Black Isle award winning Groam House Museum appeals for public backing for new community hub bid in Rosemarkie
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A GLOBALLY renowned Black Isle museum is appealing to local residents to back its bid to secure a new community facility in Rosemarkie.
Mill Cottage on Bridge Street, which Highland Council currently owns, has been vacant for several years and the Groam House Museum wants to buy it under the community asset transfer scheme.
To do so, it must show community support.
It says local groups will be welcome to use the new space for meetings and activities while the museum will programme lectures, training sessions, creative workshops, sales and exhibitions.
It would also offer a much-needed workspace and secure storage for the nationally recognised George Bain collections.
Doug Maclean, its chairman, said: “As the lease on our current rented storage and office outside Rosemarkie is coming to an end, we are looking to find accommodation, and the idea of purchasing Mill Cottage arose. We are keen to investigate further and consider how the building could benefit our local community and the museum.”
He said it would be “a valuable asset” to the community: “Rooms could be used by small groups or function as a place to meet for coffee and a blether. If funding allows, there could be an outdoor garden area with seating and plants, a quiet haven on a busy summer’s day.”
The museum displays unique Pictish stones, local history items from the area and the nationally significant George Bain Collection. It receives visitors from around the world.
The award-winning museum’s bid can be backed simply by signing a petition at the museum or online at https://groamhouse.org.uk
About Groam House
Groam House is an award-winning, independent museum in the seaside village of Rosemarkie. It is situated on the High Street, on what would have been part of an important early Christian monastery enclosure 1250 years ago.
The centrepiece is the magnificent 2.6m-high Rosemarkie cross-slab, an 8th century sculpted stone elaborately carved with enigmatic Pictish symbols and Christian crosses. It’s one of the most impressive and important stones on the Highland Pictish Trail.
In addition to the Rosemarkie cross-slab and other Pictish sculpted stones, Groam House Museum cares for the collection of Celtic art teacher George Bain (1881-1968). He was an inspiration for all lovers of Celtic design and his collection is now officially recognized as being of national significance.
The museum also cares for a small but important local history collection consisting mainly of photographs and documents but including a treasure trove of archaeological finds dating from prehistoric times to the 1800s.
A registered charity, managed by a Board of Trustees and advised by museum specialists, Groam House Museum is free entry therefore it relies on donations, fundraising events, shop sales and membership fees to survive. A small part-time staff team is helped by a lively, enthusiastic group of volunteers and working together to offer visitors and followers a window into a past world, bringing objects and their stories to life through permanent displays, exhibitions, events and activities.
Groam House activists pay tribute to loyal volunteer
Global appeal over George Bain collection
