascinating object until its rediscovery in 2016

Location: Stromness Museum, Stromness KW16 3DH

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The Noss Head Light was designed and supervised by Alan Stevenson, uncle of Robert Louis Stevenson, it was completed in 1849 by Robert Arnot of Inverness. The Fresnel lens, which is approximately 6ft in diameter, rotates by clockwork machinery around a mercury vapour lamp.

Object Location: Wick Heritage Museum, Wick KW1 5EY

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This Jacobite relic was found in a shop in London in 1924. At first glance it looks like smears of oil paint on a wooden panel, but is in fact an anamorphic painting. When paired with a reflecting cylinder a hidden portrait of the Prince is revealed. The Jacobites used objects like this to hide their secret support for the Stuart dynasty and secretly toast ‘the King over the water’.

Object Location: West Highland Museum, Fort William, PH33 6AJ

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To wish everyone a very Merry Christmas we have four festive objects 

A Victorian Christmas Pamphlet from Nairn Museum

Queen Mary's Christmas gift to the troops in 1914 from Groam House Museum

A Christmas Advent Calendar from The Museum of Childhood

An RAF Christmas Menu from 1943 brought to you from Castletown Museum

Merry Christmas - Nollaig chridheil agus bliadhna mhath ur!

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Awarded to Sgt Alexander Edwards of the 6th Seaforth Highlanders. A native of Lossiemouth, son of a local fisherman, for conspicuous bravery in action at the Battle of Passchendaele on the 31st of July 1917. His story of courage, bravery, and ultimately loss, is told through this VC.

Location: The Highlander’s Museum, Fort George, Ardersier, Inverness, IV2 7TD

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‘Lorg Baile Bhlàir is looking into the early settlement of Inverlael and Balblair. During phase one of the project when Ullapool Museum conducted archaeological surveys, they uncovered a prize find. An Illicit Whisky Still. 

The Highlands are littered with abandoned Illicit Whiskey Stills, to dodge the customs men and still produce the legendary Uisge Beatha that kept the Highlanders going through the long winter nights

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The Drummond tartan silk satin dress was made in the 1840s. It is a two-part dress comprising of a bodice and skirt made of red/blue/green and white silk satin with cream tulle trim around the neck and sleeves.

The dress is one of two dresses made in 1842 for the occasion of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s visit to Drummond Castle, Perthshire. 

Location Highland Folk Museum Aultlarie Croft, Kingussie Rd, Newtonmore PH20 1AY

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