£13K boost to help Dingwall Museum fully embrace digital age
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A ROSS-SHIRE museum that curates historic and cultural treasures from years gone by is being helped ramp up its digital age offering on the cusp of a new season.
The Dingwall Museum Trust has welcomed a near-£13,000 funding boost from Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS).
This grant will be used to hire a museum professional to help introduce a modern, cloud-based catalogue system for its large collection and to improve visitor experience.
The museum opens on April 3, Wednesdays to Saturdays 10am-4am and entry is free.
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It is inviting volunteers to come and help either at the welcome desk or with the cataloguing and auditing behind the scenes, promising: "There are bound to be surprises!"
Chair Jonathan McColl said: "This grant from the MGS comes at an opportune time when we are expanding our role as a major custodian of memories and heritage of Dingwall and the area around.
"For a small independent museum we have a large collection of artefacts and papers but an incomplete and antiquated cataloguing system. We are looking forward to using this money to modernise the accession system and to employ a part-time curator who as part of his or her duties will train volunteers in using new systems and in basic conservation of materials, providing skilled volunteers for when the project ends in a year’s time.
"Of course, the Town House of the old Burgh Council is our biggest exhibit and has a commanding presence on the High Street of Dingwall. Footfall that we attract benefits the businesses of the High Street as well."
Lucy Casot, CEO, Museums Galleries Scotland added: ‘We’re delighted to support The Dingwall Museum Trust to enhance their visitor experience at the museum and welcome new volunteers. New and old volunteers will have the opportunity to undertake exciting training in the important ‘behind the scenes’ processes of preserving local stories and heritage.”
Dingwall Museum has been active since 1975. Housed in the 18th century Town House, or Tollbooth, on Dingwall’s High Street, its large collection includes material from the Burgh council, and from bodies such as the Ross-shire Journal and Fire Brigade, as well as a large number of personal donors. The museum houses a renowned militaria room, a large collection of photographs, wide-ranging examples of social history, archive documents relating to the burgh of Dingwall, and substantial objects including a blacksmith smiddy, fire engine and printing press.
Recently the newly-found Pictish stone from Conon Bridge was moved to be displayed in the museum’s front window.
Dingwall has recently converted from a Trust to an SCIO.
Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) is the national development body for Scotland’s museums sector. It supports 450 museums and galleries through strategic investment, advice, workforce development and advocacy.
