Browse Items (112 total)

Large metal lock from Fort William.

Wooden bowl 3D

wooden bowl from Governor's House.

Corran Beaker 3D

Bronze age beaker

Blog by Madga Salvesen, Curator Jon Schueler Estate

This beautifully decorated clarsach, or Scottish harp is in the style of the Queen Mary harp, the original design of which dates from the reign of…

This leather-bound stalker’s telescope has been selected because of its association with the Highlands. It is a typical example of equipment ghillies…

This fine taxidermy specimen of a golden eagle came to the museum in 1940. There is no record as to when it was prepared, but our records show that…

This spinning wheel used for spinning thread or yarn from fibres was made in the French pattern, and was gifted to the West Highland Museum along with…

Charms were an integral part of Highland culture for centuries. There are a good variety of charms in the museum, covering everything from preventing…

The iconic Lochaber axe has been included in the gallery because it is still an important symbol of the area today, even appearing on the West…

This an early modern shoulder-belt plate that was found in 2015 by metal detectorists in the deserted township of Alisary. It is very rare because it…

This 18th century banner contains the Coat of Arms of MacDonald of Moidart. By tradition this is Clanranald’s Banner which was raised beside the…

This is one of the oldest medals in competitive shinty. Shinty, or camanachd as it is traditionally known in the Gaelic-speaking West Highlands, is an…

This Ben Nevis race medal was won by Lucy Cameron. She won the women’s race in 1902 in the record time of 2 hours and 3 minutes. The first competitive…

This was championship belt was won by strong man Alexander Anthony Cameron (1877–1951). He was one of the all-time great strongmen and athletes from…

This gun by tradition is the Appin murder weapon. The Appin murder took place on 14 May 1752 in the aftermath of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. It is an…

This map shows the estates belonging to Cameron of Lochiel that were forfeited after the 1745 uprising. Lochiel had led Clan Cameron throughout the…

This heavy dirk with a backed blade is made from steel with a wooden hilt decorated with a Celtic knotwork design and brass pins. The dirk is…

Royal Stewart sett hard tartan trews with integral 'feet'. Traditional trews were not trousers, but long hose which were worn high up to the waist.…

This is a silver baluster snuff mull with the heraldic arms of Cluny MacPherson set within a foliated scroll formed cartouche. The museum purchased…

A pale green striped silk waistcoat that has been embroidered with rosebuds and silver thread. It is a textile with a fascinating history. The…

Three examples of portraits after the engraving by Robert Strange (1721 -1792). Strange’s engraving was based on the Allan Ramsay (1713 – 1784)…

Portrait of Donald Cameron of Lochiel (1695–1748), ‘The Gentle Lochiel' in a gilt frame. Although this is a copy of a George Chalmers (1720–c.1791)…

A large round boulder with a hole bored partially through it. This is a stone with an iconic history. It was originally from Glenfinnan and by…

A prayer book titled “A Manual for A Christian”. The prayer book was rebound in the 19th century when the inner and outer case were added. Sadly, no…

A two-sided chair with an embroidered velvet seat said to have been used by Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788). The embroidered inscription…

Tortoiseshell framed spectacles with a leather case said to have belonged to Lord Lovat. Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat, (1667 – 1747) was chief of…

Bone china fluted handle less tea cup and deep saucer said to have been part of a set that belonged to Flora MacDonald (1722 -1790).

A pair of decorative 18th century shoe buckles with paste 'jewels'. Said to have been worn by Flora MacDonald (1722 -1790). Flora was a heroine…

Prince Charles Edward Stuart's (1720 - 1788) death mask. Thought to be a copy of an original made by Barnar dina Lucchesi, one of a family of…

Metal knife blade with no handle. Although the knife is poorly constructed and rusting its important because it was purportedly found on Drumossie…

This is an example of Chinese export porcelain designed to Western taste. This is armorial ware or heraldic china where the ceramic is decorated with…

This iconic 1st pattern F-S Fighting Knife was designed by William Fairbairn and Eric Sykes in 1940. The duo trained special forces including the SOE…

Two pairs of pistols that belonged to Lochaber man Major James MacFarlane (1774 - 1849) who worked in India with the Honourable East India Company.…

These decorated silver ceremonial spades were used to cut the first sods of local railway lines in the late 19th century. The first spade was used to…

This is a coffin guard or mort safe and is designed to prevent body snatchers stealing the corpse of someone who has recently died. In the early…

The iconic Lochaber axe has been included in the gallery because it is still an important symbol of the area today, even appearing on the West…

This is a beautiful example of a 19th century child’s tartan dress. The full skirt with flared sleeves is hand stitched. The tartan sett is Murray…

This rare and exquisite memorial tie pin was commissioned by Queen Victoria (1819 – 1901) on the death of John Brown (1826 – 1883). The Queen gifted…

This is the Highland outfit Queen Victoria (1819 – 1901) presented to her trusted Scottish servant, John Brown (1826 - 1883), on the occasion of her…

This Victorian post horn is made from a cow horn and has a metal mouthpiece decorated with a caberfeidh (stag's head) and shield. It is on a shoulder…

This hard-tartan box pleated Stuart kilt in the Duke of Rothesay tartan and is said to have been worn by the Sobieski brothers. The tartan is their…

Queen Victoria (1819 - 1901) certainly had a love of horse riding and was an accomplished equestrienne. This gold mounted riding whip belonged to the…

This is a typical example of a 19th century Highland outfit made for a child. It comprises of a kilt, jacket, sash, sporran, and Glengarry. It…

Small wooden bowl possibly for soup of porridge. It was found in the Governor's House at Fort William when the fort was demolished in 1938.

When land around the old fort was excavated to make way for the first rail line into Fort William in the 1890s, knives, cannon, and bullet moulds were…

A good luck charm made for Colonel John Cameron of Fassiefern (1771 – 1815). It is made from tartan silk and contains a pebble, pieces of stalk,…

This is the largest object in the West Highland Museum collection and maybe one of the most intriguing. It came from the old fort (An Gearasdan) at…

This powder horn has been showcased in the gallery because it is so beautifully decorative. The horn has been carved in a deeply incised rose design…

These are two silver Spanish pieces of eight found in Tobermory Bay off the Isle of Mull. The coins made an unusual journey to arrive in the West…

“October in Knoydart”, is an oil on canvas signed by the artist. It depicts Lochaber’s wild mountainous scenery and was selected for the gallery…

Print made by the prominent Scottish artist and etcher Sir D Y Cameron (1865 -1945). In 1928 The Strange Plate came into the museum’s collection,…

This fragment of plaid was gifted to the Museum in 1973 as part of a Bequest from Dr Charles Hepburn, a collector of Jacobite memorabilia. The sett…

This pot still has a mysterious history. It was found abandoned anonymously on the steps of the museum in the 1920s. The damage was caused by some…

This hard-tartan dress was handmade on the Scottish island of Benbecula in the early half of 19th century. It shows signs of wear, tear and repair,…

This object is a bit of a mystery. Known as the Clanranald Anvil, it probably dates back to the 14th or 15th century. It is a very heavy irregular…

By the late 1890s a unique system of mail dispatch had developed on the remote Scottish archipelago of St Kilda. Letters were enclosed in a waterproof…

This blackthorn walking stick belonged to the famous Scottish Gaelic bard Iain Lom MacDonald (1624 – 1710). He carried it by him after the Battle of…

This blackthorn walking stick is special for its association with the 1745 Rising. Soon after Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788) first arrived…

This unimposing curved stool made from a tree root has a fascinating history. A label attached to the object states “Stool on which Prince Charlie sat…

A beautifully carved powder horn with a detailed Celtic design. Powder horns were generally made from horn and used to store gunpowder. This…

A hard tartan jacket made in Uist. With linen lined sleeves. The colourful tartan lining differs between the skirts and bodice. It is a fantastic…

The birching table is from the old court house in Fort William where the birchings were carried out. It was last used in 1948, when a 15-year-old boy…

Silver quaichs are used by Scots to take a wee dram of whisky. This silver quaich has a fascinating story to tell and is said to have been drunk from…

This basket hilted broadsword dates from either the late 17th or early 18th century. Basket-hilts were swords with a basket-shaped guard to protect…

This heavy brass sporran cantle with an incised pattern once belonged to the legendary Highland outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor (1671 - 1734). Tradition has…

This trooping helmet belonged to James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose (1612-1650). Montrose was a Scottish nobleman, poet and soldier. He initially…

This object has been included in the gallery because its purpose is a bit of a mystery. It is believed to be a type of wooden quern made from bog oak.…

A paper and ivory fan depicting Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788) with the Mars, Roman god of war, and Bellona, Roman goddess of war. They…

A copper printing plate commissioned by Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788) in 1746. Designed and etched by the artist Robert Strange (1721…

A catalogue for the 1925 West Highland Museum’s exhibition titled “Prince Charles Edward and the ’45 Campaign”. The West Highland Museum was founded…

This Neolithic stone axe was found at Keppoch near Roy Bridge in 1876. It came into the museum’s collection in 1936. Axes were adapted for many uses…

Said to have been made more than 800 years ago, the Faery bagpipes of Kinlochmoidart, are very special as they are thought to be one of the oldest set…

In 1929 the Lochaber aluminium smelter opened in Fort William. The British Aluminium Company had developed an area of 303 square miles around Ben…

This portrait titled “Mrs Ryan” has been selected because the sitter and artist have close links to Lochaber. Keith Henderson (1883–1982) was a…

This painting of skies near Mallaig was gifted to the West Highland Museum by the artist’s widow Magda Salvesen in1994. Jon Schueler (1916–1992) was…

“Little Office of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” prayer book. Originally bound in plain card it has decorated with an intricate…

A framed fragment of cloth decorated with brown sprigged stripes on a cream background. It is mounted on a glazed wooden and silver frame. The piece…

This local Lochaber scene depicts women waulking cloth on the shores of Loch Nan Uamh. Six women are seated in a rough circle wielding short mallets…

This tiny silver water cruet was found by chance in a local river. It was used by a priest to officiate at communion. It is engraved with the letter…

An anamorphic hidden painting of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788). At first glance the object appears to be a smear of oil paints on a…

A tooth mounted in a hand-carved ivory frame. The tooth is said to have belonged to Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788). It is very rare and…

A fine example of a mid-18th century drinking glass with an air twist stem, engraved with Jacobite symbols. Drinking toasts to the exiled Stuart…

This pair of late Bronze Age gold pennular armlets were found at Kilmallie, just outside Fort William. The fascinating story behind them relates to…

This gorgeous dress was made in India, but has connections with the Highlands. It belonged to Barbara Morrison, who had been born in Inverness. She…

This very large oil painting by Henry Tanworth Wells (1828–1903) hangs at Arisaig House. It was a wedding gift to Gertrude Astley from her sisters…