THE Scottish Government has provided £51,000 to a living history museum hit by a devastating fire earlier this year.
The Scottish Crannog Centre, based at the north of Loch Tay, was hit by a blaze which destroyed its centrepiece exhibit – a wooden roundhouse which helped to tell the tale of Scotland’s Iron Age history.
An online crowdfunder to help with the associated costs of the fire managed to raise £51,980, while plans are underway to bring forward the planned development of a new Crannog Centre in 2022. So far £12,913 has been raised to secure the museum’s future at Dalerb.
Funding from the Scottish Government will be used to pay for the immediate costs and support the move to the Dalerb site next year.
The centre’s director Mike Benson said he is “incredibly thankful” to the Holyrood government for its contribution.
“The fire is not the end of our story, it will become part of our story,” he said.
“This support will enable us to plan as we stride into our futures with confidence and to keep doing what we do best. To tell the inspirational stories of the Scottish crannog dwellers to the communities we are here to serve near and far.”
READ MORE: The Scottish Crannog Centre set for busy summer after fire
Scotland’s culture minister Jenny Gilruth said she was glad ministers had been able to support the museum following the incident. She praised the organisation for reopening just five days after the blaze and continuing to run scheduled events through the summer.
“It is testament to their ambition and the dedication of the Crannog’s staff that they have reopened so swiftly, under incredibly difficult circumstances,” Gilruth commented.
“It is clear that the excellent work of the centre is much valued by local communities with their strong record of providing employment opportunities and supporting vocational learning.”
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