Glencoe Folk Museum

QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR APPEAL?

​

When will the museum reopen?
With your help, we’re aiming to reopen in 2026. There will be better access, new exhibitions, and more space for the community.

Why hasn’t the museum reopened as planned in 2025?
Redevelopment of historic buildings is never simple. Rising costs, inflation, and unavoidable delays have pushed back the reopening. Challenges have included securing planning permission and the building warrant, procurement delays in line with public contracts, and the difficulty of finding skilled contractors able to work in our Highland location. In addition, the unique constraints of our site have made the project more complex. Despite these obstacles, we remain fully committed to reopening with improved facilities as soon as possible.

What makes Glencoe Folk Museum unique? Why should I give?
We know there are many important causes asking for your support, especially during a cost-of-living crisis. Here’s why Glencoe Folk Museum matters and why your gift makes a difference:​

• A one-of-a-kind collection – Our 6,000 artefacts capture everyday Highland life, Jacobite history, and Glencoe’s remarkable past. There is no other museum in the world with this collection.

• A community at its heart – The museum has been run with passion by local people for over 50 years. It’s not just about history, it’s about identity, belonging, and pride.

• Education for the future – From school visits to heritage workshops, the museum inspires the next generation to value Scotland’s culture and history.

• A legacy to protect. With your help, we can secure these stories and objects for generations to come.

• Global significance – Glencoe is known worldwide. By saving Glencoe Folk Museum, you’re helping protect a piece of Scotland’s story that resonates far beyond the village.

 

Every donation, no matter the size, is a vote of confidence that our shared history matters, even in hard times. Together we can preserve Glencoe’s past and shape its future.

Why is it so vital we deliver this redevelopment project?
The building is no longer fit for purpose, does not meet acceptable standards of visitor accessibility and, in its current state, it isn't financially viable in the long term. At present, we are unable to fulfil a core goal of being a thriving, accessible heritage hub engaging with the broadest spectrum of local and tourist audiences. We do not currently meet the standards outlined in The Equality Act 2010 and cannot continue to run a museum that doesn’t serve everyone.
 

Why do you need to raise £100,000 now?
Rising construction costs and unexpected challenges have created a funding gap. We are urging the public to support us by raising £100,000.

Why have the costs risen so much?

• Continuing inflation due to the cost-of-living crisis and global instability

• Market forces including significant increases in material and labour costs

• Challenges of our Highland location, including finding sufficient skilled contractors able to deliver our capital works and fitout

• Local authority delays in awarding the required planning permissions / building warrant (which are all now in place)

• The unique challenges of delivering a complex build on our restricted site

• Contractors being unable to deliver work in line with their original timescales due to challenges in public procurement

​

This project’s been going for a while - what have you done so far?

• A huge amount of behind-the-scenes work has gone on to get the building works ‘shovel ready’. This has included:

• Finalising the building and fitout/exhibition designs, ensuring they meet our environmental and accessibility goals and provide an attractive, engaging venue the community can be proud of.

• Securing Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent from Highland Council for the works.

• Procurement of a main contractor to perform the works - this has been a lengthy and open process conducted through Public Contracts Scotland.

• Securing building warrant, enabling works to begin.

• Completing project development to full RIBA stage 4 (Technical Design) ready to move into RIBA stage 5 (Construction).

• Performing value engineering on both our building and fitout/exhibitions contracts - ensuring that the Museum realises its project goals while representing best value for money.

What will my donation support?
Every gift goes directly to:

• Completing essential work on our historic 19th-century cottages

• Protecting 6,000 artefacts that tell Glencoe’s story

• Creating new, accessible displays for our community and visitors

Where has the money already raised been spent?

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters and funders so far, we’ve already been able to:

• Secure and conserve our historic 19th-century cottages

• Carry out vital redevelopment and construction work

• Protect our collections in safe storage while the building works take place

• Begin creating new exhibition and learning spaces

​​

In addition, we have:

• Completed project development to full RIBA stage 4 (Technical Design)

• Secured planning permission and listed building consent

• Undertaken procurement of contractors in line with public contracts requirements

​​

This work has been essential but rising construction costs and the challenges of working with historic buildings mean we now face a funding gap. Help us bring Glencoe’s story to life. With your support, we can transform Glencoe Folk Museum into a space that’s exciting, accessible, and inspiring for generations to come.

Why didn’t you plan for the rising costs? Why isn’t the contingency large enough?
We did plan for rising costs and included a significant contingency budget in our original fundraising plans, and we raised enough funds to meet this. However, the world has changed rapidly over the past five years, and no one could have predicted the rates of inflation, the challenges to get building materials, or the huge rise in labour costs which are affecting projects like ours all over the world.

Like other heritage projects around the country, our project and its costs have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit, the war in Ukraine, the issues with HS2 (which drove up the prices of materials, particularly concrete), and the UK political climate. We began our plans prior to all of this, and the combined impact is something we never could have planned for.

We prepared as best we could, but unfortunately timing has not been on our side.

I would like to donate, can I add Gift Aid to my donation or can I give monthly?
Yes! If you’re a UK taxpayer, adding Gift Aid increases your gift by 25% at no extra cost. Monthly donations are especially powerful as they help us plan ahead with confidence.

How else can I help?

• Share this appeal with family, friends, and on social media

• Organise a fundraiser in support of the museum

• Encourage local businesses or groups to get involved

Will my support be recognised?
All donors will be thanked, and with permission, major supporters will be recognised on our website and at the museum once it reopens.

​

Donors who give £50 or more will be honoured on our Tree of Sponsors — a lasting tribute inspired by the Clan Donald genealogical chart, celebrating those who saved the Museum.

 

​​Contact redevelopment@glencoemuseum.com

​​